ProtocolHero
Your full-time digital colleague for HR.
Hero Agent

Applicant management with AI: capture, check and follow up on applications – your team invites.

Applications land as a card on your board through a form on your careers page. A Hero Agent reads along, spots missing details, follows up with the applicant and writes a traceable recommendation into the card. Nobody is invited until a person says so.

ProtocolHero is a workspace for documentation, calendar, tasks, chat and quotes in which Hero Agents take over the hiring workflow as digital team members – applicant inbox, checks, follow-ups, invitations – while people decide about people.

Watch the hiring workflow in 60 seconds

Example workflow with fictional people. The video shows an application for an electrician role from form to interview invitation.

Example workflow · 60 seconds

A recruiting agent takes an application from the form on your website to the invitation – explained in 60 seconds

A protocol template “Application · Electrician” becomes the form on deinbetrieb.de/karriere. Jonas Weber applies, the recruiting agent checks and follows up, Lea from HR decides – and the invitation goes out. No sound.

How it works

Six steps from application to interview – the agent checks, your team decides

The workflow from the video, step by step. Fictional role: electrician in customer service.

  1. Protocol template Application Electrician with embed code and the form on the careers page deinbetrieb.de/karriere
    01

    Your protocol. As a form on your website.

    What comes in
    The protocol template “Application · Electrician”: name and email, qualification, CV and certificate, availability.
    What the agent does
    Nothing yet – the form is a regular ProtocolHero template. You embed it on deinbetrieb.de/karriere with the embed code (Hero plan and up).
    Where a person decides
    Your team defines which fields are mandatory.
    What is done
    Jonas Weber submits his application – no login, directly in the browser.
  2. Applications Electrician board with the columns Inbox, Follow-up, Review and Invitation; recruiting agent picks up a new card
    02

    From your website straight into the inbox

    What comes in
    The submitted application.
    What the agent does
    Through the board connection every application becomes a card on the “Applications · Electrician” board – Inbox column, next to Mara Lenz and Noah Fischer. The recruiting agent picks up the card.
    Where a person decides
    Nobody has to sort emails or file attachments.
    What is done
    All applications are cards with documents in one place: Inbox, Follow-up, Review, Invitation.
  3. Application #B1042: CV and training certificate present, availability missing – the Hero Agent follows up
    03

    The agent reads along. And spots what's missing.

    What comes in
    Card application #B1042 with CV and training certificate.
    What the agent does
    The agent checks the documents against the mandatory fields: CV present, certificate present, availability missing.
    Where a person decides
    Nobody yet – this is about completeness, not suitability.
    What is done
    The card shows what is missing. The agent prepares the follow-up.
  4. Email follow-up from the Hero Agent to Jonas Weber about availability, answer from 1 October, card moved to Review
    04

    Missing details? The agent follows up.

    What comes in
    The missing availability.
    What the agent does
    The agent emails Jonas: “When could you start?” Answer: from 1 October. It adds the availability to the protocol and moves the card to “Review”.
    Where a person decides
    In caution mode the follow-up is only sent after approval.
    What is done
    The application is complete – without anyone in HR chasing by phone.
  5. Comment history in the application card: Hero Agent recommends an interview, Lea from HR approves the invitation
    05

    The recommendation sits right in the card

    What comes in
    The complete application and the technical job criteria: training, experience, availability.
    What the agent does
    The agent comments @Lea: Jonas meets the requirements – training, 4 years in customer service, start on 1 October. “I recommend an interview. Shall we invite him?”
    Where a person decides
    Lea from HR replies: “Yes, please invite him for Tuesday at 10.” The decision stays with her.
    What is done
    Invitation approved – traceable in the comment history.
  6. Interview invitation for Tuesday 22 September 10:00, appointment in Lea's calendar, card in the Invitation column
    06

    Approved. Invitation sent.

    What comes in
    Lea's approval.
    What the agent does
    The agent sends the invitation for Tuesday 22 September, 10:00, creates the appointment in Lea's calendar and moves the card to “Invitation”.
    Where a person decides
    Your team holds the interview. Whether Jonas is hired is decided by people.
    What is done
    An application has become an interview – with a complete card, appointment and history.

What the agent does not do

It does not make hiring decisions, does not assess personality and does not calculate success rates. It sorts by the technical criteria your team defines and writes down why. People decide about people.

A colleague, not a tool

The recruiting agent works in the same channels, cards and calendars as your HR team

You don't operate it, you talk to it – in chat, in a comment or by email. It understands, asks back and acts within its permissions. Your job criteria are plain text, not a rule builder.

In team chat

It reads along in the HR channel – without an @mention – and answers direct messages like a colleague. Forwarded application emails reach it as a card.

In the card

It asks @Lea: “Shall we invite him?” A “Yes, Tuesday at 10” is understood – and the invitation goes out.

In the calendar

It creates the interview appointment, recognises applicants' date wishes and proposes free slots.

In the inbox

It reads applications and replies in plain language and writes from its own address with its own signature – in caution mode only after approval.

With memory

Context per person, channel and workspace – such as the criteria for your role – viewable, searchable, deletable.

With colleagues

It coordinates with HR, team leads and other agents – for example the agent looking after the info@ inbox.

People decide about people. The agent never has more rights than the person addressing it.

Agent and team

People decide about people – the agent checks, follows up and prepares

The agent takes over the work between inbox and interview. Every decision about an applicant stays with your team – visible in the card.

What your agent does

  • Creates a card with documents on the board from the form submission.
  • Checks mandatory fields against the template and spots what is missing.
  • Drafts follow-ups to applicants and transfers answers into the protocol.
  • Pre-sorts by technical criteria: training, experience, availability.
  • Writes a recommendation with reasoning into the comments.
  • After approval, sends the invitation and creates the calendar appointment.

What your team decides

  • Which criteria count for the role.
  • Who gets invited – and who gets a rejection.
  • How follow-ups and invitations are worded.
  • Whether and when an email goes to an applicant.
  • What the agent may do: role, tool groups, caution mode.

The agent does not assess personality and makes no hiring decision. Caution mode is on by default.

All in one place

Recruiting with the tools your business already has

Form, board, calendar, chat and protocol are one system – the agent works inside it like a member.

Documentation

Every application is a submission with documents – complete, searchable, attached to the card.

Submissions

Calendar

Interview appointments the agent creates after approval appear in the HR team's calendar.

Calendar

Tasks

Columns Inbox, Follow-up, Review, Invitation – the agent moves the cards along.

Board

Chats

Recommendation and approval happen in the card's comments; @Agent brings it in.

Team chat

Inspection protocols

The application template is a protocol: mandatory fields, attachments, completeness check.

Templates

Quotes

Share documents for signature – for example after the offer; sequential numbers for quotes, receipts and contracts on the Hero plan.

Signatures & approvals
Everything Hero Agent can do
Where it fits

How is this different from Personio or JOIN?

Personio manages people, JOIN distributes job ads – ProtocolHero takes over the work after the application arrives, in the same workspace as jobs and calendar.

Personio

HR suite

Made for
HR suite: personnel files, absences, time tracking, payroll preparation – recruiting as an add-on app
Strength
Everything around people in one system, target size roughly 10–5,000 employees
Capturing applications
Careers page, multiposting via partners, interview scheduling
Communication
Templates and messages from the suite
Decision
With people; optional AI screening agent with match score (usage-based)
Cost logic
Quote only: by employees and apps, 12-month minimum term, setup fee
Who it makes sense for
Companies that want HR administration and recruiting in one suite

JOIN

ATS & multiposting

Made for
Applicant tracking (ATS) and multiposting of job ads
Strength
Reach: 10+ job boards organic, 250+ paid; careers page, pipeline, scorecards, automatic messages
Capturing applications
Careers page and job boards, intake in the pipeline
Communication
Automatic messages to applicants
Decision
With people; scorecards support
Cost logic
Standard €17 / Advanced €34 per active job and month (annual, net), 14-day trial
Who it makes sense for
Teams that need reach across many job boards

ProtocolHero with Hero Agent

Made for
The work after intake: check, follow up, recommend, invite – in the same workspace as jobs, calendar and protocols
Strength
A digital team member that doesn't let applications sit in day-to-day business
Capturing applications
Application form as a protocol on your website (embedding from Hero, form link from Standard); intake as a card on the Kanban board – board connection on every plan
Communication
A team member that takes part in chat, comments and email – follow-ups and invitations after approval
Decision
With people; the agent checks completeness against your job criteria and explains its recommendation in the comments – no personality scoring
Cost logic
Per seat in the Hero plan – the agent occupies one seat like a member
Who it makes sense for
Trade and service businesses that don't want applications to sit – and already run jobs, calendar and documentation in ProtocolHero

Third-party details: as of September 2026 according to their public websites, net, without guarantee. Not a ranking – the table classifies categories.

What ProtocolHero is here – and what it is not

It is

  • A workspace where applications sit as cards next to jobs, calendar and protocols.
  • A recruiting agent that checks completeness, follows up and writes a reasoned recommendation into the card.
  • A form on your careers page that works without a login and turns every application into a card.

It is not

  • Not an HR suite – personnel files, time tracking and payroll stay in your software.
  • Not multiposting – you still distribute job ads via job boards or tools like JOIN.
  • Not an AI that decides about people – inviting, rejecting, hiring stays with your team.
Price

What does the full-time digital colleague for HR cost?

The ad says “under €300 a month”. Here is what's behind that.

The recruiting agent is a Hero Agent: it occupies one seat in your Hero plan – like a member. There is no separate agent price.

  • Hero plan from €24.92 net per seat and month with annual billing (€29.90 with monthly billing).
  • From 5 seats the lower tier applies: €20.75 per seat and month, net, billed annually.
  • Hero Agents are available on the Hero and Enterprise plans.
  • Personal onboarding and live support are included in the Hero plan with annual billing.

Note: depending on usage, the AI consumption (tokens) of your agents may be billed by consumption. We'll clarify what that looks like for your business in the call.

See all prices

Worked example

4 people + 1 agent = 5 seats

Hero plan, tier 5–9 seats
€20.75 / seat
Seats
× 5

€104/ month

≈ €104 net per month with annual billing

Rolling it out

How do I set up a recruiting agent like Lisa?

Form, board and agent are already in ProtocolHero. You set up the workflow once – Lisa's name and photo are your choice.

  1. 01

    Hero or Enterprise plan

    Hero Agents are available on both plans. Each agent occupies one seat – like a member.

  2. 02

    Create the application template

    A protocol template “Application” with the mandatory fields for your role. Public forms are available from Standard, embedding on your website from Hero.

  3. 03

    Embed the form and connect the board

    Embed code on the careers page; the board connection turns every application into a card with target column and assignee – on every plan.

  4. 04

    Invite the recruiting agent

    Own profile, role (never owner), tool groups for board, protocols and email. The agent occupies one seat.

  5. 05

    Define criteria and listeners

    Your technical job criteria as an instruction; a board listener reacts to new cards. Sending via your own SMTP or ProtocolHero.

  6. 06

    Leave caution mode as it is

    Follow-ups, invitations and rejections only go out after approval. Personal onboarding on the Hero plan with annual billing.

No time promise: how fast your process is up depends on the role and criteria – we clarify that in the intro call.

How you set up Lisa

An agent like Lisa is set up like a new team member

Profile, role, job criteria in plain text – and eleven areas where you define what Lisa may do and where she reads along.

← Back to Hero Agents

Lisa, AI HR Agent (example profile)

Lisa

Member

Connected – last active 1 minute ago

Product UI: settings of a Hero Agent (example) · Example profile – name and photo are freely selectable.
General
Profile, name, title, role in the workspace and the plain-text instructions.
Permissions
Tool groups on or off – the role sets the ceiling, owner is locked.
Automations
Tasks on a schedule, also overnight.
Listeners
Board listeners react to new cards, channel listeners to every message.
Skills
Up to 10 skills the agent loads on demand.
Memory
Context per person, channel and workspace – viewable, searchable, deletable.
Sender
Own email address, sending via your SMTP or ProtocolHero, own signature.
Sent
Everything the agent has sent – visible for 30 days.
Inbox
What arrives at its address – visible for 30 days.
Jobs
Work through several cards in one run, progress in the thread, “stop” ends it.
Notes
Internal notes from your team about the agent.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions about applicant management with AI

How does the agent handle applicant data?
Applications are stored as submissions in your workspace, hosted in Germany. The agent only works with your workspace's data, its memory is viewable and deletable, and every change is in the activity log. Your team decides what is deleted when – the agent only deletes after approval.
Does the agent decide who gets hired?
No. It checks completeness, sorts by the technical criteria your team defines and writes a recommendation with reasoning into the card. It does not assess personality and does not calculate success rates. Inviting, rejecting, hiring – people decide.
Can I define my own criteria for pre-sorting?
Yes. The criteria are part of the instruction to the agent – for example training, professional experience, driving licence or availability. You can change them at any time. The agent explains its recommendation based on exactly these criteria so your team can follow it.
How does the form get onto our website?
You create a protocol template “Application”, enable public filling and copy the embed code onto your careers page – inline or as a floating button. Public forms are available from Standard, embedding on your own website from Hero. Applicants don't need an account.
Does the agent also send rejections?
It can prepare rejections – in caution mode they are only sent after your approval. Who receives a rejection is your team's decision; the agent drafts and sends it after approval.
Can we handle several roles at the same time?
Yes. One form and one board (or separate columns) per role – the agent works across all of them. For separate responsibilities you can run several agents; each occupies one seat. How many custom channels your plan includes is listed on the pricing page.
Does ProtocolHero replace Personio?
No. Personio is an HR suite for personnel files, absences, time tracking and payroll preparation. ProtocolHero takes over the work after the application arrives – check, follow up, recommend, invite – in the same workspace as jobs and calendar. Both can run side by side; there is no direct integration.
Do I still need JOIN?
If you want to publish your jobs on many job boards, yes – ProtocolHero does not do multiposting. After that, ProtocolHero takes over: applications arrive as cards via your website form or by forwarding email to the board address. There is no integration with JOIN.
Is using AI agents in recruiting GDPR-compliant?
We can't give a guarantee – it depends on your process. What the agent does: organise applications, check completeness against the advertised requirements, follow up, prepare a recommendation. What it does not do: make hiring or rejection decisions, assess personality. Data is stored in Germany. You delete applicant data after your own retention period – in practice often 3–6 months; the agent only deletes after approval. Align the setup with your data protection officer and, where applicable, the works council.
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