Remote job application method and apparatus

A computer-implemented process for obtaining, at a central location, job-application information from remotely located applicants for a particular job, the process comprising the steps of:

• a) providing, at said central location, at least a first computer configured to receive both audio and keypress information over a telephone link, wherein said telephone link is accessible using a telephone number;
• b) disseminating information advising of the availability of a job application procedure by dialing said telephone number;
• c) establishing a telephone call between at least a first of said applicants and said central location in response to said first applicant inputting said telephone number at a first telephone keypad;
• d) receiving, at said central location, information identifying said first applicant;
• e) storing, in an electronic memory storage device coupled to said computer, said information identifying said first applicant;
• f) transmitting a first series of audio prompts from said central location over said telephone link to said first applicant under control of said first computer, wherein at least some of said audio prompts are specific to said particular job and are different from at least some prompts in a second series of prompts which is specific to a second, different job, and wherein said second series of prompts are not transmitted to said first applicant;
• g) inputting, by said first applicant, audio and keypress responses to at least some of said prompts after each of said prompts is received, said responses including at least some of said job-application information;
• h) automatically transmitting, over said telephone link, directly to said central location, data indicative of said audio and keypress responses;
• i) storing, in an electronic memory storage device coupled to said first computer, said data indicative of said audio and keypress responses, wherein said storing is performed in a manner to permit said data indicative of said audio and keypress responses to be associated with said information identifying said first applicant;
• j) repeating steps c) through i) with respect to a second job applicant, wherein at least a first plurality of prompts transmitted to said second job applicant are substantially identical to a corresponding plurality of said prompts transmitted to said first job applicant;
• and
• k) outputting, from said central location, at least some of said job application information for at least one of said first and second applicants, and said associated information identifying said job applicant, said job application information being output in a format permitting human perception of said job application information without the need for reference to a response key.

A computer-implemented process for obtaining job application information in an automated fashion over a telephone link comprising:

• providing, at a central location, at least a first computer configured to receive both audio and keypress information relating to a job over said telephone link established by a job applicant placing a telephone call;
• storing in a memory, coupled to said first computer, a first plurality of script file elements each script file element being identified as one of a plurality of element types, at least one of said element types being a branch type for causing said script file elements to be processed out of order;
• said computer being programmed with software to provide a script element processing procedure which includes performing a look-up to determine the type of action to be performed based on said element type and execution of a module corresponding to said element type configured to perform said action corresponding to said element type;
• using said script element processing procedure to process elements of said script file, beginning with a first element in said script file and proceeding sequentially through said script file elements thereafter unless processing out of order is specified by a script file element of said branch type said processing of said script file elements providing a first series of prompts wherein said series of prompts is specific to a first job and is different from at least some prompts in a second series of prompts which is specific to a second, different job, wherein a first applicant for said first job is provided said first series of prompts but not said second series of prompts, wherein a second job applicant for said second job is provided with said second series of prompts but not said first series of prompts;
• and
• wherein, an end user can provide modified call processing to alter the logic of how said telephone call is processed, the messages to be played to said job applicant, the number of questions asked and the number of DTMF characters captured by making modifications to said script file and without requiring recompilation of said software.

Apparatus for obtaining, at a central location, job-application information from remotely located applicants for a particular job, comprising:

• at least a first computer at said central location configured to receive both audio and keypress information over a telephone link, wherein said telephone link between at least a first of said applicants and said central location in response to said first applicant inputting a telephone number at a first telephone keypad;
• means for receiving, at said central location, information identifying said first applicant;
• an electronic memory storage device coupled to said first computer, for storing said information identifying said first applicant;
• means for transmitting a first series of audio prompts from said central location over said telephone link to said first applicant under control of said first computer, wherein at least some of said audio prompts are specific to a first job and are different from at least some prompts in a second series of prompts which is specific to a second, different job, and wherein said second series of prompts are not transmitted to said first applicant where said first applicant is only applying for said first job;
• means for transmitting, over said telephone line, directly to said central location, data indicative of audio and keypress responses input by said first applicant, in response to at least some of said prompts, said responses including at least some of said job-application information;
• said electronic memory storage device, further storing said data indicative of said audio and keypress responses, in a mainer to permit said data indicative of said audio and keypress responses to be associated with said information identifying said first applicant;
• and
• means for outputting, from said central location, at least some of said job application information for at least said first and said associated information identifying said job applicant, said job application information being output in a format permitting human perception of said job application information without the need for reference to a response key.

Apparatus for obtaining job application information in an automated fashion over a telephone link comprising:

• at least a first computer at a central location configured to receive both audio and keypress information relation to a job over said telephone link established by a job applicant placing a telephone call;
• memory, coupled to said first computer which stores a plurality of script file elements each script file element being identified as one of a plurality of element types, at least one of said element types being a branch type for causing said script file elements to be processed out of order;
• said computer being programmed with software to provide a script element processing procedure which includes performing a look-up to determine the type of action to be performed based on said element type and execution of a module corresponding to said element type configured to perform said action corresponding to said element type;
• said computer further programmed to use said script element processing procedure to process elements of said script file, beginning with a first element in said script file and proceeding sequentially through said script file elements thereafter unless processing out of order is specified by a script file element of said branch type said processing of said script file elements providing a first series of prompts wherein said first series of prompts is specific to a first job and is different from at least some prompts in a second series of prompts which is specific to a second, different job;
• wherein, an end user can provide modified call processing to alter the logic of how said telephone call is processed, the messages to be played to said job applicant, the number of questions asked and the number of DTMF characters captured by making modifications to said script file and without requiring recompilation of said software.