Carvana has built its brand by challenging traditional models and rethinking what a better experience looks like for customers. As the company entered its next phase of growth, that same mindset extended to recruiting. The talent team faced a familiar tension for fast-growing organizations: how to scale high-volume hiring without compromising the experience for candidates or burning out recruiters. Rather than treating efficiency and experience as competing priorities, Carvana focused on improving both at the same time.
As hiring increased, consistency and clarity became increasingly important. Candidates expect timely communication, clear next steps, and a sense of control throughout the process. Carvana prioritized making the hiring journey more transparent and predictable, even as volumes increased.Automated email and text communication helped ensure candidates stayed informed, while easier scheduling reduced delays and uncertainty. The result was a process that felt faster and more respectful of candidates’ time without losing a personal touch.
Self-service became a key part of maintaining a positive candidate experience at scale. By enabling candidates to engage, screen, and schedule interviews more easily, Carvana reduced friction and removed unnecessary waiting.Chat-based screening, in particular, drove higher engagement than traditional phone outreach. Candidates were able to move forward on their own time, leading to better participation and stronger follow-through throughout the process.
High-volume hiring often pulls recruiters into repetitive administrative work, limiting their ability to focus on relationships and complex roles. Carvana took a deliberate approach to automation that reduced manual coordination without removing human judgment.By automating screening, scheduling, and follow-up, recruiters gained back time to focus on strategic work. Capacity increased without adding headcount, and recruiters were able to stay closely involved where their expertise had the greatest impact.
Maintaining experience at scale requires visibility into how the process feels for candidates. Carvana introduced candidate NPS surveys to capture ongoing feedback and better understand where improvements could be made. This real-time insight helped the team maintain a consistent, high-quality experience across both high-volume and mid-skilled roles, even as hiring demands fluctuated.
As the benefits became clear, recruiters and hiring managers saw how technology could support their work rather than complicate it. With fewer manual tasks and clearer workflows, teams felt more aligned and confident in the hiring process.Recruiting shifted from constant coordination to thoughtful execution, supported by automation working in the background.
Carvana continues to look ahead, exploring how automation and AI can further support operational hiring needs while keeping the human element central. The focus remains on removing friction, preserving experience, and enabling recruiters to do their best work.Carvana’s approach demonstrates that scaling hiring does not require sacrificing experience. With the right balance of automation and human judgment, organizations can grow faster while delivering a hiring experience that works better for candidates and recruiters alike.
