AI-enabled “Bridgette” takes the administrative work out of hiring, not the human connection.
As Gap Inc. prepares for the holiday season, the company is using artificial intelligence to make one of retail’s busiest hiring moments faster, simpler and more human where it counts. Gap Inc.’s AI-enabled virtual career guide “Bridgette” is designed to help job seekers connect with opportunities across its family of iconic brands while making the hiring journey more engaging and human-centered.
The early results are encouraging. Since June, nearly 45,000 job candidates have engaged with Bridgette as part of a pilot spanning over 100 stores and six of Gap Inc.’s regional distribution centers. For store leaders, the technology has scheduled over 7,000 interviews, reducing time spent on administrative tasks and giving managers more time for the work that matters most in stores: leading teams, coaching associates, running the business and serving customers.
As the holidays approach, Gap Inc. stores and distribution centers will receive an estimated 200,000 seasonal employment applications, with Bridgette helping guide candidates through the process and enabling faster hiring decisions at all distribution centers and participating store locations.
“Holiday hiring moves quickly, but the experience should still feel personal,” said Amy Thompson, Chief People Officer, Gap Inc. “We’re using AI to remove unnecessary friction for candidates and our teams so they can connect faster. Technology can help manage the repetitive coordination behind hiring, while our people stay focused on the conversations and decisions that build great teams.”
Built using Paradox and integrated with Workday Recruiting, Bridgette helps candidates explore opportunities, apply for roles and navigate the hiring process through a seamless, mobile-first conversational experience. Available 24/7, Bridgette answers common questions, coordinates interviews, sends reminders and keeps candidates informed every step of the way.
By handling the administrative work behind recruiting, Bridgette makes the experience smoother for candidates while freeing store managers to spend more time with customers and their teams. The human connection remains at the heart of hiring, with managers continuing to lead interviews, get to know candidates and make hiring decisions. Technology simply makes it easier to bring people together.
“Technology is successful when it helps people do their jobs better,” said Sven Gerjets, Chief Technology Officer, Gap Inc. “Bridgette is a tangible example of our human-centered approach to AI. The technology can work in the background to remove friction and keep the process moving, while our leaders focus on people, understanding what they can bring to the team and creating great experiences for our customers.”
Bridgette is part of Gap Inc.’s broader strategy to reimagine retail from the inside out, embedding AI across product, customer and employee experiences to simplify work, unlock creativity and keep people at the center. By streamlining the hiring process while preserving human connection and decision-making, Bridgette brings the company’s human-centered, digitally enabled vision to life.
Gap Inc. is currently recruiting for seasonal full- and part-time roles across its stores and distribution centers. Candidates can explore opportunities through Gap Inc. Careers.
About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc., a purpose-driven house of iconic brands, is the largest specialty apparel company in America. Its Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta brands offer clothing, accessories and lifestyle products for men, women and children available worldwide through company-operated and franchise stores and e-commerce sites. Since 1969, Gap Inc. has created products and experiences that shape culture, while doing right by employees, communities and the planet through its commitment to bridge gaps to create a better world.
Press@gap.com