Picking the best talent mapping tools can be tricky.
But after reading this guide, it won’t be that difficult because you’ll learn:
- What talent mapping actually means and why it’s important
- Key steps in the talent mapping process
- Top 10 talent mapping tools
- Plus, tips to choose the right tool
So, are you ready to find the perfect talent mapping solution for your company? Let’s get started.
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What Is Talent Mapping?
Talent mapping is a strategic way companies plan their hiring. It involves identifying and tracking pools of potential candidates who could be a great fit for the company’s current and future needs.
For example, let’s say a software company knows they’ll have to hire about 50 new programmers in the next year. They might use talent mapping to:
- Find people with the coding skills they need, like Java and Python
- Identify programmers who have worked on similar products
By building this map of potential candidates ahead of time, the company is ready to reach out and hire quickly when they need to expand their programming team.
Key Steps In The Talent Mapping Process
So how does talent mapping actually work? Here are the main steps:
- Set clear hiring goals – Figure out exactly what kind of workers the company needs, including what skills and experience they should have.
- Search far and wide – Use lots of different tools, like online job boards and professional networks, to find people who might be a good fit. Cast a wide net.
- Check the candidates – Look closely at the potential hires you’ve found. Do they really have the right skills and experience you need?
- Compare to what’s popular – See if the skills and jobs you’re looking for match up with what’s in-demand in the job market. You don’t want to plan for jobs that will be hard to fill.
- Map it out – Make visual maps or charts of your potential hire pools. This makes it easier to understand and make decisions about hiring plans.
By following these steps, companies can create clear, strategic talent maps to guide their hiring.
Now that we know what talent mapping is and why it matters, let’s look at some of the top tools that can help companies do it effectively.
Top 10 Talent Mapping Tools
#1. Central Test – Best For Predictive Talent Assessment And Mapping
Our Score: 9/10
Pricing: Available on request (15-day free trial)
Central Test is a tool that helps companies find the best job candidates. It uses scientific methodologies to predict how well someone will do in a job.
The tool looks at many different things about a person to figure out if they are a good fit. This ensures you find the right fit for any job role for your organization.
Special Features:
- Multicriteria analysis – Central Test looks at lots of different things about a candidate to analyze their skill potential and whether or not those skill sets match the company’s core values. As a result, companies can make better choices and find people who will do well in the job.
- Team audit and feedback – The tool can also look at whole teams. It figures out what each team member is good at and what they need to work on. Then it gives ideas for how to help the team do even better. This helps in building a strong team.
- Job matching – Central Test makes it easy to compare job candidates. It gives each person a score for how well they match the job. Then companies can quickly see who the best choices are. This saves a lot of time in hiring.
Limitations:
- It’s only a predictive and analysis tool (doesn’t offer a more comprehensive talent management solution as other tools).
For Whom It’s Best And Why?
Central Test is a great choice for HR teams that want a scientific way to predict job success.
It’s best for companies that hire for a lot of different types of jobs, since it can assess 63 different skills.
If getting a full view of candidates is important to you, the Central Test is a top pick.
>> Learn more about Central Test
#2. WhiteBox HR – Best Overall Talent Management And Mapping Solution
Our Score: 8/10
Pricing: Available on request
WhiteBox HR is a tool that helps companies manage their workforce better. It uses machine learning technology and AI to give insights about how to find, grow, and retain employees.
Special Features:
- Smart Assessments – When a company needs to hire someone, they can use WhiteBox HR’s special tests. These tests are fair and based on science. They help figure out if a person will fit well in the job, team, and company. This makes the talent mapping process much better.
- Employee Productivity Insights – WhiteBox HR shows how much workers are getting done even when they are in the remote setting. This helps leaders know if their team is doing well and optimize performance.
- Culture Health Check – The tool also looks at how healthy a company’s culture is. Instead of just asking workers what they think, it looks at what’s really happening. This helps in fixing the problems before they get too big.
Limitations:
- Given its extensive feature set, WhiteBox HR may be overly complex for smaller organizations with more basic requirements.
For Whom It’s Best And Why?
WhiteBox HR is an ideal solution for mid-sized to large organizations looking for an integrated platform to support the full employee journey.
It’s particularly well-suited for companies that prioritize a strong culture and employee experience.
>> Learn more about WhiteBox HR
#3. HRiQ – Best All-In-One Talent Management And Mapping Tool
Our Score: 8.5/10
Pricing: Available on request
HRiQ is a tool that does everything HR needs. It keeps track of employee information, handles pay, and helps with hiring and training. It puts all HR-related things in one place. This makes HR’s job a lot easier.
Special Features:
- Helps Grow and Map Talent – HRiQ has great features for improving and planning your workforce. It uses the 9-box grid (an assessment technique) to find high potential employees. And it helps you prepare for when important roles need to be filled.
- Takes Care of Pay and Time Off – HRiQ will manage your payroll and track employee work hours. It can handle different pay rules, even in different countries. Workers can ask for time off and check how much they have left in the system.
- Makes Training and Hiring Easier – The tool has lots of ways to train your workers and find new ones. You can build training right in HRiQ. For hiring, it walks you through every step, from job ads to picking the best person.
Limitations:
- HRiQ does so much that it might take some time to learn. HR teams will need to spend a while getting to know all the features.
- Since it does a lot, it might be too much and cost too much for really small companies. They probably only need a few of the things it does.
For Whom It’s Best And Why?
HRiQ is perfect for medium to big companies that want one tool for all HR things. It’s really good for businesses with workers in different countries because it can deal with different pay regulations.
It’s also great for HR teams that want to use more data and tech in their work. The reports and charts it makes help them see patterns and make smart choices.
#4. Virkware – Best For Internal Talent Mobility And Mapping
Our Score: 8/10
Pricing: Starts at $7 per user per month (free for up to 100 users)
Virkware is a tool that helps companies manage all their talent projects in one place. It makes planning, staffing, and tracking these projects much easier. Companies like it because it saves them time and helps people work together better.
Special Features:
- Gig Market for Innovation – Virkware has a special feature called the Gig Market. It uses AI to help people across the company find and join projects they’re interested in. This helps the company try out new ideas and makes work more exciting for employees.
- Mobility360 for Career Growth – Another great feature is Mobility360. It helps employees find new roles in the company that fit their skills and goals. And it helps managers feel good about letting their team members try new things. This feature helps people grow in their careers.
- Always-On Feedback with Pulse – Virkware has a tool called Pulse that lets employees share thoughts anytime. They don’t have to wait for the big surveys that only happen once in a while. This helps managers know how their team is feeling and fix problems faster.
Limitations:
- Virkware is focused on talent projects and growth. It doesn’t have some other HR features that companies might need, like tracking time off or benefits.
- The AI matching in the Gig Market might not always be perfect. Managers should still talk to employees directly about what projects are a good fit for them.
For Whom It’s Best And Why?
Virkware is a great choice for companies that want to be more creative and help employees grow.
It’s really useful for businesses that have a lot of special projects and want to match the right people to them.
It’s also good for companies that care a lot about employee feedback and career paths. The Pulse and Mobility360 features are quite helpful for that.
#5. LiveHire – Best Talent Mapping Solution With AI Integration
Our Score: 8.5/10
Pricing: Available on request
LiveHire is a tool that helps companies keep track of all their workers in one place.
This includes people they might want to hire, workers on short projects, current employees, and even past employees.
It’s been around since 2011 and is popular because it gives a full view of a company’s workforce.
Special Features:
- AI Matching for Talent Mapping – LiveHire uses artificial intelligence (AI) to match people to jobs. It looks at the skills and experience people put in their profiles. Then it shows them jobs that fit well. This makes it easier for HR to find the right people for open roles.
- Helps Employees Find New Jobs Inside the Company – The tool has a feature called Internal Mobility. It helps employees see other jobs in the company they might like. This is good because it can help keep workers happy and save money on hiring new people.
- Keeps Past Employees in the Loop – LiveHire doesn’t forget about employees who have left. It has a special feature to help them find new jobs. The tool suggests jobs that match their skills. This helps the company keep a good relationship with past workers.
Limitations:
- LiveHire does a lot, but it might be too much for very small businesses. They may not need all the features and might find it overwhelming.
For Whom It’s Best And Why?
LiveHire is a great choice for medium to large companies that want one place to manage their whole workforce. It’s especially helpful for companies that often move employees to new roles or projects.
#6. iMocha – Best For Skill-Based Talent Mapping
Our Score: 8.5/10
Pricing: Available on request (Free trial available)
iMocha helps companies make choices about employees based on their skills. It’s been around since 2015 and has become popular because it has one of the biggest libraries of skill sets. Their customer base include over 500 big enterprises like Vanguard, Deolitte, and more.
Special Features:
- In-Depth Skill Analysis for Talent Mapping – iMocha is great at figuring out what skills employees have and what skills they need to learn. It can map over 1,500 job types and test more than 3,000 different skills. This detailed skill mapping helps HR make smart plans for training and hiring.
- Matches Employees to Job Needs – The tool can match the skills employees have to the skills a job needs. This helps HR move people into roles they’ll do well in. It’s a big help for companies that need to shift workers to new areas quickly.
- Finds Skill Gaps for Better Training – iMocha shows HR where teams are missing key skills. This lets them make training plans to fill those gaps. By looking at skills, HR can make sure training money is well spent.
Limitations:
- iMocha is all about skills. It doesn’t do some other HR tasks like tracking employee goals or handling pay. Companies may need other tools for those jobs.
- Because it tests so many skills, setting up iMocha might take some time. HR will need to decide which skills matter most for each job.
For Whom It’s Best And Why?
iMocha is a top choice for companies that want to make all their people choices based on skills. It’s especially useful for big businesses that have lots of different job types.
The detailed skill matching makes iMocha great for companies that need to be flexible and move workers around often. And the skill gap finder is a big help for HR teams that want to make smart training plans.
#7. SmartRecruiters – Best For Collaborative Hiring And Talent Mapping
Our Score: 8/10
Pricing: Available on request
SmartRecruiters helps companies find and hire new employees. It’s been around since 2010 and is popular because it lets everyone work together on hiring.
Over 4,000 big companies like Toshiba and Visa use SmartRecruiters.
Special Features:
- Makes Hiring a Team Effort – SmartRecruiters is great at getting everyone involved in hiring. Hiring managers, recruiters, and even the people applying for jobs can all use the tool. This teamwork helps find the best new hires.
- Talent Pools for Future Hiring Needs – The tool lets you make groups of potential hires based on their skills and experience. This is called talent mapping. It means you have great people ready when a job opens up, so you can hire faster.
- Adapts to How Your Company Hires – Every company hires a little differently. SmartRecruiters can be set up to match your company’s way of doing things. It can handle even really complex hiring steps.
Limitations:
- SmartRecruiters does a lot, so it can take some time to learn. Companies need to be ready to spend time training their hiring teams on the tool.
- The setup process can take some time and needs careful planning before implementation.
For Whom It’s Best And Why?
SmartRecruiters is a great fit for companies that need to fill a lot of jobs quickly. The talent pool feature is a big help for fast-growing businesses.
It’s also perfect for companies that want hiring to be a team sport. The tool makes it easy for hiring managers, recruiters, and applicants to all work together.
>> Learn more about SmartRecruiters
#8. Predictive Index – Best For Talent Mapping And Development
Our Score: 9/10
Pricing: Available on request
Predictive Index helps companies understand their employees better. It’s been around since 1955 and over 10,000 companies use it. Predictive Index is popular because it uses scientific assessments and surveys to help build teams that work well together.
Special Features:
- Team Mapping for Better Teamwork – Predictive Index has a feature that shows how everyone on a team likes to work and what they’re good at. This team mapping helps managers build teams where people’s strengths fit together well. It’s a big help for making teams that can do their best work.
- Finds the Right Fit for Jobs – The tool helps companies make profiles of what kind of person would be great at a job. Then, when they’re hiring, they can see how well each candidate matches that profile. This helps them hire people who will do well in the role and stay with the company.
- Performance Management – In addition to talent mapping, Predictive Index also offers performance management solutions like feedback, analysis, goal management, and more. This makes it a solid tool for performance and talent management combined.
Limitations:
- The tool has a lot of features, so it might take some time for HR and managers to learn how to use everything. They’ll need to set aside time for training.
- The user interface can feel a bit overwhelming for first-time users.
For Whom It’s Best And Why?
Predictive Index is perfect for companies that want to build strong, high-performing teams. The team mapping feature is a huge help for making sure everyone on a team works well together.
It’s great as an all-in-one talent management solution since it also comes with features related to performance management in addition to its special behavioral assessments features.
>> Learn more about Predictive Index
#9. Intervue – Best For Talent Mapping Related To Technical Roles
Our Score: 7.5/10
Pricing: Available on request (Free trial available)
Intervue is a bit unique tool than all other tools we shared in this guide. It’s specifically geared towards helping with the interviewing needs of big companies.
They have a team of experts in different fields who conduct interviews for companies and then submit detailed reports back to the companies. This saves a lot of time and hassle in the talent mapping and hiring process. That’s why they are quickly gaining a lot of popularity in the industry.
Special Features:
- Finds New Talent Potential with Special Projects – Intervue has a cool feature where they give job candidates a special computer project to work on. This project shows how the person would do in the real job. It’s a great way to find people who are really good at their work, even if their resume doesn’t show it.
- Helps Make Interviews Fair – When companies have Intervue do the interviews, they can be sure everyone gets the same questions. This helps make the process more fair. It’s also easier to compare candidates when they’ve all been asked the same things.
- Saves Time – Interviewing takes a lot of time, especially for jobs that need a lot of computer skills. By having Intervue do it, the company’s own experts can spend more time working on important projects instead of interviewing
Limitations:
- The tool is best for the actual interview. But companies will still need other tools to find candidates and keep track of them before and after the interview.
- Only few options available for integrations with other softwares.
For Whom It’s Best And Why?
Intervue is a good choice for companies that need to hire a lot of people for IT, Coding, engineering and other technical roles. It’s especially good for fast-growing tech companies that need to fill roles quickly.
It’s also a great choice for companies that want to make their hiring process more fair and organized. Having all candidates do the same project and get the same interview questions helps with this a lot.
#10. Entelo – Best For Efficient Talent Mapping
Our Score: 8.5/10
Pricing: Available on request
Entelo has been around since 2011 and is popular because it makes the hiring process much faster. Lots of big companies like The New York Times use Entelo to make their hiring more efficient.
Special Features:
- Smart Candidate Search – Entelo has a really smart search tool that helps recruiters find the best candidates fast. It looks at tons of information about each candidate to see if they’re a good fit for the company. This special search saves recruiters a lot of time.
- Matches Candidates to Company – The tool looks at tons of data about each candidate and gives them a score for how well they’d fit into the company. This helps recruiters quickly see who’s most likely to be a great hire and focus on reaching out to them first.
- Predicts Candidates’ Next Moves – Entelo is really smart – it can even guess when a candidate might be ready for a new job based on their career history. This helps recruiters find people who are more likely to be interested in their job openings. It’s a big time-saver.
Limitations:
- The tool is great at finding and mapping candidates to the ideal role. But it doesn’t have as many features for tracking them through the whole hiring process. Companies may need other tools for that.
- It can take some time to learn as there are lots of features.
For Whom It’s Best And Why?
Entelo is a great fit for companies that need to hire a lot of people quickly. Its smart search and candidate insights really speed up finding the right people.
It’s especially helpful for bigger companies with lots of roles to fill. The talent pool feature gives them a high-level view that’s perfect for planning complex hiring needs.
How To Choose The Right Talent Mapping Tool?
First, think about what your company needs most from a talent mapping tool.
Here are some questions to ask:
- How big is your company? Some tools work better for small businesses, while others are made for big ones.
- What kind of jobs do you hire for? Look for a tool that’s good at finding people with the specific skills your company needs.
- How many people do you hire at once? If you need to fill a lot of jobs fast, pick a tool that can handle high-volume hiring.
Next, take a close look at what each tool can do. Some key features to consider:
- Talent Pool Insights – Can the tool give you a clear picture of all your possible hires and what skills they have? This is super helpful for planning.
- Candidate Matching – Does the tool help you see which candidates are the best fit for each job? This can save you a lot of time.
- Integration with Other Tools – Will the talent mapping tool work well with the other hiring tools you use, like your applicant tracking system? This is important for a smooth process.
Of course, at last, you’ll also need to think about your budget for the tool.
Most softwares charge a flat fee per month depending on the number of employees using the platform. They’ll have different plans with less or more features. So out of them, pick the one that perfectly fits your needs.
Interested in exploring more HR tools? Check out our hrtech’s marketplace to find out a huge collection of HR software solutions.
Conclusion
Talent mapping is a powerful strategy that helps companies plan their hiring effectively.
In this guide, we discussed the top 10 talent mapping tools. Out of them, for small businesses, tools like Central Test, Virkware, and iMocha are great choices.
WhiteBox HR, HRiQ, or SmartRecruiters are suitable for mid-sized companies for their comprehensive talent management solutions.
Whereas, large enterprises will benefit from platforms like LiveHire, Predictive Index, and Entelo, which provide advanced analytics and AI-powered insights.
When choosing a talent mapping tool, consider your company size, the types of roles you hire for, and the volume of hiring you do.
Look for key features like talent pool insights, candidate matching, and integration with other HR tools. Don’t forget to evaluate the tool’s ease of use and pricing to ensure it fits your budget and requirements.
Still not sure which tool is right for you? Connect with our team of HR experts at hrtech, who can guide you to find the right tech solution for your company.
The AI matching is powerful for finding people with the right skills, both inside and outside the company. So it’s a good fit for businesses that are growing and need to fill roles quickly.
