The short answer
An AI receptionist for recruiting agencies built on HighLevel Voice AI costs about $0.24 per answered call, or $84 a month for 350 calls averaging 3 minutes, phone line included. Roughly 123 of those calls (35%) would come outside office hours, which is where an AI answering service earns its keep. Emergencies, complaints and anything needing judgment should go to a person.
What the AI should handle
Log a shift call-out
Take the worker's name, assignment and shift time, note the reason, and create an urgent task plus a text to the on-call recruiter, so a replacement search starts before the shift begins.
Reschedule an interview
Offer open slots on the recruiter's calendar for a phone screen, or take preferred times for a client interview that the recruiter must confirm with the hiring manager.
Answer open-role questions
Describe posted roles, pay ranges and locations from the knowledge base, and send the apply link by text instead of taking a full application over the phone.
Take a job order
Capture company, role, number of openings, pay rate, start date and contact details from a hiring manager, create an opportunity, and book a callback with the account recruiter.
What to send to a person
- Salary negotiation and offer discussions
- Any conversation about why a candidate was not selected
- Injury, harassment or safety reports from placed workers
- Fee and contract questions from new client companies
HighLevel's voice agents can transfer a live call, create a task, or trigger a workflow that texts the owner. Set the handoff rules before the agent goes live.
Cost per call and per month
Assumptions for a typical recruiting firm: 350 calls a month answered by the AI, averaging 3 minutes. Phone minutes are billed per call and rounded up, so each call bills 3 phone minutes at $0.01165.
| Setup | AI cost | Phone line | Per month | Per call |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay per use, Standard voice, GPT-4.1 Mini | $71.40 | $12.23 | $84 | $0.24 |
| Pay per use, ElevenLabs voice, GPT-4.1 Mini | $92.40 | $12.23 | $105 | $0.30 |
| Pay per use, speech-to-speech (OpenAI) | $210.00 | $12.23 | $222 | $0.63 |
| AI Employee Unlimited, $97 flat | $97.00 | $12.23 | $109 | $0.31 |
The breakdown of every Voice AI charge is in our Voice AI pricing guide. Agencies can price this as a monthly service with the calculator's Price a client tab, preloaded for a recruiting firm.
Compared with staff time
Those 350 calls take about 18 hours of talk time a month. At the US median receptionist wage of $18.27 an hour (May 2025, Bureau of Labor Statistics), that talk time alone is worth about $320, before hold time, breaks, benefits and the calls that come in after hours. An AI receptionist does not replace a good front desk; it catches the overflow and the evenings, and frees staff for the people in front of them.
Sample call
AI AGENTThanks for calling. I'm the firm's virtual assistant. Are you a candidate, a current contractor, or an employer?
CALLERI'm on the warehouse assignment in Fontana. My kid is sick and I can't make tomorrow's shift.
AI AGENTSorry to hear that. Can you confirm your full name and that tomorrow's shift starts at 6 a.m.?
CALLERMaria Lopez. Yes, 6 a.m.
AI AGENTThank you, Maria. I've logged the call-out and alerted your recruiter so they can find cover. Do you expect to be back for Thursday's shift?
CALLERYes, Thursday should be fine.
AI AGENTNoted. You'll get a text confirming this, and your recruiter will reach out only if something changes. I hope your child feels better soon.
CALLERThanks.
Prompt tips
- Tip 1List the topics the agent must never ask about (age, family status, religion, health) and tell it to steer back to scheduling if a caller volunteers them.
- Tip 2Split the greeting three ways (candidate, contractor, employer), since each path uses different calendars, fields and urgency rules.
- Tip 3Put shift start times and call-out cutoffs in the prompt, so a same-day call-out is marked urgent and the on-call recruiter is paged at once.
Rules to watch
Employment agencies and discrimination law. The EEOC treats a recruiting firm that regularly refers workers to employers as an employment agency covered by the laws it enforces, whatever the firm's size. It is unlawful to accept a job order specifying race, sex, religion, national origin, age over 40 or disability, so the AI must never screen on these or pass such requests along.
Automated screening in New York City. New York City's Local Law 144 bars employers and employment agencies from using an automated employment decision tool unless it has had a bias audit within the past year and candidates get notice. If an AI agent would score or rank candidates for New York City roles, get legal advice first and keep the agent to scheduling and answering questions.
Background checks. If you order background reports from a screening company, the FCRA requires a stand-alone written disclosure, the candidate's written permission, and notices before and after any adverse decision based on the report. The AI can say a check is part of the process but should not collect consent by phone or discuss results.
General information, not legal advice.
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Questions
Can an AI receptionist screen job candidates?
How does the AI handle a temp calling out at 5 a.m.?
Can the AI speak Spanish with candidates?
What does a candidate call cost on Voice AI?
Sources
- HighLevel pricing page
- HighLevel Voice AI agents overview
- HighLevel AI product pricing
- HighLevel multi-language support for Voice AI agents
- HighLevel Phone System (LC Phone) pricing and billing guide
- EEOC: Coverage of employment agencies
- NYC DCWP: Automated employment decision tools
- FTC: Background checks, what employers need to know
- HighLevel AI product pricing (help center)
- AI Voice Agents overview
- HighLevel Phone System pricing and billing guide
- BLS Occupational Outlook: Receptionists (May 2025 pay)