The recruitment process can be complex and time-consuming for all stakeholders involved. From employer branding to talent acquisition, this task is critical in many areas but often does not receive the attention it deserves.
Although hiring is considered a basic human resources process, even in its simplest form, it involves efficiently and accurately organizing candidates, HR professionals, and company representatives who will conduct interviews.
Selecting the most suitable candidates from hundreds or thousands of applications, managing communication and follow-up processes, and performing data analysis are just some of the many layers of this task. Today, one of the top solutions that simplify this process is ATS—Applicant Tracking Systems.
Let's take a closer look at these tools that can significantly improve your hiring processes. In this article, we compare the top five ATS tools to help you decide which one is best for you!
What is an ATS (Applicant Tracking System)?
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a type of HR software that employers often use to streamline the hiring process.
It helps manage everything from posting job ads and scheduling interviews to handling documents, sending emails, and even making job offers.
By simplifying the resume screening process, the system collects information from each candidate’s resume and organizes it based on their experience and skills. This organization allows hiring teams and HR managers to filter their candidate pool and focus on the most qualified candidates.
An ATS offers a wide range of benefits, including cost and time efficiency, improved hiring quality, and a stronger employer brand.
How Does an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) Work?
Recruiters and HR professionals can manage the hiring process through an ATS by contacting candidates to confirm receipt of their applications, sending necessary assessments or tests, and scheduling interviews.
Most ATS systems allow HR professionals to handle these processes using various methods, including:
1️⃣ Creating a Career Page - HR professionals attract the best candidates by showcasing job listings on personalized career pages and various platforms.
2️⃣ Viewing Applications - Recruiters review applications through ATS software. They can tag candidates appropriately based on their resume information and add notes about each candidate.
3️⃣ Filtering Applications - Recruiters can sort candidates to find the best fit for open positions by filtering based on skill sets or job descriptions. This often involves using keywords focused on specific skills, job titles, experiences, or responsibilities derived from the job description.
4️⃣ Communicating with Candidates - ATS allows recruiters to communicate with candidates, send automated emails, and schedule interviews. It speeds up the hiring process by automating many tasks, such as scheduling interviews and screening candidates.
5️⃣ Making Easier Decisions - Recruiters provide feedback and add notes about each candidate immediately after interviews. These scores and notes help assess candidates objectively, allowing for quick hiring of ideal candidates.
The best applicant tracking systems at a glance
This ATS comparison chart summarizes pricing details for top applicant tracking systems to help you find the best software for your budget and business needs.
The 5 best applicant tracking systems
1. Hirex
Hirex is a modern ATS designed to enhance the candidate experience and improve employer branding. It offers features tailored to the needs of both HR professionals and candidates, aiming for a more engaging recruitment process.
Hirex's standout feature is its focus on candidate experience and employer branding. The platform is designed to create an engaging recruitment journey, from the initial application through onboarding, helping companies build a positive reputation among candidates.
Key features include:
- Interview Scheduling, No Sweat: Set up interviews without the back-and-forth. Hirex makes it easy to find the best time for everyone.
- Grow Your Talent Pool: Keep in touch with potential hires easily. Hirex help you stay on their radar for when the perfect job opens up.
- Save Time with Automation: Let Hirex handle the boring tasks. This means you have more time for the important stuff, like talking to potential hires.
- Works with Hirex: Hirex fits right in with the other software you use, making everything work together smoothly.
- Know Your Numbers: Get all the important hiring info you need, easy and fast. This helps you make better decisions without digging through data.
✅ Pros:
- Hirex focuses on providing a seamless and engaging experience for candidates, from application to onboarding.
- The platform includes tools specifically designed to boost employer branding, helping companies stand out to top talent.
- With a straightforward interface, Hirex is easy to navigate, reducing the time needed for training and onboarding.
👎 Cons:
- Compared to more established ATS tools, Hirex currently offers fewer integrations with third-party HR tools.
- As a newer player in the market, some advanced features might not be as developed as those in more established ATS solutions.
2. Greenhouse
Greenhouse is a leading ATS known for its robust features and user-friendly interface. It is highly customizable, allowing HR teams to tailor the platform according to their specific recruitment needs.
One of Greenhouse's standout features is its structured hiring workflow. This workflow ensures a consistent and equitable interviewing experience by defining the requirements, experience, and attributes needed for a role before posting the job. By setting these parameters in advance, Greenhouse allows users to create a scoring rubric that can be used to assess all candidates fairly. This approach ensures that hiring decisions are data-driven and aligned with business needs, reducing the potential for bias based on non-relevant candidate details.
Greenhouse integrates with over 400+ applications, including Broadbean, Canditech, Calendly, Checkr, Cord, DocuSign, Dropbox, FlexJobs, GoodTime, Google Meet, Indeed, Microsoft Teams, Namely, Paradox, Seek, and many others.
Additionally, Greenhouse's Harvest API allows for further customization and integration with other tools, making it a highly adaptable solution for businesses of all sizes.
✅ Pros:
- Greenhouse offers seamless integration with various HR tools, which simplifies data management and enhances productivity.
- Its workflows are highly customizable, which can accommodate different hiring processes.
- Greenhouse provides in-depth analytics and reporting, allowing HR teams to make data-driven decisions.
👎 Cons:
- Greenhouse is on the higher end of the pricing spectrum, which might not be suitable for small businesses or startups.
- The platform's comprehensive features can result in a steep learning curve for new users.
3. Lever
Lever combines ATS functionalities with CRM capabilities, making it an excellent choice for companies focusing on both hiring and employee relationship management.
Lever integrates with several popular applications such as LinkedIn, G Suite, Slack, Zoom, Checkr, Namely, and many others. These integrations, along with Lever's open API, support custom workflows and enhance overall hiring efficiency.
✅ Pros:
- Lever has a clean and intuitive interface, which makes it easy for HR teams to navigate and use.
- The built-in CRM capabilities help companies maintain a robust talent pipeline.
- Lever promotes team collaboration with shared notes and feedback options.
👎 Cons:
- Compared to other ATS platforms, Lever offers fewer customization options for workflows.
- Some users have reported occasional lagging issues when using the platform extensively.
4. BambooHR
BambooHR is a popular choice among small to medium-sized businesses for its ease of use and affordability. It focuses on providing essential ATS features without overwhelming users.
BambooHR’s standout feature is its full HR integration capabilities, which go beyond applicant tracking to include onboarding, payroll, time tracking, and performance management. This makes it a comprehensive solution for organizations looking to manage their HR processes in one place.
Key features include: onboarding tools, employee self-service, time-off tracking, custom workflows, mobile app.
BambooHR integrates with numerous other HR tools, including Gusto, Slack, Checkr, Workable, QuickBooks, and many more, ensuring seamless data flow and reduced administrative burden.
✅ Pros:
- BambooHR is known for its straightforward and intuitive user interface, making it accessible for teams without a dedicated IT department.
- It offers competitive pricing, which makes it ideal for small to mid-sized businesses.
- The platform provides excellent customer support, which is crucial for smaller teams.
👎 Cons:
- BambooHR lacks some of the advanced features found in other ATS platforms, such as extensive customization and in-depth analytics.
- The integration options are limited compared to more comprehensive ATS tools.
5. Workable
Workable is a versatile ATS that offers a range of features to streamline the hiring process. It is especially known for its sourcing capabilities and AI-powered recommendations.
Workable stands out for its AI-powered candidate recommendations. This feature leverages artificial intelligence to suggest candidates that match job requirements, speeding up the recruitment process and helping recruiters focus on the best-fit candidates.
Workable integrates with numerous platforms, such as LinkedIn, Slack, BambooHR, Checkr, Zoom, and Google Calendar, enhancing its functionality and ease of use within diverse HR tech stacks.
✅ Pros:
- Workable uses AI to suggest suitable candidates, which speeds up the recruitment process.
- It provides robust sourcing tools that help HR teams find the best candidates efficiently.
- Workable offers flexible pricing options, which can be tailored to suit different business sizes.
👎 Cons:
- Workable's reporting capabilities are not as advanced as some of the other tools in the market.
- While the pricing is flexible, the costs can add up quickly when additional features are added.
Choosing the best ATS for you
Today, managing recruitment processes quickly and efficiently plays a critical role in a company's success. Using an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is essential to select the best candidates, automate processes, and improve efficiency.
There are many reasons why investing in an ATS makes sense. First and foremost, it helps streamline your hiring process and easily keep track of updates on each candidate. It also ensures a better experience for the candidates.
Having an ATS can help recruiters save time, reduce stress, and conserve energy, contributing to the effective and efficient growth of your company.
Whether you prioritize customization, ease of use, or advanced features, there is an ATS that can meet your needs in 2025.
By understanding the pros and cons of these systems, you can make a more informed decision and enhance your hiring strategy to attract and retain top talent.
Need an ATS that offers all these advantages in one package? Meet Hirex! 🥁
Hirex is a user-friendly ATS solution designed to elevate your recruitment processes. With Hirex, you can manage candidate evaluations intelligently, attract even passive job seekers effectively, and redefine the candidate experience. Click here to explore Hirex and open a demo account.
