Did you know that over 98% of fortune 500 companies use recruiting software? Simply put, some of the world’s most successful businesses rely on this type of software to help them streamline and improve their employee recruitment process.
You don’t have to be a big business to benefit from recruiting software, though. Are you a small business looking for the perfect recruiting software in 2023? Look no further! We’ve done all the heavy lifting for you and compiled this comprehensive guide to finding the best software for your needs.
Say goodbye to long nights scouring forums, comparing features, and discussing solutions with your peers. It’s time to learn about recruiting software that can streamline employee searching, scheduling, onboarding…you name it!
Let’s dive right in so we can make sure your recruiters have software with maximum efficiency in the year ahead.
What to Look for When Choosing Recruiting Software
When it comes to running a small business, there are many important considerations to keep in mind. Researching recruitment software should be one of them. Investing time into researching recruitment software is critical, as the right recruiting solution can help your business save time and money as well as improve efficiency when recruiting potential employees.
Exploring your options can also help ensure that you understand how to use the tool before making any final decisions. By researching different types of recruitment software and comparing their features, you’ll be able to decide which one is best for your needs as well as assess the cost of a program before investing in it.
Here are three main factors to keep in mind as you read through our review of some great small business software.
Recruiting Software Features
Researching recruiting software is like finding the right car. You want to ensure it fits your needs. Ask yourself questions like these as you start your search:
- What are the software must-haves?
- Who will be using the software and are they able to use it easily?
- Do you need it to be compatible with other software?
- What add-on features would be “nice to have” (such as time tracking or calendar integration)?
It’s often especially helpful for small businesses to consider recruiting software features such as reporting capabilities, tracking interviews, and communication options when deciding which recruiting software to select. At the end of the day, it’s like finding the perfect partner who knows how to make you and your business successful.
Regular Software Updates
It’s not enough for your small business to have recruiting software. Regular software updates are a must! Up-to-date recruiting software with regular updates ensures your applications are running smoothly and keeps your process efficient. After all, how can you make sure potential hires are hearing about your job opportunities if your recruitment platform isn’t even working?
You might miss the best talent for the job if you don’t stay on top of regular software updates. Plus, why be saddled with an outdated platform for weeks when regular updates could theoretically offer you a new feature or two to help automate or streamline your recruiting efforts?
Regular software updates make it easy to keep using the same system without having to worry about losing out on any of the benefits.
On top of ensuring the software offers regular updates, it’s helpful to ask about software training or data migration. A great recruitment platform should offer training sessions and professional assistance to ensure you’re getting the most out of the software.
Your Employee Recruitment Process
It may seem like your company’s employee recruitment process isn’t much of a priority when it comes to small business operations. After all, that’s what you’re interested in using software for, right? Sort of.
While recruiting software can help you manage the process, it’s helpful if you have a process in place, to begin with. Once you do, it’s important to find software that not only gets the job done quickly and efficiently but also works with the employee recruitment process in a way that aligns with your company’s standards.
This is what’ll allow you to find the perfect employee match.
What to Keep in Mind When Comparing Recruiting Software Costs
Before we start to compare small business software, it’s important to quickly touch on pricing. When comparing recruiting software costs, make sure you don’t get blindsided by the price tag. Sure, it’s nice to find a good deal, but always make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.
A $10/month option may have you rejoicing at first, only to realize that there are barely any features you actually need. Meanwhile, that seemingly expensive option could be the better choice. With extra bells and whistles that’ll back up your hiring process, that more expensive software could save more money in the long run.
At the end of the day, it all boils down to “you get what you pay for.” So, put on your detective cap and figure out which one checks as many boxes as possible. Weigh the value of the features you get instead of the cost. This will help you determine which software is going to help you improve your hiring process and better your bottom line.
The Best Options for Recruiting Software in 2023
With the recruitment software features mentioned above in mind and a few tips on how to gauge the value of software, it’s time to dive into your options for recruiting software. You’ve got more than a few, so here’s a brief overview of some of the top options for the year ahead.
Want to cut to the chase and find the best recruiting software for small businesses? It’s Top Echelon. Scroll down to see why.
Greenhouse
Greenhouse recruiting software is the ideal companion for small businesses that want to implement a hiring process that focuses on diversity. The software has over 200 integrations, making it incomparable to any other applicant tracking system on the market.
On top of that, Greenhouse also has a special built-in diversity and inclusion feature designed to make sure companies are following successful practices in ensuring their hiring is diverse. Aside from those impressive features, Greenhouse also provides you with tons of basic features like:
- Applicant tracking
- Structured hiring
- Automated task management
- Multi-channel sourcing
- Detailed reports
Overall, the 200+ integrations make this software attractive for those who will take advantage of them. However, if your business doesn’t need that many integrations, this software will likely feel like too much for too much (it’s pretty expensive). Others have noted that while the software collects a lot of great data, it’s tough to make sense of it unless you’re a data analyst.
Greenhouse Cost
Unfortunately, unlike others on this list, Greenhouse doesn’t currently offer a free plan. They don’t even offer a free trial or simple sign-up online. Instead, you have to request a demo first. While this is part of their marketing strategy, it’s somewhat inconvenient for small businesses short on time.
Likewise, this is probably one of the most expensive options on this list. While their pricing is somewhat secretive, businesses online have noted that, depending on the size of your organization, you can expect to pay anywhere between about $6,000 to $25,000 annually for this software.
Freshteam
Freshteam recruiting software makes the tedious, mundane tasks of tracking and reporting easier than ever. Freshteam provides automation processes that allow you to uncover the best talent available and quickly onboard them into your team. The ability to automate tasks is perhaps where Freshteam shines the most.
With Freshteam, small to mid-sized businesses can effortlessly monitor candidate data, observe time off or absenteeism trends, generate history records with ease and so much more! All in all, aside from automation, the software’s tracking and reporting capabilities are quite advanced.
This means that your HR team will be able to focus on other important jobs and daily tasks. Imagine being able to offer this type of working efficiency to your team instead of having them get bogged down with paperwork.
Freshteam Cost
Freshteam isn’t as costly as Greenhouse, and you can count on being able to enjoy a free trial and free plan option if you’re a super small business owner or solo entrepreneur. The free plan is available for one user and allows you to enjoy features such as customizable hiring workflows, candidate pipeline visualization, employee referrals, and up to three active job postings.
The first paid plan costs $71 per month plus $1.20 per employee. With this plan, you’re able to enjoy more applicant tracking features (up to 20 active job listings), document management, advanced time off features, and HR reporting. You can scale this plan up to a Pro or Enterprise plan if needed, too.
Homerun
Homerun recruiting software is a powerful tool to make the hiring process (as they put it) “easier, more personal, and meaningful.” It’s designed with small businesses in mind, as it enables them to create a great candidate experience, along with an efficient hiring workflow.
Homerun helps organize the recruitment process and allows you to collaborate with your team more effectively. What’s even better? Homerun connects you to qualified applicants faster so you can expedite the whole procedure. This is on top of features such as:
- A simple drag-and-drop editor to create a branded career page
- Create email templates for scheduling interviews
- Make notes about candidates and share them with other employees
Access role permissions - Set reminders and create to-do lists
- Enjoy a Kanban-style overview
If your small business has a small HR department (or if you’re handling everything yourself) then you’ll also enjoy features such as job applicant questions and job description templates. Features like these can help ensure you’re putting out effective job descriptions to attract the best talent.
Homerun Cost
Like most small business software, Homerun also offers a free trial, a free plan, and a simple online sign-up. Homerun’s free plan is a great option for businesses in need of filling just one job position. If you need more than that, you’ll have to upgrade to the Light plan, which is $59 per month and includes three available job slots to fill (note that you have to pay annually for this plan).
BambooHR
The appeal of BambooHR is that it combines multiple systems into one easy-to-use platform. This allows your team to manage both your HR and recruitment tasks from one central location. BambooHR also simplifies the job posting and applicant tracking procedure with automated processes and a centralized candidate database that is accessible from desktop or mobile.
Plus, it’s simple to work with since BambooHR has an ATS app for both iOS and Android. This feature is great for workers who do a lot of work on the go. Access to an app allows your team to review suggested candidates, view resumes, responses, and ratings wherever they are.
With BambooHR, you can track, hire, and onboard job applicants while also having a comprehensive view of who’s currently employed, who’s taken PTO recently, and much more. BambooHR also provides advanced reporting on candidates and employees so you always have readily updated information.
Plus their offboarding tools make the transition for parting employees easy for everyone involved.
BambooHR Cost
BambooHR provides free price quotes so that you’ll know exactly what to expect before purchasing their software. Their two main pricing plans are the Essentials and Advantage Plans. Which is right for you?
The Essentials plan is best suited for smaller businesses, with the Advantage plan offering more robust features at an affordable price. Prices vary across BambooHR’s services, but users report that Advantage plans cost around $8.25 per month for up to 15 employees
Breezy HR
Breezy HR’s user-friendly interface makes recruiting easier than ever. The software offers features and integrations that simplify the tedious task of hiring new talent.
Whether you are parsing resumes or conducting background screenings, Breezy HR has you covered with the latest and greatest. The software’s features are rooted in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) standards. Other features include:
- Resume management
- Duplicate candidate prevention
- Helpful email templates
Additionally, Breezy HR’s software offers several integrations. You can post on multiple job sites as well as connect with LinkedIn, 1Password, Slack, Google Analytics, and more.
Breezy HR Cost
Breezy HR is somewhat more expensive for a small business than an option like Top Echelon or BambooHR, for example. While that’s not necessarily a “bad” thing, you do need to ensure you’ll use all of the features you’re paying for. If not, it’s best to look into another option on this list that’ll offer what you need and nothing you don’t.
What is the cost of Breezy HR? Their Bootstrap plan is completely free. With this plan, you can post one job opening on a wide range of job boards (up to 50 at once!). For those needing more comprehensive support, Breezy HR’s paid plans start from just $143 up to the all-inclusive Business plan for $399 a month. Similar to other software, these prices are for those who pay annually.
HiringThing
With HiringThing’s cloud-based solution, companies can reduce the time spent on manual hiring processes by managing everything from one central platform with joy and ease. From job board distribution to application management, HiringThing takes out the hassle so everyone involved in the recruitment process can make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
Other standout features include:
- Candidate tracking
- Job board distribution
- Application management functionality
- Reference check tools
Particularly, small businesses seem to love HiringThing the most for its candidate-tracking capabilities. Not only are you able to track candidates, but the software makes keeping EEOC and OFCCP compliance standards in mind super simple. Plus, there are confirmation and rejection emails and social media integrations for extra convenience.
HiringThing Cost
Want to get HiringThing’s recruiting software, but not sure if you’re ready to commit? Not to worry. Their 14-day free trial allows you to create up to five active job posts, so you can see how HiringThing works for your business. Aside from their free trial, they also offer pretty flexible pricing options.
You can start with the most basic HiringThing plan for just $62 per month for three postings. After that, the monthly price varies depending on the number of jobs you post. It’s also worth noting that you can upgrade or downgrade your subscription at any time. This is appealing for small businesses in a growth phase that might scale up or down rapidly.
JazzHR
If you’re looking for a long-term solution that will grow with your company, JazzHR might be a great option to look into. Why do we mention long-term?
The platform itself is somewhat complex to use and comes with several in-depth features. This means that there’s a strong learning curve at first. However, if you’re committed to this process and using the best software, it might be worth learning the platform and scaling up your use of the features as your business grows.
Overall, JazzHR recruiting software is a helpful tool for streamlining the eligible, talented candidates from the unsuitable ones! JazzHR helps with its Knockout Questions that automatically disqualify anyone who does not fit the criteria. The software also offers you to personalize your career page, making it easier for a potential candidate to engage with your brand.
And what about efficiency? JazzHR allows you to integrate branded message templates and keep everything in sync through email so no message ever gets missed.
JazzHR Cost
For those interested in trying out this software for free, you’ll be pleased to know they offer a free 21-day trial. However, they don’t currently offer a free plan. Their three pricing plans are currently as follows:
- Hero: $39/month
- Plus: $239/month
- Pro: $359/month
Note that all of those prices are for those who pay annually. The Hero plan, which is the cheapest, allows you to have unlimited users, though, and post up to three jobs at a time. If you want applicant tracking features and interview capabilities within the platform then you’ll have to upgrade to the Plus plan.
Top Echelon
Finally, we’ve reached the best recruiting software option for small businesses! Top Echelon recruiting software is a powerful and intuitive applicant tracking system perfect for small and large companies alike. It helps HR staff customize their tasks and manage the entire recruitment process with ease.
Some key features you can expect to enjoy include:
- Easy-to-use interface
- Advanced reporting
- Custom reports
- HR management tools
- Applicant tracking
- Integrations with email and other apps
- Robust communication features
Top Echelon also comes equipped with an advanced CRM. For those with teams that are spread out, this helps them quickly locate top talent and fill positions efficiently. Our software also offers robust reporting and analysis tools to help you assess and optimize your recruiting process across the board. Basically, with Top Echelon’s wide range of features, no recruitment challenge is too big!
Top Echelon Cost
Like others on this list, we also offer a free trial. You can try Top Echelon for free for 15 days to get a feel for the platform and features. After that, we offer monthly and annual pricing plans. You can pay $75/month per user if you pay monthly. Or, you can reduce that monthly pricing down to $63.75 per user if you pay annually.
Try Top Echelon Today
Top Echelon recruiting software is the key to taking your recruiting efforts to the next level. Take advantage of our intuitive platform, which makes it easier than ever to save time and reach candidates faster.
Ready to test out all of our top-notch features? Click here to start your free trial and unlock powerful tools that will help you source talent quickly and accurately.