Did you know that 3 out of every 4 recruiters use ATS—a type of recruiting tool?
With the right recruiting tools at your fingertips, you can find the perfect candidates for any role, and at any time.
But first, you need to understand all the types of recruiting tools so that you can increase your work productivity and enhance your recruiting workflow..
Keep reading to get a detailed overview on the top 17 types of recruiting tools in 2024, along with example software for each type.
Let’s get started!
Top 17 Types Of Recruiting Tools
1. Candidate Sourcing
Candidate sourcing is the process of finding potential job candidates through various methods. It’s the first step in the recruiting process and helps you build a pool of qualified candidates to choose from.
It’s important because it allows you to:
- Find candidates who may not be actively looking for a job.
- Reach a wider pool of potential candidates.
- Build relationships with potential candidates for future openings.
- Save time and money by targeting the right candidates from the start.
There are many ways to source candidates, including:
- Job boards and career sites
- Social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook
- Employee referrals
- Networking events and job fairs
- Talent communities and databases
The best candidate sourcing tools help you automate and simplify the process. Here are some examples:
- Longlist – Best budget-friendly and easy-to-use recruitment software with great candidate sourcing features.
- Entelo – Best for building targeted candidate lists and engaging with them through personalized outreach.
- SeekOut – Best feature-packed candidate sourcing software suitable for growing recruiting firms and agencies.
We already have a dedicated guide on the 50 Best Recruitment software. Check it out to explore a wide range of different recruitment tools and software solutions.
2. Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that helps you manage the entire recruiting process from start to finish. It’s a must-have tool for any company that does a lot of hiring.
Here’s why an ATS is so important:
- It automates many of the manual tasks involved in recruiting, like posting job ads and screening resumes.
- It keeps all your candidate data organized in one place.
- It allows you to collaborate with your hiring team and track the progress of each candidate.
- It provides analytics and reporting to help you make data-driven hiring decisions.
When choosing an ATS, look for one that’s easy to use, integrates with your other HR tools, and has features that match your specific needs. Here are some example options:
- Greenhouse – Best for mid-sized to large companies that need a robust, customizable ATS.
- Lever – Best for fast-growing startups that want an user-friendly, collaborative ATS.
- Workable – Best for small to mid-sized businesses that need an affordable, all-in-one recruiting solution.
3. Onboarding
Onboarding is the process of welcoming new hires to your company and helping them get acclimated to their role.
It’s also an important step in the recruiting process as it’s directly related to employee experience.
A good onboarding process should:
- Make new hires feel welcome and valued.
- Provide them with the information and resources they need to succeed.
- Help them understand your company culture and values.
- Set clear expectations for their role and performance.
Onboarding tools can help you automate and standardize the process, ensuring that every new hire has a positive and consistent experience. Here are top three examples:
- BambooHR – Best for small to mid-sized businesses that want an all-in-one HR platform with onboarding features.
- Multiplier – Best full-featured onboarding software for global recruitment.
- Talmundo – Best user-friendly onboarding software with built-in automation and employee engagement features.
Learn More: Top 10 Employee Onboarding Software
4. Candidate CRM
A candidate customer relationship management (CRM) system is a tool that helps you manage and nurture relationships with potential candidates.
It’s like a database of all the candidates you’ve interacted with, along with notes on their skills, experience, and communication history.
A candidate CRM is important because it allows you to:
- Keep track of all your candidate interactions in one place.
- Personalize your communication with each candidate.
- Build a pipeline of qualified candidates for future openings.
- Analyze your candidate data to identify trends and areas for improvement.
A candidate CRM is especially useful for companies that have a high volume of candidates or a long recruiting process.
Here are three examples of top candidate CRM options:
- Recruit CRM – Best feature-packed and affordable CRM with ATS features for recruiting agencies.
- LiveHire – Best user-friendly recruitment CRM software for mid-sized and large companies.
- Beamery– Best recruitment CRM software for large enterprises.
5. Job Posting
Job posting is the process of advertising your open positions on job boards, social media, and other platforms. It’s how you attract candidates to apply for your jobs and start the recruiting process.
Job posting is important because it:
- Shows your job in front of a wide audience of potential candidates.
- Helps you target the right candidates with specific skills and experience.
- Builds your employer brand and attracts top talent.
- Saves you time by automating the process of posting jobs on multiple sites.
Here are some examples of top job posting tools:
- Indeed – Best for reaching a wide audience on the web’s largest job board.
- ZipRecruiter – Best for small businesses that need an affordable, all-in-one posting solution.
- Glassdoor – Best for showcasing your employer brand and company culture.
Learn More: 12 Best Staffing Software For Recruitment Agencies
6. Social Media Recruiting
Social media recruiting is the process of using social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to find and attract potential candidates.
It’s a great way to reach passive candidates who may not be actively looking for a job but are open to new opportunities.
Here’s why social media is important:
- You can build relationships with potential candidates over time.
- Showcases your company culture and employer brand.
- Targets specific candidates based on their skills, experience, and interests.
- Helps you get referrals and recommendations from your employees and network.
To be effective at social media recruiting, you should:
- Create a strong employer brand presence on the platforms where your target candidates spend time.
- Share engaging content that showcases your company culture and values.
- Use hashtags and keywords to make your posts discoverable.
- Encourage your employees to share job openings and refer their friends and colleagues.
Here are some examples of social media recruiting tools:
- LinkedIn Recruiter – Best for searching and contacting candidates on the world’s largest professional network.
- CareerArc – Best for automating your social media job postings and employer branding content.
- Hootsuite – Best for managing all your social media accounts and measuring your recruiting ROI in one dashboard.
7. Employee Referrals
Employee referrals are when your current employees recommend candidates for open positions at your company.
It’s a powerful recruiting tool because:
- Referred candidates are usually higher quality and more likely to get hired.
- Referrals have a faster time-to-hire and higher retention rates than other candidates.
- Referrals are a cost-effective way to find candidates, since you don’t have to pay for job ads or recruiting fees.
- Referrals boost employee engagement and morale by involving them in the hiring process.
To get the most out of employee referrals, you should:
- Create a formal referral program with clear guidelines and incentives for employees.
- Communicate your open positions and ideal candidate profiles to your employees regularly.
- Make it easy for employees to submit referrals and track their progress.
- Follow up with referred candidates quickly and keep employees informed of the status of their referrals.
Here are the top three examples of employee referral tools:
- RippleHire Referrals – Best employee referral software for large companies and growing startups.
- ERIN – Best easy-to-use employee referral software.
- Teamable – Best for identifying referral opportunities and engaging potential candidates.
8. Candidate Assessments
Candidate assessments are tools that help you evaluate a candidate’s skills, knowledge, and fit for a role. They can include things like:
- Cognitive ability tests
- Personality assessments
- Work sample simulations
- Culture fit questionnaires
Here’s why candidate assessments tools are important:
- They provide factual data to help you make hiring decisions.
- Reduce bias and inconsistency in the hiring process.
- Help you identify top performers and high-potential candidates.
- Save time by screening out unqualified candidates early in the process.
When using candidate assessments, it’s important to:
- Choose assessments that are valid, reliable, and job-related.
- Use assessments as part of a broader hiring process, not as the sole deciding factor.
- Provide candidates with a positive experience and feedback on their results.
- Ensure your assessments comply with legal and ethical guidelines.
Here are three top candidate assessment tool examples:
- AssessHub – Best candidate assessment software for high-volume recruiting.
- Harver – Best feature-packed and user-friendly assessment software.
- iMocha – Best for skill-based assessments.
Learn More: The 19 Best Candidate Assessments Tools For Effective Recruitment
9. Video Interviewing
Video interviewing is the process of conducting job interviews remotely using video conferencing tools.
There’s a latest trend of video interviewing software becoming more popular. And that’s especially because of the AI powered video interviewing features. But there are also a few more reasons for it.
For instance:
- Video interviewing tools allow you to screen candidates more efficiently and reduce time-to-hire.
- They give you a more personal and interactive experience than phone interviews.
- They enable you to reach a wider pool of candidates, including those in different locations.
- Also, they provide a more flexible and convenient experience for candidates.
To conduct effective video interviews:
- Choose a reliable and user-friendly video conferencing platform.
- Test your technology beforehand and have a backup plan in case of technical issues.
- Prepare your questions and agenda in advance, just like you would for an in-person interview.
- Create a professional and distraction-free environment for the interview.
Here are three examples of top video interviewing tools:
- VidCruiter – Best for high-volume hiring and structured video interviews.
- Xobin – Best for automated video interviews and its wide-range of skill assessments for various job roles.
- Neufast – Best easy-to-use AI-powered video interviewing software.
10. Gamified Assessments
Gamified assessments are a type of candidate assessment that use game-like elements to evaluate skills and abilities.
They’re designed to be more engaging and interactive than traditional assessments, which can help you attract and retain top talent.
Gamified assessment tools are important because they:
- Provide a more enjoyable and immersive candidate experience.
- Assess skills and abilities in a more realistic and job-relevant way.
- Reduce test anxiety and bias by creating a level playing field for all candidates.
- Help you identify candidates with high potential and faster learning ability.
When using gamified assessments, it’s important to:
- Choose assessments that are scientifically validated and job-related.
- Provide clear instructions and feedback to candidates throughout the process.
- Use the results as part of a broader hiring process, not as the sole deciding factor.
- Monitor candidate reactions and adjust your assessments as needed to ensure a positive experience.
Here are some top examples of gamified assessment tools:
- The Talent Games – Best AI-Powered gamified assessment software for high-volume recruiting.
- Pymetrics – Best for using games to assess soft skills and culture fit.
- HireVue – Best for using gamified assessments along with a feature-packed video interviewing platform.
11. Background Checks
Background checks are a type of recruiting tool that help you verify a candidate’s background and qualifications.
Background checks are important because they:
- Help you make informed hiring decisions and reduce the risk of bad hires.
- Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements for certain industries and positions.
- Protect your company’s reputation and assets by identifying potential red flags.
- Provide a fair and consistent screening process for all candidates.
Here are the examples of top three background check tools:
- Checkr – Best for fast and compliant background checks with a user-friendly platform.
- HireRight – Best for complete background checks for global and high-volume hiring.
- GoodHire – Best for small businesses and on-demand background checks with personalized support.
12. Billing And Invoicing
Billing and invoicing tools are a type of recruiting tool that help you manage the financial aspects of the hiring process.
Billing and invoicing tools are essential because they:
- Help you track and control your recruiting costs and budget.
- Ensure timely and accurate payment processing for candidates and vendors.
- Provide financial reporting and analytics to help you make data-driven decisions.
- Streamline the onboarding process for new hires by automating paperwork and payment setup.
When choosing billing and invoicing tools, it’s important to:
- Look for tools that integrate with your existing ATS and financial systems.
- Choose tools with robust security and compliance features to protect sensitive financial data.
- Consider the user experience for both recruiters and candidates/new hires.
- Evaluate the pricing and scalability of the tools to ensure they meet your needs as your company grows.
Here are three top billing and invoicing tools for recruiting:
- Zoho Billing – Best easy-to-customize and affordable invoicing solution.
- Harvest – Best for time tracking and invoicing, especially suitable for teams that need to track billable hours across multiple projects and clients.
- Bullhorn – Popular recruitment software that also comes with great billing and invoicing features suitable for staffing agencies and recruitment firms.
Read More: 11 Best HRMS And Payroll Software
13. Time Tracking
Time tracking tools are a type of recruiting tool that help you monitor and manage the time spent on various recruiting activities.
They can include things like:
- Timesheets for tracking hours worked on specific tasks or projects
- Billing and invoicing integrations for tracking time spent on billable activities
- Productivity analytics for identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies in your recruiting process
Time tracking tools help you:
- Accurately track and bill for your recruiting services.
- Provide insights into how your team is spending their time and where they may need additional support or resources.
- Enable you to optimize your recruiting process by identifying areas for improvement and automating repetitive tasks.
- Ensure compliance with labor laws and regulations by accurately tracking hours worked.
Here are some examples of the top three time tracking tools:
- Toggl – Best for simple and user-friendly time tracking with powerful reporting features.
- Clockify – Best free time tracking tool without any user limitation.
- TimeCamp – Best for automatic time tracking and productivity analytics.
Check out this detailed guide on the best time tracking software to explore more options.
14. Productivity And Management
Productivity and management tools are a type of recruiting tool that help you enhance your recruiting process and manage your team more effectively.
They can include things like:
- Project management software for tracking tasks and deadlines
- Collaboration tools for communication and file sharing
- Workflow automation for streamlining repetitive tasks
- Analytics and reporting for measuring and optimizing performance
Productivity and management tools are important because they:
- Help you stay organized and on track with your recruiting goals.
- Enable better communication and collaboration among your recruiting team and key decision makers of the organization.
- Automate repetitive tasks and free up time for more high-value activities.
- Provide data-driven insights into your recruiting process and help you identify areas for improvement.
When choosing productivity and management tools, it’s important to:
- Look for tools that integrate with your existing recruiting tech stack.
- Choose tools with customizable workflows and templates to fit your specific recruiting process.
- Consider the user experience for your team and ensure the tools are easy to use and adopt.
- Evaluate the pricing and scalability of the tools to ensure they meet your needs as your team grows.
Here are three top productivity and management tools for recruiting:
- Trello – Best for visual project management and collaboration.
- Asana – Best for teams that need to manage complex projects and workflows.
- Zapier – Best for automating tasks and integrating different recruiting tools.
15. Email Marketing
Email marketing tools are a type of recruiting tool that help you engage and nurture candidates through targeted email campaigns.
They can include things like:
- Email templates and automation for personalizing and scaling your outreach
- Candidate segmentation and targeting based on profile data and behavior
- Analytics and reporting for measuring the effectiveness of your campaigns
- Integration with your ATS for seamless candidate management
Email marketing tools important because they:
- Help you build and maintain relationships with passive candidates over time.
- Enable you to personalize your outreach and create a better candidate experience.
- Allow you to scale your recruiting efforts and reach a larger pool of potential candidates.
- Provide data-driven insights into candidate engagement and help you optimize your campaigns.
Here are three top email marketing tools for recruiting:
- Mailchimp – Best for small teams that need a simple and affordable email marketing solution.
- Loxo – Best feature-packed tool, especially good for outreach automation and sequencing.
- Gem – Best for teams that need to scale their email outreach and track candidate engagement across multiple channels.
16. AI-Powered Automation
AI-powered automation tools are a type of recruiting tool that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate and improve various parts of the recruiting process.
They can include things like:
- Chatbots for engaging candidates and answering common questions
- Resume parsing and screening for identifying top candidates based on skills and experience
- Predictive analytics for identifying which candidates are most likely to succeed in a role
- Intelligent scheduling for automating interview scheduling and follow-ups
AI-powered automation tools important because they:
- Help you save time and reduce manual effort on repetitive tasks.
- Provide a better candidate experience by delivering fast and personalized responses.
- Enable data-driven decision making by analyzing large amounts of candidate data.
- Improve the quality of hires by identifying top candidates based on job requirements and performance predictors.
Here are three top AI-powered automation tools for recruiting:
- TurboHire – Best for full recruitment workflow automation
- Zappyhire – AI-Powered candidate pre-screening
- Elevatus – AI-powered video interviewing software
17. All-In-One Recruiting Tools
All-in-one recruiting tools are a type of recruiting tool that combines multiple functionalities into a single platform.
They can include things like:
- Applicant tracking system (ATS) for managing job postings and candidate data
- Candidate relationship management (CRM) for nurturing and engaging candidates
- Recruitment marketing for employer branding and job promotion
- Onboarding and new hire management for streamlining the hiring process
- Analytics and reporting for measuring and optimizing recruiting performance
All-in-one recruiting tools are crucial because they:
- Provide a centralized platform for managing the entire recruiting process.
- Eliminate the need for multiple disparate tools.
- Enable better collaboration and communication.
- Provide a more seamless and consistent candidate experience from application to hire.
Here are the top three examples of the best all-in-one recruiting tools:
- Manatal – Best affordable and feature-packed all-in-one recruiting tool.
- iSmartRecruit – Best AI-powered all-in-one recruitment software.
- Greenhouse – Best for mid-sized to large companies that need an advanced and scalable all-in-one solution.
Want to explore more software solutions? At hrtech’s marketplace, you can explore a wide-variety of HR software solutions and recruiting tools. Explore now to learn more.
What Are Recruiting Tools?
Recruiting tools are software solutions that help companies find, attract, and hire the best candidates for their open positions.
They automate and streamline various parts of the recruiting process, from sourcing and engaging candidates to scheduling interviews and onboarding new hires.
These tools come in many different forms, such as applicant tracking systems (ATS), candidate relationship management (CRM) platforms, and video interviewing software.
They can be used by recruiters, hiring managers, and other HR professionals to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their hiring efforts.
Why Recruiting Tools Are Crucial?
1. Save Time And Reduce Manual Effort:
Recruiting tools automate repetitive tasks like posting job ads, screening resumes, and scheduling interviews, freeing up recruiters to focus on more strategic activities.
2. Reach A Wider Pool Of Candidates:
With tools like job boards and social media recruiting, companies can expand their reach and attract candidates who may not have found them otherwise.
3. Improve The Candidate Experience:
Recruiting tools can help companies communicate with candidates more efficiently, provide timely feedback, and create a smooth and seamless hiring process.
4. Make Data-Driven Hiring Decisions:
Many recruiting tools offer analytics and reporting features that help companies track key metrics like time-to-hire, source of hire, and candidate quality, enabling them to optimize their recruiting strategies.
5. Reduce Bias And Improve Diversity:
Some recruiting tools use AI and machine learning to help companies identify and remove bias from their hiring process, leading to more diverse and inclusive teams.
Top 5 Tips To Enhance Your Recruiting Workflow
1. Choose The Right Tools For Your Needs:
Not all recruiting tools are created equal. Take the time to evaluate your specific needs and goals, and choose tools that align with your recruiting workflow and priorities.
2. Integrate Your Tools:
Make sure your recruiting tools can integrate with each other and with your other HR systems, like your HRIS or payroll software. This will help ensure data consistency and reduce manual data entry.
3. Train Your Team:
Provide thorough training and support to your recruiting team to ensure they can use your tools effectively. Encourage them to share best practices and feedback to continuously improve your recruitment process.
4. Personalize Your Candidate Communication:
Use your recruiting tools to create personalized and targeted communication with candidates. This can include customized email templates, chatbots that answer common questions, and mobile-friendly application forms.
5. Measure Important Metrics:
Use the analytics and reporting features of your recruiting tools to track your key metrics and identify areas for improvement.
Latest Trends In Recruiting Tools
AI And Automation:
More and more recruiting tools are leveraging AI and machine learning to automate tasks like resume screening, candidate matching, and interview scheduling. This can help companies make faster and more accurate hiring decisions.
Virtual Hiring:
With the rise of remote work, many companies are turning to virtual hiring tools like video interviewing and online assessments to evaluate candidates remotely.
Candidate Experience:
There is a growing focus on creating a positive and engaging candidate experience throughout the hiring process.
Tools like chatbots, mobile-friendly applications, and personalized communication can help companies stand out and attract top talent.
Diversity And Inclusion:
Many recruiting tools are now offering features to help companies improve diversity and inclusion in their hiring process, such as bias-free job descriptions, blind resume screening, and diversity analytics.
Internal Mobility:
Some recruiting tools are expanding their focus beyond external hiring to include internal mobility and career development.
These tools can help companies identify and develop internal talent, reducing the need for external recruiting.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it—the top 17 types of recruiting tools with examples and insights on each type.
From ATS, CRM, to onboarding, and video interviewing tools, we covered all options in this guide.
To select the right tool, it’s important to first identify your specific needs and goals. You can either go with dedicated tools or best all-in-one tools based on your needs.
However, the most important thing is to make sure whichever tool you select, it should have a strong integration with other systems you’re already using.
That way, it will be easier for you to simplify your recruiting workflow and increase productivity.
Need more help? Let our experts at hrtech guide you through the entire selection process and help you make informed decisions for your company.