Buyer's guide
Choose a phone system built for recruitment: one that syncs every call to your ATS and writes the call note for you, records and transcribes calls, and summarises them with AI. Then check for SMS from the same number, desktop and mobile softphones, local numbers in the countries you recruit in, and pricing you can predict.
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Why recruitment is different
A generic business phone system is built for any team. It logs that a call happened. Recruitment agencies need a system that understands who was on the call and what it meant for the placement.
A recruiter talks to hiring managers, job seekers, and contractors on assignment, often in the same hour. Each call means something different for the placement, so the phone system should know who is on the line and log the call against the right record.
Recruitment runs on the phone: business development, back-to-back screens, reference checks, offers, and check-ins. The system needs to handle heavy outbound calling from the desk and on the move, without per-call friction.
After each conversation, someone has to write it up in the ATS and capture the next steps. A recruitment phone system takes that admin off the recruiter, so the time goes into the next call instead.
The checklist
Use these eight points to compare vendors. Each one comes with the question to ask on a demo, so you get a specific answer rather than a feature list.
The phone system should log every call in your applicant tracking system automatically, with a note, summary, and transcript on the matching candidate or contact.
Ask: Which ATS platforms do you integrate with, and what exactly lands on the record after a call?
Recordings and transcripts keep the detail of job briefs, screens, and rate conversations, so recruiters can stay in the conversation instead of typing.
Ask: Is recording included on every plan, can we configure when calls are recorded, and how long are recordings kept?
Look for summaries, action items, and a call outcome generated from the transcript, written for recruitment conversations rather than sales or support calls.
Ask: What does the summary contain, does it sync to the ATS, and is our call content used to train AI models?
Candidates are often at work when you call. Two-way SMS from the recruiter number keeps things moving, and every message should be logged against the person.
Ask: Can recruiters send and receive SMS from their business number, and how is SMS billed?
Recruiters call from the desk, the car, and client sites. Softphone apps on desktop and mobile let them use one business number everywhere.
Ask: Which operating systems do your apps support, and do calls and texts from mobile sync the same way as desktop?
Candidates and clients are more likely to answer a local number. Check that you can get local landline and mobile numbers, and port the numbers you already have.
Ask: Which countries can we get numbers in, which calls are treated as domestic, and can we port our existing numbers?
Recruitment teams still need the core of a business phone system: inbound calls, IVR, click-to-dial, and enough capacity for the whole desk to call at once.
Ask: Are inbound calls and simultaneous outbound calls included, and is click-to-dial available?
A clear per user price with the recruitment features included makes the monthly bill easy to forecast as the team grows.
Ask: Which features are included on each plan, and which are paid add-ons or usage charges?
ATS integration depth
Plenty of phone systems say they integrate with an ATS. The difference is depth: which systems are supported, how much of the call reaches the record, and whether it lands on the right person.
Start with the ATS or recruitment CRM your team already runs on. Ask for a named integration with your platform, then ask what happens if you change ATS later.
A good integration sends more than a call log. Look for call notes, AI summaries, action items, transcripts, recordings or recording links, and call metadata.
Every call should land on the matching candidate or contact, so the next recruiter who opens the record sees the whole story without asking.
Ask what you can control: which details sync, how they appear on the record, and what the ATS stores, such as the audio file or a link to it.
RecDial Sync works with Recruit Wizard, JobAdder, and Lovelio. Call notes, AI summaries, transcripts, and recording links sync to the matching candidate or contact as configured. See all integrations.
AI call intelligence
AI call intelligence turns a recorded call into a transcript, then a summary and next steps. For recruiters, that means the job brief, the screen, or the contractor check-in is written up before the next call starts.
See how it works in AI call summaries and call recording and transcription.
Recording compliance
Rules on recording phone calls differ between countries and, in Australia, between states and territories. Choose a phone system that lets your organisation decide when calls are recorded, transcribed, and analysed, and that keeps recordings for a clear, known period.
Read call recording laws for recruiters for the rules in the countries recruiters call most.
Pricing models
The per user price is only part of the bill. Model a typical month for your desk, including the calls, messages, and numbers you actually use.
Some plans give each user their own allowance, others pool minutes across the account. A shared pool suits recruitment desks where a few heavy callers balance out lighter users.
Ask: Are minutes pooled, do they roll over, and what does each minute cost once the allowance is used?
If you recruit across borders, international calls can be the biggest line on the bill. Rates often vary by destination and by landline or mobile.
Ask: Which countries count as domestic, and what is the per minute rate to the countries you call most?
SMS is usually charged per segment, and long messages split into several segments. Model your monthly message volume, not just the headline rate.
Ask: What is the per segment rate, and is SMS billed separately from the subscription?
Local, mobile, and toll-free numbers usually carry a monthly fee, and porting existing numbers can carry a one-off charge.
Ask: What does each number type cost per month, and what does porting cost?
ATS sync, recording, transcription, and AI summaries are the features recruiters use on every call. Check whether they come with the plan or are priced as separate add-ons.
Ask: Are ATS sync, recording, transcripts, and AI summaries included in the plan price?
Check the currency you are billed in and whether prices include GST or VAT, so the quote matches the invoice.
Ask: Which currency are prices in, and do they include tax?
RecDial pricing is in AUD, excluding GST. Domestic outbound minutes pool across the account, extra domestic minutes are $0.10 per minute, SMS is $0.13 per segment, local numbers are $9.00 per month, and international calls run in four tiers from $0.15 to $3.50 per minute. Compare plans or see every rate.
Evaluation plan
A demo shows what a system can do. A trial with your own calls shows what it does for your desk.
Start with phone systems built for recruitment, then use the checklist above to narrow the field. Side-by-side comparisons help here.
Put two or three recruiters on the trial for a normal week of business development, screens, and check-ins, on a local number.
Connect the ATS on day one and open the candidate and contact records after each call. Check the note, summary, transcript, and recording are all there.
Compare how long it takes to write up a call before and during the trial. The time saved per call, across every recruiter, is the real return.
Use the trial call mix to estimate minutes, international calls, SMS, and numbers on each plan, so the first invoice matches the quote.
How RecDial fits
RecDial is a cloud VOIP phone system built only for recruitment agencies. Here is how it lines up with each point, from $39 AUD per user per month. Explore all features.
RecDial integrates with Recruit Wizard, JobAdder, and Lovelio. Call notes, AI summaries, transcripts, recording links, and call metadata sync to the matching candidate or contact as configured, and ATS Sync is included on both plans.
Call recording and transcription are included on every plan, and your organisation configures when calls are recorded. Recordings are available for 6 months on Essentials and 12 months on Professional.
Every recorded call becomes a summary, action items, a call outcome, and follow-up prompts. Your call content stays private to your business and is kept out of general AI model training.
Send and receive SMS from your RecDial number, with messages logged against the candidate or contact. Outbound SMS is $0.13 AUD per segment, excluding GST.
Softphone apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, so recruiters call and text from the desk or on the move with the same RecDial number.
Local landline and mobile numbers with number porting. Included minutes cover domestic calls within Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, and United Kingdom.
RecDial knows clients, candidates, and contractors apart and surfaces relationship and role context before you connect, with unlimited inbound calls (toll-free excluded), IVR, click-to-dial, and unlimited simultaneous outbound calls.
Essentials is $39 AUD per user per month for 1 to 5 users, and Professional is $69 AUD with no user limit. Domestic minutes pool across the account, and prices exclude GST.
Read more about SMS for recruiters, or start a 14 day free trial with a local number, up to 5 users, 300 minutes of local calling, and your ATS connected, with no card needed.
Questions
The best phone system for a recruitment agency is one built for recruitment, with ATS sync that logs every call, call recording, transcription, AI summaries, SMS, and desktop and mobile softphones. RecDial is a VOIP phone system built only for recruitment agencies, with ATS sync for Recruit Wizard, JobAdder, and Lovelio.
Look for ATS sync that writes call notes to the right candidate or contact, call recording and transcription, AI call summaries with action items, two-way SMS from the same number, desktop and mobile softphones, and local numbers in the countries you recruit in.
The best VOIP for recruiters is a specialist recruitment phone system rather than a generic business phone system, because it knows clients, candidates, and contractors apart and syncs each call to your ATS. RecDial is cloud VOIP built specifically for recruitment agencies.
Call recording helps recruiters keep an accurate record of job briefs, screens, and rate conversations, and it powers transcripts and AI summaries. Recording rules differ by country and region, so check the laws where you and the other party are before you record.
Most recruitment phone systems are priced per user per month, plus usage such as international calls, SMS, and phone numbers. RecDial starts at $39 AUD per user per month, excluding GST, with call recording, AI summaries, transcripts, and ATS Sync included.
It should integrate with the ATS your team already uses and sync call notes, summaries, transcripts, and recordings to the matching record. RecDial integrates with Recruit Wizard, JobAdder, and Lovelio.
Run the trial with real calls and your ATS connected, then check what lands on each record and how much admin it saves. The RecDial 14 day free trial includes a local number, up to 5 users, and 300 minutes of local calling, with no card needed.
Try RecDial
Start a 14 day free trial with a local number and your ATS connected, or book a walkthrough with the team.
