77% of Skilled Trade Applicants Complete Clio’s First-Round AI Interview

This summer, Cantaloupe began testing its voice interview and applicant screening services in the AEC industry. For the first time, our AI Agent, Clio, has been responsible for conducting the first-round conversational interview with every applicant in a pilot focused on skilled labor and office administration roles.

Here’s how the process works: every applicant who applies across job boards and platforms receives an automated email and text message from Clio, inviting them to take a five-minute voice interview. Of those who begin the interview, 77% completed it.

That completion rate is an early but meaningful win. It shows that when the interview is short, clear, and well-structured, and when expectations are set upfront, candidates who may not have experience with AI interviewing tools are willing to engage and finish the process.

This finding matters in an industry where skepticism of AI remains high, but confidence around job security appears steady. A 2024 Angi survey of 1,200 skilled tradespeople found that 65% feel their jobs are safe from AI. The National Fire Protection Association also found that while 25% of trades workers are skeptical about AI’s role in their fields, 31% see it as a tool to streamline tasks, and 39% believe it could help attract younger, tech-savvy talent.

Clio’s early success suggests that AI, when designed to respect the candidate’s time and experience, can find real traction even in sectors where trust has to be earned.

People are tired of throwing job applications into the void, and never hearing back. I love that we’re able to treat every applicant like a human, and let them express themselves in their own voice. I’m excited to make Clio a bit smarter and more helpful every day: Josh Anderson, Cantaloupe Co-founder

People don’t want to wait a week or two weeks before you hear anything from a company on whether or not you’re a good fit when they are desperate for a job. No one likes wasting time and this is a way for their voices to be heard instantly and at scale with real information that can’t be captured by resumes that help companies make informed decisions and let people know whether they need to apply to more positions or get ready for onboarding. Lane Degenhardt, Cantaloupe Co-founder

We’re encouraged by this first signal and excited to keep learning and improving the way Clio engages frontline and skilled candidates. This is only the start of what we hope will be a bigger conversation about how AI can support, not replace, the people who keep our industries running.