Configuring Built-in Telephony in Zoho Recruit

Configuring Built-in Telephony in Zoho Recruit

Built-in Telephony in Zoho Recruit is powered by Twilio’s telecommunication infrastructure, allowing recruiters to make and receive calls directly from Recruit without relying on external telephony vendors.
This guide explains the setup using a real-world scenario, so you can understand not just how to configure Built-in Telephony, but why each step matters.

 Availability 

Available for

Editions

Staffing Agency and Corporate HR

Plans

Enterprise (Including Zoho One and People plus)

Modules

Candidates, Contacts, Clients

Profile Permissions

Only users with the Administrator profile can setup this feature.

Setting up Built-in Telephony

Scenario: How Zylker, Inc. sets up Built-in Telephony  

Zylker, Inc. is a growing software company that hires candidates on a regular basis. Recruiters at Zylker spend a significant amount of time contacting candidates for screening calls, interview coordination, and follow-ups.
To simplify communication and keep all call activity within Zoho Recruit, the HR admin at Zylker decides to enable Built-in Telephony. The goal is to:
  1. Allow recruiters to make and receive calls from within Recruit
  2. Control which users can call from which numbers
  3. Ensure incoming calls are routed to the right recruiters.
To achieve this, the admin follows a five-step setup journey

Step 1: Configuring up Built in Telephony

  1. Navigate to Setup > Telephony > PhoneBridge
  2. On the How would you like to proceed? page, click Set Up Now under Built-in Telephony

Step 2: Buy a phone number  

The next step for Zylker is to purchase a business phone number that recruiters can use to contact candidates.
While buying a number, the admin needs to choose:
  1. Country
  2. Number type (Local, Mobile, or Toll-free)
  3. Region or address (based on availability and regulations)
These selections determine the availability and cost of the phone number.

How Zylker buys a number  

  1. On the Getting Started page, click Buy a number
  2. In the Buy a number popup:
    Choose the Country
    Select the Number Type (Local, Mobile, or Toll-free). Please note that all options may not be available for the country you've chosen.
  3. Select a Region or enter an Address, if prompted
  4. Choose a number from the Available Phone Numbers list and click Next.
  5. Verify the purchase summary and click Proceed
  6. In the confirmation popup, click Buy Phone Number
Notes
Note:
To get an idea of the pricing of phone numbers, see Built-in Telephony Voice Pricing.
Once the purchase is complete, the number becomes available for use in Zoho Recruit.
Hover over a number a phone number, and click on More Options []. You will find the options:
  1. Add/Modify Description
  2. Associate with existing Call Flow
  3. Associate with new Call Flow
  4. Delete Phone Number

Step 3: Add recruiters as telephony users   and Assign Caller IDs

Next, Zylker’s admin adds recruiters who need to make and receive calls using the purchased number.

This step helps determine:

  • Who can make outbound calls

  • Which caller IDs are available to each user

  • Whether calls should be recorded

There is no limit to the number of users that can be associated with a phone number.

Notes
Note:
If Zylker does not want to expose the actual phone number during outbound calls, the admin can enable custom caller IDs. This ensures that callbacks are redirected to a dedicated support number instead of an individual recruiter.

How Zylker adds a telephony user  

  1. Go to the Telephony Users tab

  2. Click Add User

  3. In the Create Telephony User popup:

    • Select the Recruit User

    • (Optional) Assign a Telephony Group

    • Enable Allow to make outgoing calls, if required

    • Enable Record outgoing calls, if call recording is needed

    • Select the Outgoing Caller IDs available for the user

    • (Optional) Enable Allow custom outgoing caller IDs

  1. Click Save

The admin repeats these steps to add other recruiters at Zylker.

Assign Caller IDs

After adding telephony users, the admin assigns caller IDs. Caller IDs determine which phone number is displayed to candidates and clients when a recruiter makes an outbound call.

This step helps Zylker:

  • Control number visibility during outbound calls

  • Ensure callbacks reach the right team or number

  • Maintain a consistent calling identity

How Zylker adds a assign caller IDs

  1. Click the Phone option at the bottom of Zoho Recruit
  2. Select Preferences
  3. Click + New Caller ID
  4. Enter the phone number with country code
  5. Click Verify
  6. Answer the automated call and enter the 6-digit verification code

Step 4: Create call flows for incoming calls  

With users in place, Zylker now needs to decide how incoming calls should be handled.
When a candidate or client calls a Zylker phone number, the call is routed based on an associated Call Flow. Call flows help:
  1. Minimize hold times
  2. Route calls to the right recruiter or team
  3. Play announcements or IVR menus
  4. Queue calls when recruiters are busy

How Zylker creates a call flow  

  1. Open the Call Flows tab

  2. Click Create Call Flow

  3. Enter a Name and Description for the call flow

  4. Select the Associated Phone Numbers for the flow

  5. Click Next

  6. In the Call Flow Builder:

    • Drag and drop the required states from the left panel

    • Configure each state as needed

    • Connect states to define the call path

  1. Click Publish

Once published, the call flow becomes active for the associated phone numbers.

Step 5: Start calling from Zoho Recruit  

With the phone number purchased, recruiters added, and call flows configured, Built-in Telephony is now fully set up for Zylker.

Recruiters can:

  • Make outbound calls directly from candidate and client records

  • Receive incoming calls based on configured call flows

  • Automatically log calls in Recruit

  • Access call recordings and call history

All telephony activity stays within Zoho Recruit, giving Zylker complete visibility into recruiter–candidate communication.