HiringDesk.ai launches Ava, an AI hiring assistant that screens applicants, texts candidates and schedules interviews for local employers

HiringDesk.ai's AI recruiter Ava reviews incoming applicants, texts qualified candidates, collects video intros and schedules interviews with reminders for local employers, with plans from $199 a month.

Royal Oak, United States, November 7, 2026 -- HiringDesk.ai, an AI-powered hiring automation platform built for local employers, staffing agencies and service businesses, today announced the expanded release of Ava, its AI hiring assistant. Ava reviews incoming applicants, texts qualified candidates, requests short video introductions, answers next-step questions and books interviews with automatic reminders, so hiring managers spend their time interviewing people instead of chasing them on the phone.

Small and mid-sized employers often lose good applicants in the gap between "apply" and "interview." Applications pile up across job boards, inboxes and websites, and by the time someone calls back, the candidate has taken another job. HiringDesk.ai closes that gap by putting an AI recruiter to work on applicants as soon as they apply.

What is HiringDesk.ai?

HiringDesk.ai is AI recruiting software that automates the path from job applicant to booked interview. Its assistant, Ava, screens and scores applicants against each role's requirements, contacts qualified candidates by text message, collects video intros and schedules interviews, with or without a connected calendar. Plans start at $199 per month and include unlimited locations.

How Ava automates hiring in three steps

1. Applicants come in from multiple sources. Website hiring widgets, branded careers pages, application screenshots, email intake, job boards and HiringDesk Boost ad campaigns all land in a single pipeline.

2. Ava texts and screens. Text messaging, explainable AI scoring, video intros and optional AI voice screens move qualified applicants forward automatically.

3. Interviews get booked. Native interview scheduling works even without a connected calendar, and automated reminders are designed to help reduce no-shows.

Key AI and automation features

• AI candidate texting: Ava texts qualified applicants, follows up politely, answers grounded FAQs and hands recruiters the conversations that need a human.

• Video intros before the interview: Each applicant can record a short, role-specific intro so hiring managers hear communication style before booking time.

• AI phone and voice screening: For roles where voice matters, Ava asks consistent phone-screen questions and summarizes the factual answers.

• Explainable AI scoring: Ava scores applicants 1–10 against each role's rubric, with reason chips that show why a candidate scored the way they did, with feedback tied to the role-specific rubric.

• Interview scheduling without a calendar requirement: Ava offers time slots, books interviews and handles reminders and rescheduling.

• Careers page and embeddable hiring widget: Employers publish a branded careers page and drop the same application flow into their own website.

• Rehire Pool: Past applicants are grouped by person so employers can re-engage warm candidates when a matching role reopens.

• Boost hiring ads: Self-serve Facebook and Instagram hiring campaigns built and run by the HiringDesk team, with funnel reporting inside each role.

Results measured inside the platform

Instead of placeholder testimonials, HiringDesk.ai measures hiring performance inside the platform. Each role's dashboard tracks text reply rate, time from application to first interview, interview show rate and source attribution, so employers can see which job boards, ads and careers pages produce interviews.

"Most local businesses don't have a hiring problem, they have a follow-up problem," said Chad Buchanan, founder of HiringDesk.ai. "The applicants are there, but nobody has time to call every one of them back. Ava is built to follow up with applicants as soon as they apply, so owners and managers walk into their week with interviews already on the calendar."

Who HiringDesk.ai is built for

HiringDesk.ai includes ready-made hiring flows, with common roles, screening questions, sample texts and video prompts, for barbershops and salons, restaurants, mortgage and lending companies, home services businesses, auto dealers, hospitality operators and staffing agencies. Recruiters and agencies can manage multiple clients and roles from one desk.

Pricing and availability

HiringDesk.ai is available now with a 14-day free trial. Pricing is based on applicants worked rather than store count, and every plan includes unlimited locations:

• Starter: $199/month for 2 roles and 300 applicants worked

• Core: $499/month for 5 roles and 1,200 applicants worked

• Growth: $999/month for 15 roles and 4,000 applicants worked

Frequently asked questions

What does HiringDesk.ai's AI assistant Ava do?
Ava reads and scores incoming applicants, texts qualified candidates, collects video intros, answers next-step questions and books interviews with reminders.

Do employers need to connect a calendar?
No. HiringDesk.ai's native scheduling books interviews even if the business does not connect a calendar.

How does HiringDesk.ai score candidates?
Ava scores applicants 1–10 against a role-specific rubric and shows reason chips that summarize the main factors behind each score.

How much does HiringDesk.ai cost?
Plans start at $199 per month, with a 14-day free trial and unlimited locations on every plan.

Employers can start a free trial and see the full employer flow at HiringDesk.ai.

About HiringDesk.ai
HiringDesk.ai is an AI hiring automation platform for local employers, recruiters and staffing agencies, based in Royal Oak, Michigan. Its AI hiring assistant, Ava, reviews incoming applicants, texts qualified candidates, collects video intros, answers next-step questions and schedules interviews with reminders. Learn more at https://hiringdesk.ai/.

Contact Info:
Name: chad buchanan
Email: Send Email
Organization: HiringDesk.ai
Phone: 2486866955
Website: https://hiringdesk.ai/

Release ID: 89208803

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