Bunnings is slammed for 'dehumanising' move: 'You are treated like a number'

Daily Mail​

23-06-2025

Bunnings has come under fire as it becomes one of several large Australian retailers to use artificial intelligence in its recruitment process.
The application process involves a chat and video interview powered by Sapia AI, a tool designed to screen candidates.
According to Sapia's website, the technology was 'built on the foundation of making hiring inclusive, efficient and effective'.
Bunnings describes the AI interview as comparable to a traditional phone interview with a recruiter, but highlights several benefits.
'You can take all the time you need and edit your answers until you're happy with them,' the company explains in its FAQ for job applicants.
'There are usually five questions, and most people finish in about 30 minutes.'
For those who don't have access to the required technology, Bunnings reassures candidates they 'can arrange an alternative format for you to complete the same interview questions'.
The retailer emphasises that the AI interview is designed to be fair and impartial, focusing solely on responses to a standardised set of questions.
Sapia is used by a number of businesses across Australia, including Woolworths, Qantas, David Jones, Suncorp and Starbucks.
It was founded by Barb Hyman, a former HR executive who is based in Melbourne.
Sapia claims that companies using its software are saving up to 20 hours a week in recruitment time, while also cutting the time-to-hire in half.
They report a 90 per cent satisfaction rate among job applicants.
Recruiter Tammie Ballis, who owns Realistic Careers, expressed scepticism about the approach, calling it 'dehumanising'.
'It's a cost-cutting feature, it's also a screening tool,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
'You are treated like a number now more than ever, especially if you are applying to jobs for the big retailers.'
She did acknowledge that businesses were trying to save money, saying the HR process is often 'expensive'.
A screenshot of a job advertisement promoting the use of Sapia AI was shared to Reddit where social media users were divided
'My suggestion to you as a recruiter is don't touch the big retailers, you are more likely to get a personal and human experience when applying to a small or medium sized business,' Ms Ballis said.
A screenshot of a job advertisement promoting the use of Sapia AI was shared to Reddit, where social media users slammed the change.
'Pro-tip: If they were actually interested in hiring you, they'd speak to you in person. Don't put up with this dehumanising c***,' one wrote.
'We're cooked,' another wrote.
'It won't be long before people are selling optimal answers for AI interviews, it'll be like SEO for Google,' a third added.
'As long as someone knows the key words/phrases they'll nail the interview.'