A central location receives calls from remotely located job applicants and handles said calls including transmitting messages to applicants and receiving information from applicants over an electronic telecommunication link, automatically and directly. The system provides for real time applicant involvement while permitting applicants to initiate a job application procedure at a time and location selected by the applicant. Preferably calls are handled by a software engine which can identically process any of a plurality of script files containing both provisions for messages sent to and received from applicants and logic flow or branch records, all of which are preferably end-user configurable.