UK — The Register

Accenture AI agents are sifting through applicants

AIOctober 30, 20261 min read

Accenture, a large global tech consulting company, uses AI agents to sort job applicants and book interviews. A human still makes the final hiring call.

What happened

At a recent investor day, Accenture said it uses AI agents to screen resumes (CVs in the UK) and schedule interviews. Kate Clifford, its global HR chief, said the company also sells this kind of recruiting tool to its clients. She said people still make the hiring decisions.

Key numbers

Accenture says AI cut the time to hire by 28 percent.
Accenture says candidate quality improved by 30 percent.
New hires used to take six months to become productive. Accenture says AI agents cut this to six weeks.
Accenture says it serves around 9,000 clients.
In 2023, Accenture won a US Internal Revenue Service contract worth $2.6 billion.

Why AI is used in hiring

Recruiters often spend time on routine work like typing data into systems and booking interviews. Clifford said AI frees them to spend more time finding and talking with candidates. Accenture also says it wants staff to use AI, and a February memo said promotions to top roles would require regular AI use.

Why it matters

Many companies are testing AI to speed up hiring. But a 2022 study said AI hiring software was not proven to be fair. A paper in the journal Philosophy and Technology called it 'automated pseudoscience.' Accenture's claims are not independently checked in this article, so job seekers may want to see if the technology has really improved.

What to watch

Whether Accenture shares independent proof for its 28 percent and 30 percent claims.
Whether AI screening makes hiring fairer for all applicants.
How other companies copy Accenture's AI hiring tools.

Glossary

Accenture: A global tech consulting and outsourcing company that helps other businesses and governments with technology services.
AI agents: Computer programs that can carry out tasks on their own, such as sorting resumes or booking interviews.
Internal Revenue Service: The US government agency that collects federal taxes.

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