Creating a fair job interview by opening the black box of recruitment

On a mission to create a more unbiased and fair interview

With Tengai we are challenging the traditional job interview by opening up “the black box of recruitment”. Why is this our mission? In the end, it all comes down to three things. First, is a passion to create a fair job interview process where candidates get a chance to show their potential. Second, a mission to seriously attempt to mitigate bias throughout the recruitment funnel. And finally, a vision to make the labor market more diverse and accessible for all.

The idea behind Tengai originated at Swedish recruitment and staffing agency TNG in 2017, where a team of HR professionals initiated an innovation lab called TNGx. Over the past 20 years, TNG has specialized in unbiased, data-driven, structured and competency-based hiring. Always aiming to create an inclusive, fair and more transparent candidate experience, while removing unconscious prejudices to deliver more diverse teams.

Challenging recruitment fundamentals

In order to fulfill their vision, TNG has augmented and designed its own recruitment and hiring tools. Their aim is to assist recruiters to be more objective during the selection and assessment phase. However, when looking at the job interview – the most critical stage of the recruitment process – unconscious bias appeared to be the last roadblock.

Therefore, TNGx was developed to focus specifically on the interview. The diverse team of specialists, leaders, and recruiters was led by their vision to integrate their experience with unbiased recruitment methodology in a diversity and inclusion software. TNGx aimed to give hiring managers and recruiters more objective candidate-data. Especially in regard to soft skills and personality traits. The goal was to create a human-like experience, free from unconscious bias. An interview where candidates could engage in an active dialogue with an objective AI robot. Most importantly, a place where they could feel safe, comfortable to be honest so they really could show their potential and competencies. And this is how Tengai was developed.

Starting point

In 2018, the Swedish award-winning tech company specializing in social robotics, Furhat Robotics entered a collaboration with Tengai. Making it possible for us to implement our unbiased diversity and inclusion software on Furhats operating system. In other words, Furhat Robotics provided the conversational platform on which we programmed the D&I software application. And it’s the software that controls how Tengai behaves and her capacity to conduct structured and situational-based interviews. A great example of a successful collaboration between innovative companies with one shared mission.

Validated by psychometric experts

2020 was a big year for us because our methodology was validated by Psychometrics AB. This assured us that Tengai accurately could make data-driven assessments without any human interference. The study also validated that Tengai's interview is assessing work performance and can be used to contribute to a more unbiased interview process. At this time, we also released user-friendly software for recruiters, to make the process even more transparent.

2022: Tengai goes digital

Now, Tengai has developed into a digital avatar, without a physical robot body. While the conversational AI and unbiased framework have stayed the same, we received feedback that the robot interface was inconvenient for both the candidates and recruiters. We, therefore, developed a new interface for Tengai, which still is interactive and has human-like behavior. Tengai's "personality" is still the same, but the digital version of Tengai takes away any physical limitations candidates experience. Which creates an even more inclusive screening experience.

What does the name Tengai mean?

The name Tengai derives from several sources. Firstly the name actually derives from a hat worn by Komuso. Which are Japanese mendicant monks within Zen Buddhism during the Edo period of 1600–1868. So a traditional Tengai is made of woven straw and covers a monk’s head and face. By wearing a Tengai, the monks “removed their ego” and could focus on what was at hand and nothing else. Exactly how we think an interview should be done. In other words, a recruiter should only focus on skills and competencies. Instead of allowing their own biases or prejudices affect them. This also entails not judging someone’s looks, tone of voice, gestures, ability to hold eye contact or their handshake.

But the name also pays homage to Tengai’s “birth mother” TNG and the company’s core mission to work with unbiased recruitment.

2025 and Beyond

At Tengai, we are committed to continuous innovation to meet the evolving needs of both our clients and candidates. As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, we recognize the growing demand for advanced screening tools that not only deliver accurate results to recruiters, but also create a meaningful experience for both candidates and clients.

The market is calling for solutions that align with competency-based recruitment methodology, providing a fair and structured approach to hiring. With the increasing number of applications being submitted, there is a pressing need for tools that enhance the candidate journey while making the recruiter’s work more efficient.

We are excited to continue building solutions that bridge this gap—delivering smarter, faster, and more user-friendly tools that elevate the recruitment process for everyone involved. As we innovate, our mission remains clear: to save time for recruiters while empowering candidates to showcase their potential in an engaging and inclusive way.

2025 marks a pivotal point in our journey, and we look forward to shaping the future of recruitment technology together.

This is our story