> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getsmartalex.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# AI voice agents for recruiting

> Run AI recruiting phone screens and candidate screening calls at scale: pre-qualify candidates, confirm availability and role fit, book interviews, answer role FAQs, and push every outcome to your pipeline.

SmartAlex gives staffing and recruiting teams an AI voice agent that screens candidates by phone, confirms availability and role fit, and books interviews, so recruiters spend their day with qualified people instead of dialing lists and chasing voicemails.

Speed decides most placements. A strong candidate who applies at 9pm, or one your agency sourced last quarter, goes cold long before a recruiter can dial back. Manual phone screens eat hours per role, high-volume reqs create backlogs, and interview no-shows waste the slots you fought to fill. An AI recruiting phone screen closes that gap: every applicant gets a consistent screening call within minutes, on any volume, day or night.

## Why recruiting teams choose SmartAlex

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Screen every candidate the same day" icon="phone">
    Your agent answers inbound applicant calls and dials your outbound shortlist, so no resume sits untouched and no candidate waits days for a first response.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Only qualified people reach a recruiter" icon="filter">
    Knock-out questions on availability, location, right to work, salary expectations and role fit run on every AI candidate screening call, consistently and without bias drift.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Interviews booked while interest is high" icon="calendar-check">
    The agent checks a live recruiter calendar and books the interview on the call, then confirms by SMS, WhatsApp or email.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Every outcome in your pipeline" icon="database">
    Screening notes, disposition and next steps flow into your ATS or CRM automatically, so your board is always current.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What your recruiting agent handles

### Screen inbound applicants the moment they call

Point a phone number at your agent and every applicant who calls gets a full screen, even after hours. The agent introduces itself, confirms which role the candidate is calling about, and walks the knock-out criteria you defined.

* Confirms the specific role and reference
* Asks your must-have questions in order
* Captures answers verbatim and scores against your criteria
* Politely declines candidates who do not meet the bar, and logs why

<Note>
  Disclose that the caller is speaking with an AI assistant and get consent before recording. Your agent can read a short disclosure line at the start of every call. Keep the wording aligned with local rules for your markets.
</Note>

### Run outbound screening and reactivation campaigns

Upload a candidate list and let the agent work through it: fresh applicants, a shortlist for a new req, or a "keep warm" pass over past silver-medalists you want back in play.

* Multi-step sequences with automatic follow-ups and retry windows
* Calling windows so candidates are only dialed at sensible hours
* Live campaign analytics on connect rate, pass rate and booked interviews

<Info>
  Outbound campaigns require the Outbound Campaigns add-on (\$49/month on Professional). Enterprise plans include it. Inbound screening works on any paid plan.
</Info>

### Confirm availability and role fit

The agent qualifies the details that decide whether a candidate is worth a recruiter's time.

* Availability and notice period
* Location, commute or on-site versus remote
* Right to work and any certifications the role requires
* Salary expectations against the band you set
* Genuine interest in the role and company

### Book interviews on the recruiter's calendar

When a candidate passes, the agent moves straight to scheduling instead of promising a callback.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check live availability">
    The agent reads open interview slots from your connected calendar in real time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Offer and confirm a slot">
    It proposes times, books the one the candidate picks, and holds it on the recruiter's calendar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send confirmation and reminders">
    The candidate gets an instant confirmation, plus reminders to cut no-shows.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Log the booking">
    The interview and screening notes land on the candidate record in your pipeline.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Calendar and booking connectors include Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Nightsbridge and iCal, connected in a few clicks with no engineering.

### Answer role and process FAQs

Give the agent a knowledge base for each role or client and it handles the questions candidates actually ask, in their own words.

* Pay range, shift patterns, benefits and start date
* Location, dress code and interview format
* What the hiring process looks like and what happens next

The agent can also run a live web search mid-call for anything outside its knowledge base, so a candidate is never left hanging.

### Keep candidates warm and follow up

Not every good candidate is ready today. The agent keeps them in the game.

* Schedules a callback for candidates who ask to be reached later
* Sends a follow-up by SMS, WhatsApp or email
* Reactivates dormant candidates when a matching role opens

<Warning>
  Your agent should always leave a human escape hatch. Configure a warm transfer to a recruiter for strong candidates who want to talk to a person now, and a fallback for anyone the agent cannot help.
</Warning>

## Example screening call flow

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TD
  A[Candidate calls in or agent dials out] --> B[Agent greets and confirms the role]
  B --> C{Knock-out questions}
  C -->|Meets must-haves| D[Confirm availability and right to work]
  C -->|Does not fit| E[Politely decline and log the reason]
  D --> F{Interested and available?}
  F -->|Yes| G[Book interview on recruiter calendar]
  F -->|Not right now| H[Tag as warm and schedule follow-up]
  G --> I[Push candidate and notes to ATS or CRM]
  H --> I
  E --> I
```

## Sample agent prompt

```text theme={null}
You are a friendly, efficient recruiting screener for Northbridge Staffing.
Start every call by saying you are an AI assistant and asking permission to
record for quality and accuracy.

Goal: screen candidates for the Warehouse Team Lead role and book qualified
people into an interview.

Ask, in order:
1. Confirm they are calling about the Warehouse Team Lead role.
2. Are you currently authorized to work in this country?
3. What is your notice period or earliest start date?
4. This role is fully on-site in Leeds. Does that work for you?
5. Do you have at least two years of warehouse supervision experience?
6. What salary range are you looking for?

Pass rule: authorized to work, can start within four weeks, on-site works,
has the required experience, and salary expectation is within band.

If they pass: check the interview calendar, offer two open slots, book the
one they choose, and confirm by text. Then thank them and end the call.

If they do not pass: thank them warmly, note the reason, and let them know
you will keep their details on file for future roles.

If they ask a question you cannot answer, use knowledge lookup first, then a
web search. If they want to speak to a recruiter now, warm transfer the call.
Never invent pay, benefits, or start dates.
```

## Push outcomes to your pipeline

Every call ends with a clean record, not a sticky note. Built-in capture tools create the candidate as a lead, attach the transcript, disposition and screening answers, and notify the owning recruiter.

* One-click connectors sync outcomes to SmartAlex CRM, HubSpot, Notion, Slack and more
* Custom HTTP Tools push structured results into your own ATS or any HTTPS endpoint you own (Custom HTTP Tools require the Power Tools add-on, \$29/month)
* The MCP server lets your own tools and assistants read and act on this data programmatically

<Note>
  A public REST API and TypeScript SDK are in private beta. Contact support for early access. Today the live programmatic surfaces are the MCP server and Custom HTTP Tools.
</Note>

Under the hood, SmartAlex runs its own voice engine on curated, high-accuracy speech, language and voice models, kept abstracted, so calls sound natural and the agent understands accents, spelled-out names and numbers on the first try.

## Plans and add-ons

Start free with one agent and in-browser test calls, no card required. Live phone screening runs on Professional (\$99/month), which includes a phone number, included minutes and concurrent call slots. High-volume agencies typically add:

* Outbound Campaigns (\$49/month) for outbound screening and reactivation sequences
* Unified Inbox (\$39/month) to handle candidate replies across voice, SMS, WhatsApp, email and web chat in one place
* Power Tools (\$29/month) for Custom HTTP Tools into your ATS

Enterprise plans include all add-ons plus SSO, white-label and a dedicated account manager. See full details on [pricing](/pricing) and the [add-ons](/essentials/add-ons) reference.

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can it handle both inbound and outbound screening?">
    Yes. Inbound screening works on any paid plan: point a number at your agent and it answers applicant calls. Outbound screening and reactivation campaigns use the Outbound Campaigns add-on (included on Enterprise).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How does the agent decide who passes?">
    You define knock-out criteria in the agent instructions and knowledge base (availability, location, right to work, experience, salary band). The agent scores each answer against those rules and dispositions the candidate consistently on every call.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can it book interviews directly?">
    Yes. Connect Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly or iCal and the agent reads live availability, books the slot on the call, and sends confirmations and reminders. See [calendar](/essentials/calendar) and [agent tools](/essentials/agent-tools).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does it connect to our ATS or CRM?">
    Through built-in connectors (SmartAlex CRM, HubSpot, Notion and more), Custom HTTP Tools to any endpoint you own (Power Tools add-on), or the MCP server. A public REST API and SDK are in private beta.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will candidates know they are talking to AI?">
    Yes, and they should. Configure a short disclosure at the start of every call and get consent before recording. Strong candidates can always warm transfer to a recruiter on request.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is candidate data handled securely?">
    SmartAlex runs on SOC 2-aligned policies and is working toward SOC 2 Type II readiness. Access is role based and multi-tenant isolated. Confirm your own consent and data-handling requirements per market.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Outbound campaigns" icon="megaphone" href="/essentials/campaigns">
    Screen and reactivate candidate lists with multi-step sequences and calling windows.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Agent tools" icon="wrench" href="/essentials/agent-tools">
    Booking, transfers, lead capture and messaging your recruiting agent can use mid-call.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Knowledge base" icon="book" href="/essentials/knowledge-base">
    Give each role its own facts so the agent answers candidate FAQs accurately.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Calendar and scheduling" icon="calendar" href="/essentials/calendar">
    Connect your calendar so interviews get booked on the call, not after it.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>