XpressJobs Launches Sri Lanka’s First AI-Powered WhatsApp Recruitment Assistant

XpressJobs, Sri Lanka’s leading recruitment technology platform, has officially launched the country’s first AI-powered recruitment assistant, capable of engaging job seekers across all industries and age groups through WhatsApp, Sri Lanka’s most widely used messaging app.

With over 12 million WhatsApp users in Sri Lanka, representing more than half the country’s population. This tool provides recruiters with unprecedented access to candidates in a highly familiar and accessible format. The launch marks a major step forward in the evolution of recruitment technology in the region.

The new AI Assistant engages pre-matched candidates from the XpressJobs database via WhatsApp, initiating friendly, real-time conversations. It answers questions, explains job opportunities, and guides candidates through the application process. With the ability to manage thousands of conversations at once, it helps companies scale outreach and improve candidate experience simultaneously.

We’ve built a tool that allows recruiters to conduct thousands of personalised conversations, automatically,

By using WhatsApp, we’re connecting with candidates on a platform they already use daily, making the process seamless, familiar, and highly engaging.

said Dr. Oshadie Korale, Chief Operations Officer (COO) at XpressJobs.

The first official campaign using this new AI assistant was run in collaboration with John Keells Retail Sector targeting candidates for positions at JKCG ( BYD Sri Lanka Vehicle Distributors), Keells Supermarkets  and the Keells Distribution Centre (LPI).

We’re proud to announce that John Keells Retail Sector is the first client to adopt this innovative solution,

said Arunajith Nandana, Head of Human Resources – Retail Sector of John Keells.

He added that the campaign was a resounding success, with candidates from across the country applying through the platform. The AI assistant efficiently handled a high volume of candidate inquiries, serving as a 24/7 support channel. The campaign employed a two-stage filtering process: an initial basic screening followed by an online quiz, ensuring high-quality applications. The AI assistant proactively reached out to the most suitable candidates, encouraging them to apply and effectively promoting the opportunity on behalf of the recruiter.

The campaign achieved an interaction rate of over 85%, significantly outperforming conventional outreach methods such as email, SMS, or even social media.

XpressJobs also noted the special significance of launching this AI prototype with John Keells, just as it had done eight years ago, when it built Sri Lanka’s first CV-less application system for the same client.

While this new AI product isn’t built on top of the CV-less application system, it’s incredibly meaningful to once again launch a groundbreaking recruitment innovation with John Keells Retail Sector, the spokesperson added. Today, our CV-less system is used by over 50% of our clients, and we believe our AI technology will soon see similar levels of adoption

said Dr. Korale.

XpressJobs plans to expand the AI offering further in the coming months by integrating AI-powered interview scheduling into its Applicant Tracking System (ATS), streamlining hiring from outreach to onboarding.

Key Highlights

• AI chatbot engages job seekers across all industries and experience levels via WhatsApp.
• WhatsApp has an estimated 12 million+ users in Sri Lanka providing strong candidate reach.
• Achieved 85%+ interaction rates in pilot campaigns.
• Used in a two-step recruitment funnel: screening + online quiz, followed by targeted outreach.
• Already adopted by leading companies; more clients are onboarding rapidly.