For centuries, the recruitment process was deeply entrenched in the use of "paper." From career sections in the newspaper to resumes and 3x5 cards for recruiting, documentation was predominantly in print. The creation of Personal Planners and The Rolodex in the mid-1950s marked a seemingly significant change in how we used paper - but the medium was still the same. It wasn't until the 1980s, with the invention of applicant tracking systems, that we began seeing the early stages of what is today known as recruitment software. However, those tools required human recruiters to do even the most basic functions.

In the mid-1990s, job boards like Monster and HotJobs started to gain steam, matching employers with candidates. Though innovative for their time, these tools replicated the careers section of a newspaper and functioned more like an email box than true recruiting software. It was only in the early 2000s that recruiting software examples (starting with applicant tracking software (ATS) evolved into sophisticated systems that streamline the recruitment process.

Today, G2 lists 13 categories of recruiting software, including more than 300 tools. These examples of recruitment software range from candidate relationship management and interview intelligence to diversity solutions and virtual job fair software. Some of them are standalone systems and others are vertically integrated or integrated into many of the other required tools in a recruitment tech stack.

So let's dive into some recruitment system examples.

1. Applicant Tracking Software (ATS): ATS systems are the most common type of recruitment software and are used to manage the hiring process from start to finish. These tools allow recruiters to post job openings, track applicants, and manage candidate data all in one place.
2. Candidate Relationship Management (CRM): CRM systems help recruiters build and maintain relationships with potential candidates for future job openings. This can help hiring teams build a recruitment pipeline.
3. AI-Sourcing Tools: These tools use artificial intelligence to help recruiters find and attract top talent. They can analyze resumes and job descriptions to identify potential matches, saving recruiters time and effort.
4. Video Interviewing Platforms: With the rise of remote work, video interviewing platforms have become increasingly popular in the recruitment process. These tools allow for virtual interviews, saving time and resources for both candidates and hiring teams.
5. Candidate Engagement Tools: These tools help recruiters keep in touch with potential candidates throughout the recruitment process. This can include sending personalized messages, scheduling follow-up interviews, answering questions, and providing updates on the status of their application.
6. Assessment Tools: Assessment tools help hiring teams evaluate a candidate's skills, personality, and fit for a specific role. These can include cognitive tests, behavioral assessments, and cultural fit evaluations.
7. Interview Intelligence Software: This type of recruitment software uses AI to analyze candidates' skills providing insights into their potential fit for the role.
8. Diversity Solutions: With diversity and inclusion becoming a top priority for many companies, diversity solutions are becoming increasingly popular in recruitment software. These tools help hiring teams attract and retain diverse candidates, ensuring a more inclusive workforce.
9. Onboarding Solutions: Onboarding is a crucial part of the recruitment process, and onboarding solutions streamline this process for both new hires and hiring teams. These tools can include digital paperwork management, training modules, and virtual orientations.

So, how do I choose the right one? Let's look at a few top choices and a step-by-step process to help you narrow down your options.

Top Recruiting Software

As companies have grown to a global scale, hiring people from around the world, one of the new entrants is diversity recruiting tools with a growing global emphasis on inclusion, diversity recruiting platforms allow hiring teams to focus on attracting and retaining top candidates from diverse backgrounds. Choosing one of these top recruiting platforms means beginning with a needs assessment.

Conducting an internal needs assessment will identify challenges in your hiring process that may deter top talent. One example of this would be biased job descriptions. Job description bias can exclude qualified candidates through the use of language that's considered exclusive.

A needs assessment will help you uncover where your hiring process may have a bottleneck. For example, if you're not getting applications from diverse candidates, it may be because you're not tapped into diverse hiring networks and job boards. It may also be due to biased job descriptions. In any case, if you reverse engineer your hiring process and take small actions toward your hiring objectives, you'll see an increase in diverse candidates.

Now that you know what obstacles you're facing, a review of the available recruitment platforms that solve this problem will net one or two main solutions. One option could be to choose a job description builder that removes biased language or review LinkedIn's free mini-course, "The Best Strategies for Writing Bias-free Job Descriptions." Another may be an AI-sourcing tool that helps you tap into diverse talent pools by analyzing profiles and resumes to identify underrepresented groups.

Next, look at your hiring tech stack. Do you have software, tools, and training for your team to eliminate bias in the hiring process? This is where anti-bias training, tools like interview intelligence, and tests like Harvard's collaboration with Project Implicit come into play. Have all of your interviewers take an implicit bias test before conducting interviews.

Top recruiting software should always include some type of bias mitigation. Whether that's in the form of training, integration with diversity solutions, or a focus on creating an inclusive hiring process. This will ensure that you're attracting and hiring the right candidates for your company.

So far, we've discussed removing bottlenecks that may be keeping great people from your team, different types of recruitment software, their uses, and benefits- Now, let's dive into some of the standout features of top recruitment platforms.

Recruiting Software Platforms

When evaluating top recruiting platforms, it's important to consider their unique features and how they fit your needs. The recruiting software platform you choose to implement will look very different for someone hiring software engineers versus a company looking for sales representatives. But all of them should share these things:

1. Intuitive User Interface: A user-friendly interface makes it easier for recruiters to navigate the software and perform tasks efficiently.
2. Customizable Workflows: The ability to customize workflows allows hiring teams to tailor the recruitment process according to their specific needs.
3. Advanced Analytics and Reporting: Data is crucial in recruitment, and a top platform will provide advanced analytics and reporting to track progress, measure success, and identify areas for improvement.
4. Integration with Existing Systems: The recruiting software should integrate seamlessly with your existing HR systems, such as applicant tracking, interview intelligence, or onboarding tools.
5. Automated Communication Tools: From email templates to scheduling interviews, automated communication tools save time and ensure consistency in communication with candidates.
6. Robust Security Measures: With sensitive candidate information being stored in the software, it's important to choose a platform with strong security measures to protect against data breaches.
7. Scalability: As your company grows, so will your hiring needs. A top recruiting platform should be able to handle a high volume of applicants and scale with your business.
8. Mobile Accessibility: With more candidates using their smartphones to search for jobs, having a mobile-friendly platform is essential in reaching a wider pool of potential hires.
9. Support and Training: Top recruiting platforms offer support and training to ensure that recruiters are using the software effectively and efficiently.
10. Diversity and Inclusion Features: As mentioned earlier, diversity recruiting tools have become increasingly important in today's global hiring landscape. A top platform should offer features that promote diversity and inclusion in the recruitment process, such as removing biased language or analyzing candidate profiles for underrepresented groups.

Once you've identified which solutions will meet your needs it's time to evaluate them. There are many methods of evaluating recruiting software but the best way is to try it. Demo it, ask for a free trial, and use it to see if it delivers the desired results.

There's a funny (and regrettably true at times) meme depicting a salesperson juggling a phone in one hand to sell a product, while holding another phone with the product team in the other hand. This is a humorous way to illustrate that there's often a disconnect between what is being "sold" and what the product actually does. To avoid being the victim of this, take the time to test out different recruiting platforms before making a decision. That way you're not allocating budget to something that won't truly deliver results.

In conclusion, finding the right recruiting platform for your needs doesn't have to be overwhelming. With a solid needs analysis, a few demos and trials, and a thorough evaluation before you make a purchase, you'll find the right platform that will help you attract, hire, and retain the best talent for your organization.

If you'd like to see how interview intelligence can help you mitigate biases and gather deep insights on your candidates to ensure they're the right fit for your team, book a demo of Pillar today!