Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini: What Can They Do for a Recruiter, and Which Plan Do You Need?

Why do Copilot and Gemini matter if you already use ChatGPT or Claude?

Because they sit where your day happens. ChatGPT, Claude and Grok work on what you paste in or connect. Copilot already sits inside Outlook, Teams, Word and Excel, and Gemini inside Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Docs and Sheets, so they can read the thread, the calendar or the meeting without any copying.

That makes them strongest on admin work around the desk, and weaker as a general assistant for research or long writing, where the tools in Lesson 1 still lead for most recruiters.

What can each one do for a recruiter?

Two limits catch recruiters out. Copilot in Outlook works on your own mailbox only, not shared or delegated inboxes, according to Microsoft’s Outlook FAQ. And Copilot in Teams does not work in meetings hosted by another organization, per Microsoft’s Teams guide, so a call set up by a client or candidate will not get a recap. Host it yourself, or take your own notes.

Which Microsoft plan do you need?

Microsoft has two levels, and has recently renamed them. Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is now called Microsoft Copilot Chat, and Microsoft 365 Copilot is now Microsoft Copilot, according to Microsoft Learn. You will see both names for a while.

• Copilot Chat, free with a work account. A chat assistant grounded in the web and the files you give it. In Outlook it can also see your inbox, calendar and meetings. It does not reason across all your work files or run Copilot in Teams meetings.
• The paid Copilot license. Adds Copilot inside Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, answers that draw on your mail, chats and files, and agents such as Researcher and Analyst. Microsoft lists it at $30 per user per month on annual billing for larger companies, and at $21 per user per month on annual billing as Microsoft 365 Copilot Business for companies of up to 300 people. Both sit on top of a Microsoft 365 plan.

Teams meeting recaps need either the paid Copilot license or Teams Premium, and transcription has to be on, per Microsoft’s recap guide.

Which Google plan do you need?

Google now includes Gemini in its Workspace business plans without an add on, according to Google’s announcement. What you get depends on the plan, per Google’s pricing page:

• Business Starter, from $7 per user per month. Gemini in Gmail, Gems and basic access to the Gemini app. No Gemini in Docs, Sheets or Meet, and no Meet recordings.
• Business Standard, from $14 per user per month. Adds Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Drive and Meet, Take notes for me and Meet recordings. This is the plan most recruiting teams need.
• Personal Google accounts. Google AI Pro, at $19.99 a month, adds Gemini in Gmail and Docs. It is a personal plan, so keep identifiable candidate data out of it.

Take notes for me only runs when the meeting organizer’s plan includes it, per Google’s Meet help. Prices above are Google’s standard rates before introductory discounts.

Is it safe to use them with candidate data?

On a business account, both companies make firm promises. Microsoft says prompts, responses and data reached through Microsoft Graph are not used to train its foundation models, and Copilot only shows data the user already has permission to see, per Microsoft’s data protection page. Google says Workspace content is not reviewed by people or used to train its models outside your organization without permission, per Google’s Workspace privacy hub.

Personal accounts are different, and so are your own rules. Follow Module 4, Lesson 5 on what candidate data goes into any assistant, and remember that “it can only see what you can see” also means it can surface anything you have access to.

What should you tell candidates about AI meeting notes?

Tell them before you start, every time. Teams shows everyone a notice when transcription starts, and Meet shows a notice and a pencil icon when Take notes for me is on, but neither replaces asking. Some US states require every person on a call to agree to recording.

If the candidate says no, switch it off and take notes by hand, with no penalty. Module 3, Lesson 3 covers consent and scorecards in full.

Try it now

Open the longest email thread on one live req in Outlook or Gmail, open Copilot or Gemini beside it and paste this.

Read this whole email thread about the [job title] search.
Give me: 1) where each candidate stands, in a table with name, stage, last contact date and next step; 2) anything the client asked for that nobody has answered; 3) dates or promises I made.
Use only what is in the thread. If something is unclear, write "not stated" instead of guessing.
Then draft a short status update to the hiring manager. Do not send it.

Quick answers

Is Microsoft Copilot free for recruiters?

Copilot Chat is free with an eligible Microsoft 365 work account. Copilot inside Teams, Word and Excel, and Teams meeting recaps, need a paid license.

Does Gemini come with Google Workspace?

Yes. Business plans include Gemini at no extra charge, but Business Starter gets it in Gmail and not in Docs, Sheets or Meet. Those start on Business Standard.

Should a recruiter pay for Copilot and ChatGPT?

Start with the assistant built into your suite. Add a second only when you hit work it cannot do well, such as long research or connecting to your ATS.

Can Copilot take notes in a client’s Teams meeting?

No. Copilot does not work in Teams meetings hosted outside your own organization, so take your own notes or host the call yourself.