What an HR transcription tool needs
Job interviews have unique characteristics not present in other transcription use cases. There are two interlocutors with distinct roles (interviewer and candidate), vocabulary may include technical terms from the job's sector, and the transcript must comply with data protection regulations since it contains sensitive personal information.
Tool comparison in 2025
CallsIQ — best for multilingual HR teams
CallsIQ stands out for high accuracy across 100+ languages and automatic diarization that correctly labels interviewer vs. candidate. AI analysis automatically extracts key points from each answer and generates a structured summary. Storage is GDPR compliant with on-demand record deletion.
Otter.ai — budget option for English
Otter.ai has a generous free plan (300 min/month) and good accuracy in English, but significantly lower performance in other languages. For teams conducting interviews primarily in English, it's a valid option. No specific HR functionality beyond basic transcription.
Microsoft Teams built-in transcription
If interviews are conducted in Teams, the built-in automatic transcription is convenient. Accuracy is acceptable but inferior to specialized tools, and storage is tied to the Microsoft ecosystem. No content analysis or HR functionality.
Grain.com — for video interviews
Grain specializes in video interviews (Zoom, Meet) and allows tagging key moments during the interview in real time. More expensive (from $19/month per user) but excellent experience for teams doing many video interviews.
Recommendation by use case
For HR teams conducting interviews in multiple languages, CallsIQ is the most complete option. For teams with English-only interviews and a tight budget, Otter.ai is a valid alternative. For companies deeply integrated in the Microsoft ecosystem, Teams transcription may be sufficient for basic needs.
Evaluation tip: Before choosing, transcribe the same recorded interview with 2-3 finalist tools and compare accuracy on diarization (speaker labeling) and technical vocabulary from your sector. Differences are usually larger than expected.