Build Your Custom Voice AI Recruiter and Scheduler
The best voice AI recruiting software for SMBs is often a custom system you own. It handles phone screens and scheduling without per-seat fees or vendor lock-in.
We built a voice AI screener for a 12-person recruiting firm processing 400 applicants/month. The system handles initial phone screens in under 90 seconds, saving 15 recruiter-hours per week. It schedules qualified candidates directly into interview slots.
Off-the-shelf tools force you into a generic workflow. A custom system is built around your specific screening questions and integrates directly with your existing Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and team calendars. There is no new software for your team to learn.
What Problem Does This Solve?
Many SMBs first try SaaS platforms like Paradox or Talkpush. These tools are designed for enterprise scale and high-volume, low-skill hiring. Paradox forces a rigid, multi-stage implementation that is overkill for a small team, and its pricing is prohibitive. You end up paying for enterprise features you never use.
Talkpush is more accessible but fails on nuance. Its keyword-based scoring cannot distinguish between a software developer who has 'used Python' and one who has deployed production FastAPI applications on AWS. A 15-person firm using it to screen 80 applicants might get 30 keyword-matched 'successes'. A human recruiter then spends a full day listening to recordings, only to find 25 of them are unqualified, generating more manual work than it saved.
These tools fundamentally fail because they treat recruiting as a generic funnel. For an SMB, every hire is critical. You need screening logic that reflects the actual requirements of the job, not a system that just counts keywords. The unpredictable per-applicant pricing also makes budgeting impossible.
How Does It Work?
We start by connecting directly to your ATS API, whether it is Greenhouse, Lever, or another platform. Using Python and httpx, we build a webhook listener that triggers our workflow when a candidate enters the 'Phone Screen' stage. Candidate transcripts and scheduling states are stored temporarily in a Supabase database for reliability.
When triggered, the system initiates a call using a programmable voice API. A conversational agent built with the Claude API asks your 5-7 role-specific screening questions. The call flow is managed by a FastAPI service. After the call, the full audio transcript is processed in under 8 seconds to extract structured data points like years of experience or salary requirements.
If the candidate's answers meet the criteria defined in the code, the agent accesses your team's Google or Microsoft 365 calendars. It finds open interview slots and offers them to the candidate. Once a time is confirmed, the system sends calendar invites to everyone and updates the candidate's status in your ATS automatically. The entire screening and scheduling process takes less than 3 minutes.
The service is deployed on AWS Lambda, keeping infrastructure costs under $40/month for up to 500 screenings. We implement structured logging with structlog and configure alerts for any API failures. You get a simple dashboard showing call volumes, pass rates, and scheduling success.
What Are the Key Benefits?
From Screening to Scheduled in 3 Minutes
Candidates who pass the voice screen are booked for an interview on the same call. This reduces the average time-to-interview from three days to under three minutes.
Pay Once, Host for Pennies
A single, fixed-price build instead of recurring per-seat SaaS fees. Your only ongoing cost is for cloud hosting, typically under $40 per month on AWS Lambda.
You Get the Keys and the Blueprints
We deliver the full Python source code to your private GitHub repository. You have zero vendor lock-in and can have any developer modify the system in the future.
Alerts Before Candidates Notice a Problem
The system has health checks that monitor dependencies. If the voice API has an outage, you get an immediate alert so you can pause the system and revert to manual outreach.
Connects Natively to Your ATS
Direct API integration with Greenhouse, Lever, Workable, or your custom CRM. All notes, transcripts, and interview details are logged automatically to your system of record.
What Does the Process Look Like?
Workflow Audit (Week 1)
You provide screening questions and grant read-only API access to your ATS and calendars. We deliver a technical plan mapping the entire call and scheduling logic.
Core System Build (Weeks 2-3)
We build the voice agent with Python, FastAPI, and the Claude API. You receive a staging phone number to test call scripts and provide feedback.
Integration and Deployment (Week 4)
We connect the system to your live ATS and deploy it on AWS Lambda. You receive the complete source code and a runbook detailing the architecture.
Live Monitoring and Handoff (Weeks 5-8)
We monitor the system in production for 30 days, tuning scripts based on live results. After this period, you can transition to an optional flat monthly maintenance plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is the cost determined for a custom voice AI recruiter?
- Pricing depends on three factors: the number of unique roles to support, the complexity of the screening logic (e.g., conditional questions), and the number of systems we need to integrate with. A straightforward system for a single role that connects only to an ATS and one calendar set is a typical 3-4 week build. Book a discovery call at cal.com/syntora/discover for a detailed quote.
- What happens if a candidate hangs up or the call drops?
- The system is designed for graceful failure. It logs the incomplete call, updates the candidate's status in your ATS to 'Manual Follow-Up', and can send a notification to the recruiter. We can also configure it to attempt one re-dial after 10 minutes. This ensures no qualified candidate is lost due to a technical glitch or poor cell reception.
- How does this compare to using an offshore human virtual assistant?
- A VA has limited working hours, is prone to human error, and creates data security risks. This AI system runs 24/7, responds instantly, and costs a fraction to operate after the initial build. All interactions are logged securely and automatically to your ATS, maintaining a clean data trail without involving third-party individuals.
- Will this sound robotic and turn off good candidates?
- We use modern text-to-speech APIs that provide natural, high-fidelity voices. The system is programmed to introduce itself as an AI assistant to set clear expectations. Top candidates often appreciate the speed and efficiency, as it allows them to complete a first-round screen at their convenience, day or night, without playing phone tag with a recruiter.
- Can my recruiters change the screening questions themselves?
- Yes. The screening questions for each role are stored in a simple configuration file that a non-technical user can edit. The runbook we provide includes clear instructions for updating these scripts. For more complex changes to the call logic, like adding new conditional paths, we can handle those under our flat monthly maintenance plan.
- How is confidential candidate data handled and stored?
- Candidate data is processed in-memory and only for the duration of the call. Call transcripts and extracted answers are immediately written to your ATS via its secure API. All temporary data, including transcripts stored in our Supabase instance, is automatically and permanently deleted within 24 hours. We do not retain any Personally Identifiable Information.
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