Careers pages lose most visitors before they apply. Candidates have one question the job post doesn’t answer (is there a night shift, is it remote, do I need a forklift license) and no one to ask at 9 pm. A chatbot for recruiting does one job: answers that question from your job posts and hiring FAQ, then points the candidate to the right application or a recruiter.
Feedbot is the tool we make. It fits employers with a careers page and small staffing agencies that want candidate Q&A and lead capture. It is not an applicant tracking system, an interview scheduler or an assessment tool. If you hire at volume and need automated scheduling over SMS, a dedicated recruiting platform is a better fit.
What do candidates ask?
| Candidate question | What the bot does | Knowledge source |
|---|---|---|
| “What does this job pay?” | Quotes the pay range from the post | Job post |
| “Is it remote, hybrid or on-site?” | Answers per role, names the office location | Job post |
| “What are the shifts? Weekends?” | Lists shifts and differentials | Job post |
| “Do you sponsor visas?” | States your policy exactly as written | Hiring FAQ |
| “What benefits do part-timers get?” | Answers from the benefits summary | Benefits page |
| “Which job fits me? I have 3 years in retail.” | Suggests matching open roles and links them | Job board |
| “How long does the hiring process take?” | Describes stages and typical timing | Hiring FAQ |
| “I applied two weeks ago, any update?” | Collects name, email, role; creates a ticket for a recruiter | Handoff |
| “Can I apply to more than one job?” | Explains your policy | Hiring FAQ |
| “I need an accommodation for the interview” | Hands off to a recruiter right away | Handoff |
| “Do you hire people with a record?” | Gives your published fair-chance statement only, otherwise hands off | Hiring FAQ |
Pay ranges matter more than they used to: several US states and cities require them in job posts. If they’re in the post, the bot can quote them. If not, the bot should say so and not guess.
What should the bot collect from candidates?
Keep the pre-screen short and strictly job-related. A good rule: collect only what a recruiter would need to decide whether to call, and nothing they’d be uncomfortable explaining to a regulator.
- Contact: name, email, phone.
- Role of interest and location.
- Must-have requirements written in the job post: for example a valid CDL, a nursing license number, a forklift certification.
- Availability: start date, shifts or hours they can work.
- Work authorization: “Are you legally authorized to work in the US?” and, if you don’t sponsor, “Will you now or in the future require sponsorship?” Phrase it as a yes or no question, never “what’s your citizenship?”
Then hand off: either link to the application form, or let the recruiter follow up. Feedbot saves candidates who left contacts as leads, with an AI summary. Export them as CSV or send them to your ATS through the lead.created webhook and Zapier or Make (Pro and up). There is no native ATS integration.
Compliance: what a recruiting bot must not do
Recruiting is the most regulated use on this list. In the US, the EEOC enforces laws against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability and genetic information.
- No protected-class questions. The bot must never ask age, date of birth, graduation year, religion, national origin, marital or family status, pregnancy, health or disability. Before a job offer, employers may not ask disability-related questions at all. Add a custom instruction: “Never ask about age, birth date, graduation year, nationality, religion, family, pregnancy, health or disability. If a candidate volunteers this, don’t repeat or use it, and continue with job-related questions.”
- No automated rejection. The bot never tells a candidate they don’t qualify. If an answer doesn’t meet a requirement, it still passes the candidate to a person or lets them apply.
- Don’t use the lead score to screen candidates. Feedbot scores every conversation for buying intent from 0 to 100. That score is built for sales, not hiring. Using it to rank applicants would turn the bot into an automated employment decision tool. In New York City, Local Law 144 requires such tools to have an independent bias audit every year, a public summary of results and notices to candidates. In the EU, the AI Act lists AI used to filter applications or evaluate candidates as high-risk.
- Accommodation requests go to a person. A candidate asking for an interview accommodation needs a human reply, fast.
- Be clear it’s a bot. Name it “Hiring assistant” and say it’s AI in the greeting.
Sample conversation
Candidate: Hi, I saw the delivery driver opening. Do I need a CDL?
Bot: No CDL is needed for this role. The vans are under 10,000 lb, so a regular driver’s license works. You do need a clean driving record for the last 3 years and to be at least the minimum age set in the job post.
Candidate: What are the hours?
Bot: Four 10-hour shifts per week, starting at 7 am, Tuesday to Friday or Wednesday to Saturday. Pay is $22 per hour. Would you like to apply? I can also pass your details to Jordan, the recruiter for this location.
Candidate: Pass my details please. Lee Chen, [email protected].
Bot: Thanks, Lee. Which schedule works for you, and when could you start?
The bot asks about the requirement the job actually has (a clean record, the minimum age stated in the post) without asking the candidate’s age or birth date.
Metrics to watch
| Metric | Where | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Apply button clicks | Stats (CTA clicks) | How often chat leads to an application |
| Candidate leads per role | Leads, filtered by bot or page URL | Which jobs get interest |
| Status-question tickets | Tickets | Whether candidates are left waiting too long |
| Unanswered questions | Weekly insight report | Missing info in job posts (pay, shifts, remote policy) |
| Accommodation handoffs | Inbox | Response time on time-sensitive requests |
Set up in 3 steps
- Create the bot from your job board. Import your careers pages or the jobs sitemap and add a hiring FAQ: process stages, timing, sponsorship policy, benefits summary. See knowledge base. Add the compliance instructions above in Bot → Behavior.
- Add it to your careers page. Paste the script tag or use Google Tag Manager, see install. Many ATS-hosted job boards don’t allow custom scripts; in that case use the hosted chat link and link it from job posts and emails.
- Route to recruiters. Connect your recruiters’ Telegram group, Slack channel or email in Settings → Notifications, and turn on handoff so recruiters can answer live.
Want an internal bot for employees after they’re hired? See the HR chatbot page. Plans and limits are on pricing.