Introduction
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Paradox stands out from the crowd because of their stellar implementation team and their flagship product Olivia, an AI assistant that interacts with job candidates via text.
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PROS
- Their implementation and customer service is very efficient and accessible. You will not only get a Customer Success Manager to help you with every step during your implementation phase but your issues will also likely be resolved within the same day. Unlike many vendors, you can contact their support team via phone and explain your issue in real-time.
- It’s very time-saving and cuts down on back-and-forth communication between job candidates and recruiters. As Derek B, Head of Recruitment at a large-sized enterprise puts it, “Olivia helped us shave our response time from 7 days to under 24 hours. This time saving ensured that the applicants we chose to interview were the best of the bunch.”
- Olivia, their AI chatbot is programmed to respond to candidates in a way that feels personal, as if a real person is responding. What’s even better is that despite complete automation, you can see all chats and manually override them if need be.
CONS
- Although you can get some data and feedback about your company and its processes, analytics is not very robust in Paradox. If you’re looking for advanced features that let you slice and dice your data in various ways, you’ll have to look for other applications.
- Their AI assistant is intelligent and has a human touch but at the end of the day, Olivia is still AI. At times when you want nuanced answers in conversations, you’ll have to manually operate the chat.
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Paradox is also synonymous with Olivia, their AI assistant and flagship product named after the founder’s wife. They have a straightforward aim: to cut down HR professionals’ time on mundane tasks and help them focus on people-centric work instead. Olivia has many use cases for recruiting and it’s as good as having a personal assistant at your disposal.
How Paradox works is that their HR chatbot Olivia converses with candidates on your company’s behalf via text messages. Although it’s powered by artificial intelligence, it’s like chatting with a real person. In fact, the chatbot’s profile picture is set to the real Olivia’s photograph. You can ask Olivia to schedule interviews, screen candidates, onboard new hires, and more.
From the point of view of hiring managers and recruiters, Olivia looks like a personal assistant who asks you to configure your settings with a few taps on the mobile app. Olivia then takes it forward from there and directly converses with the candidates. You can even embed it in your ‘careers’ site so that when candidates are searching for a relevant job, Olivia can fetch the most relevant openings based on the candidate’s experience, interests, and real-time responses.
You can also use Olivia when you’re hosting virtual hiring events. Olivia handles registration, candidate questions, reminders, and interview scheduling. It also has native integration for video conferencing.
As of August 2021, Paradox acquired Traitify, a pre-employment assessment software that relies on visuals to collect personality data points. Traitify is accessible by mobile and takes users under two minutes to complete a test.
We used Paradox as a tool to recruit candidates. The AI assistant, Olivia, helped us by prescreening candidates through generic questions, filtering out those who were not interested or did not meet job qualifications.
As a recruiter, I was responsible for monitoring Olivia’s interactions and stepping in to answer any questions she could not handle. Olivia also helped schedule interviews, allowing us to screen and schedule candidates in one workflow. This made managing interview logistics significantly easier during high-volume periods.
- Paradox offers convenience and efficiency, especially during periods of mass hiring.
- The platform allows easy management of interview scheduling.
- It reduces the need for direct communication with candidates during busy times, helping maintain work/life balance.
My company bought Paradox to make recruiting more efficient through the use of AI. It was a new initiative, and we used it for about two years before I resigned from the company. During that time, we set up an AI assistant called Olivia, which was powered by Paradox and served as its primary function.
We also implemented Paradox in other departments, including the supply chain for logistics, our Fleet team, and our store team, all of which used it to support their recruiting efforts.
- Although prescreening is efficient, many candidates have unique questions that the AI cannot answer.
- Because of limited direct interaction, candidates are sometimes less committed, leading to frequent no-shows.
- The platform's interface is not optimized for multiple recruiters to work in the system simultaneously, which made collaboration difficult.
Compared to other systems I’ve used, Paradox is the most technologically advanced in terms of AI capabilities. Personally, I prefer the traditional method of calling and screening candidates, so Paradox’s automated approach doesn’t align with my preferred recruiting style. I favor systems like iCIMS, which offer a more hands-on, direct approach to candidate engagement.
Companies considering Paradox should evaluate their needs for AI integration and how much efficiency they require in their hiring process. The platform is best suited for organizations that are engaged in mass hiring or have limited time and resources for manual recruiting.
I'm not entirely sure, as I only used the platform for two years. Based on my experience, it either launched recently or has rapidly advanced its AI capabilities within a short time.
Large companies with thousands of employees.
Organizations such as warehousing operations, fleet drivers, and chain stores.
I typically use it a few times a week. I mainly use it for candidate interactions. The AI assistant handles pre-screening by asking candidates qualifying questions and advancing those who meet our criteria. It also includes an AI tool for interview scheduling, which significantly reduces manual effort.
The platform's workflow tools support candidate check-ins and follow-ups, further reducing manual tasks. Overall, it has helped increase application completion rates.
- The AI chatbot is highly effective.
- The AI-powered interview scheduling feature eliminates a significant amount of manual work.
- Their mobile-first platform improves accessibility for candidates and benefits our employees.
We implemented Paradox to improve both the quantity and quality of our applicant pool. We also wanted to automate the candidate outreach process. Previously, we relied on many manual processes to source candidates and move them through the portal.
Paradox helped automate several workflows. Its AI-driven functionality was a major selling point. We’ve been using it for about a year. Paradox stood out due to its AI recruiting assistant, Olivia.
- The AI sometimes struggles with handling complex candidate questions.
- The reporting and analytics features need more flexibility and development.
- The platform's workflows would benefit from greater customization options.
Paradox excels in automation and candidate engagement. Rather than emphasizing video interviews, it focuses on improving communication and engagement to support retention.
Organizations should evaluate their hiring volume and candidate flow. For high candidate inflow, this tool is very effective. Paradox has expanded its AI capabilities, which is especially valuable for teams looking to leverage AI more heavily in their hiring processes.
Over time, Paradox has placed more emphasis on its AI capabilities. This has become the most critical aspect of its value proposition.
Paradox is well-suited for large companies with high candidate volume and those seeking to adopt more AI-driven recruitment processes.
Paradox may not be ideal for small companies with a low volume of candidates.
In my experience, I have used Paradox as an Applicant Tracking System almost daily. The system is utilized throughout the entire hiring process, from job postings to background checks and onboarding. This includes posting positions, dispositioning candidates, scheduling interviews, managing the background check and offer letter process, and finalizing hires.
Various roles across the company use the system, depending on employees' positions.
- The AI tool provides a great candidate experience by assisting applicants in finding positions and navigating the application process.
- Integration with the HRIS system and background check process has been smooth.
- The system is user-friendly for dispositioning candidates and advancing them through the recruitment process.
We wanted a tool that would engage prospective talent, as our previous system was not a true applicant tracking system and lacked candidate engagement. Additionally, we aimed to move away from a tedious application process and simplify the experience for applicants.
We also needed a system that functioned more effectively as an Applicant Tracking System for recruiters, as our prior process was outdated. Paradox meets these needs by enhancing the applicant experience, engaging talent, and streamlining the application process.
I have used the Paradox system for approximately one year.
- Filtering candidates based on experience and skills would be beneficial, though this functionality is not currently available to us.
- The auto-scheduling feature for interviews can be challenging, particularly if hiring managers do not keep their calendars updated or are not tech-savvy.
- Since this is a technology-driven tool, it may be difficult for candidates who are not comfortable applying via mobile devices.
- Access to SMS, WhatsApp, and email is crucial for a seamless candidate experience, but those unfamiliar with such platforms may struggle with the application process.
Paradox aligns with modern hiring trends by engaging talent directly. Candidates appreciate easy access to job postings, instant answers to questions, and a simplified application process.
Of the applicant tracking systems I have worked with, Paradox is the only one that effectively delivers this level of engagement. While there is room for improvement on the recruiter side, I believe these enhancements will be implemented over time.
Overall, Paradox is an excellent choice for candidate engagement, provided applicants are comfortable with technology.
It is essential to consider the types of positions you are filling and the technological comfort level of your candidates. If your company primarily hires individuals who are not familiar with digital communication tools such as texting and email, this system may present challenges.
Additionally, assess whether integrations with other systems are necessary and how your recruitment workflows will be structured. If your recruitment process is complex, it is advisable to outline all workflow scenarios to ensure Paradox can accommodate them.
I have observed some enhancements that improve the recruiter experience and navigation on the back end. However, I need more time to fully evaluate these updates.
Medium to large corporations with users who are comfortable with technology and organizations that need to hire talent quickly can benefit from Paradox.
Small organizations may find Paradox too much for their needs.
We use Paradox to expedite the interview process. We were able to reduce the time from application to interview by 4 days. It also allows us to keep a steady pipeline of applicants moving through.
I like how customizable and user-friendly Paradox is. We have received positive feedback from applicants. Paradox has multiple features that allow your own brand voice, look, and feel to come through.
We implemented Paradox at my most recent employer to provide a higher-touch applicant experience. Paradox allowed us to provide on-demand answers to questions and immediate interview scheduling to prevent losing applicants to other employers.
Paradox initially required a heavy lift to add all the information on the back-end necessary before launch. It was very time-consuming for my lean HR team.
Paradox differentiates itself from competitors from the avatar function to the scheduling process. They made getting to know our company and applying seamless for applicants.
People should consider whether they want a fast, efficient, and high-touch experience for candidates. This tool may not be best suited for industries where more in-person connection is necessary to qualify candidates before moving to an interview.
Paradox has added API integrations, updated its tool look and feel, and improved its reporting capabilities.
There are several different ways Paradox can be used. All features do not need to be turned on at once. The platform is flexible to meet the specific needs of each organization. Companies with high applicant counts could benefit from this tool to expedite getting someone from the point of application to in-person interview by keeping applicants engaged through a speedy process. A great tool for high-growth and fast-paced environments needing to hire a large number of people quickly.
Paradox would not be a great tool for organizations with low applicant volume or very minimal open positions.
At the heart of Paradox lies automation, which is usually needed by teams looking to outsource daily HR tasks so they could focus on more nuanced work like building the company culture. If your team is small or doesn’t mind spending a little time on using HR tools, there are tons of free options for interview scheduling, recruiting, and virtual events.
Unilever, McDonald’s, Amazon, 3M, CVS Health, Nestlé, Lowe’s
- Conversational AI: Paradox’s unique selling point is their conversational AI tool Olivia, to whom you can delegate all your mundane HR tasks. Olivia would chat on your behalf with your job candidates and pass all the necessary information.
- Recruiting: You can use Olivia for hiring in multiple ways. Candidates can use a job board to apply for an opening in your company and Olivia will start chatting with them the minute they click on the ‘apply’ button. You can also embed Olivia in your company’s career site to bring candidates a tailored job opening based on their interests, experience, and responses to the conversation with Olivia.
- Interview scheduling: You don’t have to manually schedule interviews with candidates. Olivia syncs with your calendar and automatically takes care of this part for you. You can use it to schedule multi-location, multi-person, and other complex interviews. It also sends automatic reminders to job candidates and handles rescheduling with the candidate on its own.
- Screening: When a candidate applies to a job opening and starts a conversation with Olivia, the candidate will be automatically screened against job requirements. If the candidate moves past the initial automatic screening, Olivia would also automatically schedule them for an interview.
- Events: Olivia can be used as an event assistant for coordinating between event hosts and attendees. Instead of letting your guests sign up through an events page, Olivia can chat with them through text messages for registration, answering questions, or sharing any information ahead of the event. This can be used for a variety of events including job fairs, seasonal hiring, orientation, and recurring virtual events. Because Paradox supports native integrations for video conferencing, Olivia can also prompt qualified candidates to talk to recruiters on the spot.
- Pre-employment assessment: You can use Traitify, Paradox’s pre-employment assessment tool to acquire desired talent. What’s interesting about this tool is that it gives its takers a visual, image-based test that takes less than two minutes to complete. Despite the brevity of the test, you can collect hundreds of personality data points about your potential employees.
Paradox integrates with many ATS systems, job boards, recruitment CRM, assessment software, Calendar tools, and other types of applications. The most popular ones include Workday, SAP, UKG, ADP, Cornerstone, Taleo, WhatsApp, Zoom, Gallup, and Indeed.
Pricing is not disclosed upfront. You will have to schedule a demo to get custom pricing based on your company size. After filling out a demo form on their website, their team will reach out to you within one business day to learn about your team’s challenges and schedule a custom-tailored demo.
Paradox is ideal for large enterprises that deal with a high volume of job candidates on a frequent basis.
Paradox has a dedicated implementation team and a process that’s divided into phases. Because it depends on your team size and business needs, we can’t tell you the exact length of time or the number of phases it will take to fully implement Paradox but the whole process can last for several months. You will be provided a Customer Success Manager to help you guide through the entire implementation and administration process.
Paradox has many resources to help their customers perform their best. There are blogs, how-to guides, research articles, and client case studies. There’s also a help center that is available to members who have bought their software. You can also contact them by email or phone.
We’ve only heard good things about their customer service but to sum it up in the words of Steven, a Human Resources Consultant at a mid-sized company, “Paradox's customer service stands apart and above almost any other vendor we work with. Most customer service relationships in our experience involve leaving a voicemail and having to follow up to get issues resolved. I never have had this problem with Paradox and am often able to speak to our representative on my first call.”
Aaron Matos, the founder and CEO of Paradox loves the intersection of people and technology and understood the power of computers from an early age. He went on to study human resources in college and spent over eight years working as an HR professional before he founded multiple companies in the HR tech industry.
Paradox was found because Aaron saw an opportunity to transform the recruiting experience for organizations by freeing up people’s time on mundane tasks using artificial intelligence. Paradox is best known for their AI assistant Olivia, which was named after Aaron’s wife (then-girlfriend). The team at Paradox believes that the recruiting process is a human experience and they wanted to create an assistant that had a personality. The name ‘Paradox’ is also a play on the paradoxical concept of an AI having a personality.
From its inception, Paradox has experienced consistent growth. Within four years of entering the market, they completed a $40 million B round of funding with Brighton Park Capital. Other notable investors include Workday Ventures, Indeed, Sapphire Ventures, and Twilio. They’ve also won many awards such as Forbes Top 500 Startup Employers of 2020 and 2019 Gold Stevie Winner for Human Capital Management Solution. Their dream is to be the most candidate-centric company on earth.
Company HQ
Scottsdale, Arizona
Number of Employees
470+
Year Founded
2016
Amount Raised
$253.4 million over four rounds of funding, the latest of which took place on December 27, 2021.
FAQ
Are Paradox and Olivia the same company?
Yes, Olivia is Paradox’s AI assistant. You can use it to automate interview scheduling, recruiting, virtual career fairs, screening, and pre-employment assessment.
