The retailer expects around 200,000 seasonal employment applications. Its new AI platform aims to reduce the administrative tasks associated with hiring.

Along with a wave of holiday shoppers, Gap Inc. anticipates receiving a flood of applicants during its seasonal hiring period.

Bridgette was developed in part to help free up the company’s store managers from administrative tasks associated with recruiting. Gap Inc. piloted Bridgette at over 100 stores and six regional distribution centers since June. Nearly 45,000 people have worked with the tool, and Bridgette has scheduled over 7,000 interviews since that time.

Gap Inc. is hiring for seasonal full-time and part-time positions at its stores and distribution centers, per the press release. The company did not immediately respond to questions regarding how many positions it hopes to fill this season.

“Holiday hiring moves quickly, but the experience should still feel personal,” Amy Thompson, chief people officer at Gap Inc., said in a statement. “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.”

As Gap Inc. braces itself for an influx of applicants, the retail industry overall might hire fewer workers this year than it did the last. S. 5% from a year prior to about 450,000 new jobs in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation expects retailers to hire between 325,000 and 375,000 seasonal workers , compared to between 265,000 and 365,000 the previous year.

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