AI for recruiters: no applicant left wondering, and no decision left to the agent
Most candidates who drop out of a hiring process do so in silence, because nobody told them where they stood. A busy recruiter or staffing agency gets the same questions all week: any news on my application, where is the interview, are there shifts this weekend, what does it pay. An AI agent can answer those on WhatsApp, email and LinkedIn, remind people about interviews and tell your team who needs a call. It must never make or hint at a hiring decision. This guide covers the whole agency across every channel, and it is for people who applied or already work with you, not for cold sourcing.
What candidates ask
- I applied for the warehouse role last week. Any news?
- Where is the interview, and who do I ask for?
- What does the role pay?
- Can I move my interview to Thursday?
- Are there shifts available this weekend?
- When will I get paid for last week?
- Why was I rejected?
Process questions, such as where, when, what to bring and what happens next, have answers your agent can give from the job notes. Status questions need your applicant tracking system, or a recruiter. A few, like rejections, pay disputes and anything about a candidate's personal situation, need a person every time.
Temporary and shift work adds speed. Workers ask about tomorrow's shifts late at night, and the agency that replies first fills the shift. That is where an always-on agent helps most.
An example conversation
This illustration shows a full conversation on WhatsApp. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Jordan | Hi, I applied for the warehouse operative job last week. Any news? |
| AI agent | Hi Jordan, thanks for checking. Your application for warehouse operative at the Leeds site is with the hiring team, and they are reviewing applications this week. You'll hear from us either way by Friday. |
| Jordan | Thanks. What does it pay? |
| AI agent | The role pays £12.60 an hour, with a higher rate for night shifts, as in the job advert. |
| Jordan | Ok. Also I can't do Mondays because of childcare, is that a problem? |
| AI agent | Thanks for letting us know. I've passed that to Priya, your recruiter, who will talk it through with you. |
| → Note for Priya: Jordan, warehouse operative, asks about not working Mondays |
Outcome: a candidate kept informed and still engaged. The agent gave the status and pay from the job notes and the tracking system, and passed the question about availability to a person, because it touches the candidate's personal life and could affect the decision.
A second example: a rejection question
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Elena | I got an email saying I wasn't successful. Can you tell me why? |
| AI agent | I'm sorry it wasn't good news this time, Elena. I've asked Priya, who handled your application, to contact you about feedback. |
| → Passed to Priya | |
| Priya (staff) | Hi Elena, Priya here. Happy to give you some feedback. Could we have a quick call tomorrow? |
Names and details are examples. The agent never explains a rejection, guesses the reason or hints at other candidates. Feedback comes from the recruiter.
What the agent handles, and what goes to your team
The agent can handle:
- Application status, if your AI agent can reach your applicant tracking system
- Interview times, addresses, who to ask for and what to bring
- Pay, hours and benefits as published in the job advert
- Open shifts and how to accept one, from your shift list
- Interview and shift reminders for people who expect them
It should pass these to a person, and then stay out of the chat:
- Any hiring decision, feedback or reason for a rejection
- Personal circumstances, health, disability and adjustments
- Pay disputes, missing pay and contract questions
- Complaints, and anything about a client's workplace or safety
The rules that matter in recruitment
- The agent never decides. It does not screen people out, rank them or say how likely they are to get a role.
- Personal details stay with recruiters. Health, disability, family and immigration status are for a person to discuss, not the agent.
- Fair treatment. Every candidate gets the same answers to the same questions from the notes.
- Only people who know you. Spaces is for candidates who applied, workers on your books and clients, not for cold messages to people who have not contacted you. Spaces' Terms rule out cold outreach at scale.
Employment and data protection law, and any rules on automated decisions about people, apply to recruitment. Check what they say for your country and write anything that applies into the note.
Which channels to connect
| Channel | Who uses it | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Shift workers and applicants for hourly roles | Fast, and usually the busiest channel for staffing agencies | |
| Professional candidates and client contacts | One email to one person; good for CVs and interview details | |
| Candidates who reply to you or message you about a role | Replies only; LinkedIn restricts automation, so read the caveat above |
Start with the channel where most candidates write to you. On LinkedIn in particular, keep the agent to replies in conversations people started, and do not use it to send invitations or first messages.
The notes to give your agent
Here is an example note for a staffing agency. Names and details are examples.
You answer messages for Northline Staffing on WhatsApp, email and
LinkedIn. You only reply to people who applied, work with us, or
messaged us first. Never send a first message to anyone.
For each open role, answer from the job notes below: pay, hours,
location, what to bring, who to ask for.
For status, look up the candidate in the tracker and give the stage
and the next date. If you can't find them, pass to the recruiter.
Open shifts are in the shift list. Workers accept by replying YES;
confirm only once the shift list shows it is theirs.
Never make or hint at a hiring decision, never give reasons for a
rejection and never compare candidates.
If someone mentions health, disability, family, immigration status
or any personal circumstance, thank them and pass it to their
recruiter without comment.
Pay disputes, complaints and safety concerns go to Priya.
Sign off as "Northline Staffing".Wording that works
| Situation | Weaker reply | Better reply |
|---|---|---|
| "Any news?" | "Not yet, sorry." | "Your application is with the hiring team this week, and you'll hear either way by Friday." |
| "Why was I rejected?" | "Other candidates had more experience." | "I've asked your recruiter to contact you about feedback." |
| "I have a disability, will that matter?" | "No, it won't matter." | "Thank you for telling us. I've passed this to Priya, who will talk it through with you." |
| Shift question at 11pm | Reply next morning, shift gone | "Tomorrow's 6am shift at the Leeds site is open. Reply YES and I'll check it's yours." |
Set it up step by step
- Write the job notes for each open role: pay, hours, location and interview details.
- Decide how the agent sees status: through your tracker, or by passing every status question to a recruiter.
- Write the rules about decisions and personal details word for word.
- Add Spaces to the AI agent you already use. The agents page has the steps for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and others; you sign in through your browser and approve the connection. Chat apps such as Claude or ChatGPT act when you ask them in a chat, so for replies around the clock use an always-on agent such as Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw or Hermes.
- Connect WhatsApp or email first, then LinkedIn for replies.
- Test a status question, a rejection question, a personal disclosure and a shift.
- Review conversations weekly with the team for the first month.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the agent to message people who have not applied. That breaks Spaces' Terms and puts your accounts at risk.
- Letting the agent soften a rejection with a guessed reason.
- Leaving filled roles and old pay rates in the notes.
- Collecting sensitive personal information in a chat when it is not needed.
What if...
| If this happens | What the agent should do |
|---|---|
| A candidate is not in the tracker | Say a recruiter will check, and hand over. |
| A worker reports an injury at a client site | Hand over at once, marked urgent. |
| A client asks for candidate details | Hand to the account manager. |
| A candidate wants to withdraw | Thank them, confirm it and tell the recruiter. |
| A candidate asks about sponsorship or right to work | Pass it to a recruiter without comment. |
Checklist before you go live
- The agent only replies to people who wrote in or already work with you.
- Decision and personal-details rules are in the note and tested.
- Job notes and shift lists are current.
- Each recruiter knows which chats will be handed to them.
Where to start
Start with status and interview questions on the channel candidates use most. Those answers keep people engaged and save recruiters the most time.
Then add shift offers for workers on your books. While you build trust, ask your AI agent to hold replies as drafts, and nothing goes out until you approve it.
Who you message
Pricing
FAQ
Can we use it to contact people who have not applied?
No. Spaces is for people who know you and expect to hear from you, and its Terms rule out cold outreach at scale. Use it for candidates who applied, workers on your books and clients.
Can the agent check application status?
If your AI agent can reach your applicant tracking system through its own connection. Spaces handles the messaging side. Without that, the agent passes status questions to a recruiter.
Can the agent screen candidates?
We recommend against it. Decisions about people should be made by people, and rules about automated decisions may apply where you are. Let the agent answer questions and collect details, and leave judgement to recruiters.
Is it safe to use on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn restricts automation, so read the caveat at the top of this page before connecting. Spaces lowers the risk with limits and by replying only in conversations people started, but it cannot remove it.
Can it offer shifts to workers?
Yes, to workers on your books who expect shift offers. The agent confirms a shift only once your shift list shows it is theirs.
What if a candidate shares health information?
The agent thanks them and passes it to their recruiter without comment. It never asks for that kind of information or discusses it.
Can CVs be sent in the chat?
Yes. Your agent can download attachments from the chat and add them to the candidate's file. Check your data rules about how long you keep them.