The invention is a method for determining the most efficient mode of transcription in a transcription system utilizing both a human transcriptionist and automated speech recognition, and systems employing this method. The invention allows determination of speaker suitability for automated speech recognition based on voice files that have already been transcribed by a human transcriptionist, and thus does not generally require a speaker to read a transcript and does not generally require a transcriptionist to transcribe a voice file specifically for the purposes of the determination. The invention allows one of several different modes of transcription to be associated with the speaker, and provides a method for determining which of these several different modes would maximize the efficiency of the transcription system for transcribing voice files generated by the speaker.