Workday has extended frontline hiring capabilities available to customers with Paradox Conversational Applicant Tracking System (ATS) through its platform, aiming to help customers recruit high-volume frontline talent more quickly and efficiently. For employers hiring at scale, this solution replaces traditional application logins, lengthy forms, and manual workflows with a mobile-first, conversational experience powered by AI.
Frontline-heavy industries, such as retail, hospitality, and manufacturing, have to process thousands of applications for hourly positions, for which a slow or overly complex hiring process will scare people away. To help meet that challenge, Paradox Conversational ATS enables applicants to search for a job, apply, interview, and start onboarding in a series of short, text-based interactions. In many cases, candidates can get through the whole process in days instead of weeks.
The launch builds on Workday’s broader AI strategy following its acquisition of Paradox and the introduction of the Workday Paradox Candidate Experience Agent. Together, these solutions are designed to automate repetitive hiring tasks while improving accessibility for candidates who may not have the time or inclination to navigate traditional recruitment systems.
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“Frontline hiring breaks down when the process is slow, complex, and doesn’t meet workers on their own terms,” said Aashna Kircher, group general manager for the office of the CHRO, Workday. “Paradox Conversational ATS removes that friction by helping to streamline up to 90% of hiring tasks and letting candidates apply in minutes via their phone, helping customers hire faster and collectively save millions of hours of manual work each year.”
Early adopters are already reporting measurable results. Retail brands including 7-Eleven, Ace Hardware, and Valvoline are using the solution to increase application completion rates, reduce administrative workload, and shorten hiring cycles. According to Workday, candidates complete applications in about two minutes on average, contributing to a 72% completion rate, while organizations are seeing time-to-hire reduced to approximately three and a half days.
Once candidates are hired, offers and onboarding materials are delivered via text, contributing to a 95% candidate satisfaction rating in 2025. Combined with Workday Frontline Agent, which supports scheduling and time management through simple messaging, the company is positioning its platform as an end-to-end workforce solution for frontline-driven organizations.
