Leveraging Gen-AI, CAL FIRE provides more streamlined digital interactions that allow job seekers to join the largest firefighting force in the nation.
Case Study: CAL FIRE Gen-AI-Powered Jobs Assistant | Gen-AI-powered Chatbot, Live Agent Transfer, and CRM Integration
CAL FIRE had to provide access to information for job seekers to understand and navigate the complex State of California hiring process. Leveraging a chatbot powered by Gen-AI, the organization is able to provide quick and accurate information to applicants, reduce workload for their hiring staff, and improve efficiency and satisfaction in customer service.
Challenges
- Complex State hiring process: Applying for a job within the State of California involves navigating a complex process that include exams and applications, which is done in collaboration with the State’s Department of Human Resources (CalHR). With multiple sources of information, job applicants often get confused about job openings, what the pre-requisites are, and how they can apply, as they navigate multiple websites to complete the process.
- Agent workload: Due to the nature of applying for State jobs, CAL FIRE recruitment agents are too busy to handle the requests of the many job applications that are seeking positions within the organization. Recruitment agents also find it difficult to answer questions more suited for CalHR, which results in less efficient responses when trying to resolve cases.
- Growing recruitment needs: As the threat of wildfires increase, CAL FIRE needs the ability to encourage more job seekers to apply, providing the least amount of barriers for those applicants to land themselves a job. CAL FIRE also needed to communicate that their workforce needs are not just for firefighters, but for various other supporting positions in communications, technology, forestry, and more.
- Conversational, more accurate answers: The organization needed a solution that was always available to job-seekers at any time, which would provide quick and accurate answers and with the ability to transfer chat sessions to live agents if questions could not be answered effectively.
Solution
Leveraging our configurable chatbot connected to the Microsoft OpenAI service, we implemented a Gen-AI-powered solution that drew knowledge from the CAL FIRE jobs website, the CalHR careers website, and and the recruitment staff knowledgebase in Microsoft Dynamics 365. These data sources for Gen-AI responses was frequently updated to ensure that job seekers and recruitment agents had the latest jobs and information at hand.
Through an administrative user interface, CAL FIRE was able to configure appropriate chatbot flows, configure the data sources for the Gen-AI knowledge, and provide a connected experience within Microsoft Dynamics 365. The result was the ability for CAL FIRE to provide quick and accurate answers to questions that job applicants would have. If the chatbot was unable to answer questions (or if explicitly requested by the applicant), the chatbot would transfer the chat session automatically to the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service interface, allowing agents to continue the conversion with Gen-AI-assisted responses during the continued conversation.
Using our solutions built-in reporting tools, we also configured appropriate reporting criteria that would allow CAL FIRE to measure success of the solution, which included KPIs such as Average Handling Time (AHT), First Call Resolution (FCR), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), and Abandonment Rates.
Outcomes
- Quicker access to job-related answers. Job applicants are now able to get quick, accurate answers to job-related questions that they have, including pre-requisites, the application process, and other questions.
- Increased live-agent efficiency. With Gen-AI responses handling the majority of applicant queries, live agents provide support for more complex scenarios instead of being inundated with general questions.
- Wider access to knowledge. With knowledge drawn from multiple sources, both applicants and agents get up-to-date answers from the CalHR website, the CAL FIRE jobs website, and from documents and knowledge stored in Microsoft Dynamics, with citations and reference links for their verification.
- Seamless integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service. Live agents get immediate access to chat history and continue to get Gen-AI assisted answers to questions directly in their day-to-day workspace.
- Improved reporting: Prior to implementation of the solution, CAL FIRE had difficulties in determining the productivity and efficiency of agent support for applicants. With access to reports and dashboards, the organization is able to continuously fine-tune their operations for success in recruitment efforts.