The Emirates Group has dramatically reduced its recruitment time and costs by harnessing artificial intelligence, saving Dh1.9 million and freeing up thousands of recruiter hours, according to a senior official.
Speaking during a session at Dubai AI Week, Manal Al Soori, Senior Vice President of HR Group Recruitment at Emirates Group, revealed that the airline has cut its average candidate selection time from 60 days to virtually zero. The transformation has been made possible through the integration of AI-powered tools developed by HireVue, which streamline various stages of the hiring process.
“Last year alone, we received 3.2 million job applications, of which approximately 14,000 were hired,” Al Soori noted. “Thanks to automation, we’ve saved more than 1,100 recruiter days and significantly improved both the efficiency and quality of hiring.”
Using the AI platform, the recruitment system automatically initiates a digital assessment once a candidate applies. Based on performance, applicants are placed into three categories: progress, validation, or rejection. While AI handles the initial filtering, recruiters still conduct manual reviews of the validation and rejection tiers to eliminate any potential bias.
“If a recruiter spots a high-potential candidate in the reject tier, they have the authority to reclassify them,” Al Soori said. “This ensures fairness and maintains the integrity of our hiring process.”
The Emirates Group has already assessed over 333,000 applications using the AI system, resulting in more than 26,000 shortlisted candidates and around 2,500 offer letters issued. The offer acceptance rate currently stands at 65 percent.
In preparation for seasonal demands—such as the upcoming peak travel period in June—the group has created a vetted talent pool of high-performing candidates. “When we anticipate high demand, like the need for check-in agents during summer, we tap into our pre-approved talent pool,” Al Soori explained. “That’s how we’ve brought our selection time down to zero.”
One key improvement was the consolidation of four similar roles—Emirates airport check-in agents, call center agents, Marhaba agents, and Dnata customer service agents—into a single job description. This move reduced redundancy, simplified the process for applicants, and enhanced recruiter efficiency.
As a result of this streamlining, four of the six recruiters involved in these roles have been reassigned to focus on strategic tasks, saving over 8,800 recruiter hours.
“Our goal was not just speed but smarter hiring,” Al Soori said. “AI has enabled us to improve outcomes for both candidates and recruiters alike.”
