Published: Oct 24th, 2023

Finding and hiring qualified candidates is no easy feat. The process is often long and complex, even when it doesn't result in a new hire. With that said, the right recruitment tools can help you not only streamline your efforts but also make them more successful.

Whether you're a recruiter, hiring manager, HR professional, or the owner of a startup, there's a wide range of digital recruiter tools out there that can help you hire top talent. So, what's the best hiring platform? That depends on the nature of your business, what your goals are, and which part (or parts) of your recruiting process could use a little support.

Keep reading for a breakdown of the various types of HR tools for recruitment, along with a roundup of the top recruiting tools available today.

What are online recruitment tools?

Online recruitment tools are digital platforms that help companies automate, streamline, and optimize their hiring process. HR recruitment software can assist with everything from job description management, employee referrals, and applicant tracking to resume filtering, candidate screening, and interview scheduling.

Types of online recruitment tools

The various types of recruitment tools include job description management software, applicant tracking systems (ATS), pre-interview assessment tools, candidate relationship management (CRM) platforms, and employee referral systems.

As you can see, software is available to support every stage of the hiring process. Read on for more details about each category.

Best job description tools

Crafting a job description and posting it on an online job board might seem like the simplest, easiest part of recruitment. However, optimizing it can make the process go even quicker while ensuring your listing is seen by a qualified, skilled, and diverse talent pool.

So, what are the best tools for managing job descriptions? Find out below.

Top: CompAnalyst

CompAnalyst is a job description management tool offered by Salary.com. It allows organizations to remain competitive in the modern recruiting market, primarily by providing accurate, real-time data on compensation and pay scales.

CompAnalyst features and benefits

While salary isn't everything, it's undoubtedly a driving factor of the response you get after posting an opening. With CompAnalyst, you'll have the insights you need to create a competitive yet fair job description that sets you apart from other businesses in your field.

You'll also have access to JobArchitect, which you can use to build and boost your listings. The platform lets companies leverage existing content, branding, and formatting or use one of the many pre-optimized templates.

Drawbacks of CompAnalyst

One thing to keep in mind about CompAnalyst and JobArchitect is that they're cloud-based services. Since the dashboards can't be accessed from a browser, this means they may not be easily accessible for multiple members of a hiring team, particularly those working remotely.

Runners up

Other top job description management tools include Datapeople, Payfactors Job Description Manager, and JDExpert. Here's what to know.

Datapeople

Datapeople uses language analytics to edit job postings and recruiting emails to make them more effective, thoughtful, and inclusive. Ultimately, the platform optimizes your recruiting information and messaging at the critical stage when potential candidates get their first impression of your business.

Payfactors Job Description Manager

Payfactors Job Description Manager has built-in descriptions for upwards of 5,000 positions. You can use the existing templates, drag and drop content, and implement your own messaging as needed.

JDXpert

With JDXpert, you'll have access to an extensive library of hundreds of thousands of pre-optimized job descriptions. The platform is easy to use, effective, and helps you remain consistent when hiring across different departments.

Best ATS tools

Applicant tracking systems help you organize candidate resumes, contact information, and background while providing a clear picture of where they are in the hiring process. You can find some of the best ATS recruitment tools online, a few of which are outlined below.

Top: Pinpoint

Pinpoint is designed to help organizations recruit, hire, and retain the best candidates in their industries. In addition to a robust ATS, the platform offers training and guidance for every step of the process.

Pinpoint features and benefits

Pinpoint's applicant tracking system automates the most tedious stages of recruitment while speeding up the hiring process. You can attract more of the most qualified people, make the candidate experience better for everyone who applies, improve the diversity of your applicants, and create streamlined candidate profiles.

This recruitment tool also promises to help businesses make data-driven hiring decisions and cut down on recruitment costs. You can even use it to schedule interviews and perform virtual screenings.

Potential drawbacks of Pinpoint

Some people have found that scheduling interviews on Pinpoint is more time-consuming than necessary. If this is the case for your business, you can always forgo that feature and arrange screenings with your existing calendaring system.

Runners up

Other standout ATS recruitment tools include Tracker, ClearCompany, and Workable. Get insight below.

Tracker

Tracker allows you to source applicants, match candidates, and efficiently place people for open roles. The applicant tracking software calls on AI and skills-profiling algorithms to rank applicants by information on their resumes and applications.

ClearCompany

With ClearCompany, you can source candidates, organize applicant information, and engage with potential hires. This recruitment tool ensures an efficient, streamlined hiring process while encouraging prompt communication to improve the candidate experience.

Workable

Workable's applicant tracking system is full of useful features, including candidate sourcing, requisition workflow, interview scheduling, resume parsing, and applicant analytics. The platform also offers branded career sites, as well as templates for job postings and offer letters.

Best pre-interview assessment tools

Once people apply for an open position, how do you narrow down the talent pool? Some of the best recruiting tools help companies assess candidates before scheduling phone screenings and formal interviews.

This is a crucial piece of the hiring process, as it gives you an idea of the skills and expertise of applicants. Additionally, you're less likely to waste time interviewing candidates that may not be as qualified as they appear on paper. We outlined a few of the most popular pre-interview assessment tools below.

Top: Spark Hire

Spark Hire is a hiring tool that calls on applicants to self-record a video answering a few critical interview questions. You can set the maximum number of takes, restrict the length of the recording, combine the assessment with written-response questions or a poll-like inquiry to help filter candidates.

Spark Hire features and benefits

In addition to one-way recorded interviews, the recruitment technology allows you to arrange live virtual interviews with video messaging capabilities. Not only that, but Spark Hire integrates with upwards of 30 ATS platforms and over 1,000 recruitment productivity apps.

After conducting video screenings, you can use the digital dashboard to organize candidates, correspond with your shortlist, and schedule the next round of interviews. Spark Hire also has templates for offer letters and rejection emails.

Potential drawbacks of Spark Hire

Spark Hire is primarily a video interview assessment tool. Since some companies use it for the first round of interviews, you may still want to evaluate applicants using another screening tool. Some people have also reported occasional bugs on the platform and noted that the mobile app isn't as user-friendly as it should be.

Runners up

Other excellent pre-interview recruitment tools include Predictive Index, HireSelect, and Berke Assessment. Here's what to know.

Predictive Index

Predictive Index is designed to help businesses avoid interviewing poor fits for open roles. The platform's PI Behavioral Assessment, PI Cognitive Assessment, and PI Job Assessment tools evaluate applicants based on their personalities, skill sets, knowledge, and critical thinking abilities. You'll get insights into how the results of these assessments pertain to the open position and your company culture.

HireSelect

HireSelect is one of many recruitment tools offered by Criteria. The pre-interview assessment software offers various tests to evaluate candidates based on their cognitive aptitude, personality, emotional intelligence, skills, basic competencies, professional experience, job readiness, and hiring risk.

Berke Assessment

Berke Assessment is a pre-employment test that organizations can use to figure out which candidates are best suited for open positions. It evaluates applicants based on their personality, intelligence, professional skills, motivators, and relevant talents. The tool has been described as "freakily accurate" in terms of how well it matches people to jobs.

Best CRM tools

Candidate relationship management platforms allow businesses to build and maintain good rapport with applicants, including those who aren't selected for interviews. Keeping candidates happy and leaving them with a good impression of your company helps not only your offer acceptance rate but also your brand image.

What HR recruitment tools have CRM capabilities? Keep reading for a rundown of the top platforms.

Top: Recruiteze

Recruiteze is designed to make the recruitment process more organized, convenient, and satisfactory for everyone involved. With real-time updates on the status of each candidate, you can respond in a timely manner and will always be equipped with the right information at each point of contact.

Recruiteze features and benefits

This platform lets you add unlimited contacts to your company's database while effortlessly organizing them however you see fit. Recruiteze also has a handy filtering function for sorting applicants, plus individual profile pages for every candidate.

You can create custom to-dos, assign them to other members of the hiring team, and keep one another up to date with the status of each task. Ultimately, the tool helps you leave a good impression with people who apply to work for your company.

Potential drawbacks of Recruiteze

Some users have noted that there's a slight learning curve to the Recruiteze dashboard, but all in all, most organizations are satisfied with its capabilities.

Runners up

Other great CRM recruitment tools include TalentLyft, Beamery, and Crelate. Here's what you should know.

TalentLyft

TalentLyft's Engage feature segments your applicant database to help you deliver a memorable, satisfying candidate experience. You can create customized talent pools based on your current and future recruitment goals and use the platform's powerful filters to sort people based on skill set, education, interests, or even a disqualifying attribute.

Beamery

Beamery provides a comprehensive view of every contact in your applicant database, including information about their work history, skills, and professional connections. The robust platform automatically fills your custom talent pools with candidates that best match your openings. You can also use it to schedule interviews and collect feedback from applicants at different stages of the hiring process.

Crelate

Crelate's CRM software helps you hone in on your recruiting efforts with integrated correspondence tools and automated messaging for high-volume communication. You can also measure the effectiveness of your communication to figure out what's working, what needs adjusting, and what candidates respond best to.

Best employee referral systems

Finding the right person for the job can be tricky, especially if you run an organization with a unique company culture or are looking to fill niche roles. That said, implementing an employee referral program (ERP) can help you not only identify but also hire and retain the best person for each opening.

Employee referral systems are online tools that support this process. Ahead, the top software programs for tracking, organizing, and incentivizing referrals.

Top: ERIN

ERIN is an app-based employee referral system that allows staff members to quickly and easily refer candidates right on their smartphones. Aside from empowering employees, it streamlines award programs for managers and administrators.

ERIN features and benefits

While there's a free version, investing in ERIN Pro is worth the added cost. The paid platform boasts lots of valuable features, like automated referral management, ATS integrations, share links, alert communications, up-to-date statuses, and recurring bonus reports.

Your staff can easily share information about openings on social media and will always know when new roles are posted. Companies also appreciate the transparency of the model, as it incentives employees by showing them the hiring status and award structure for job listings.

Potential drawbacks of ERIN

One thing to note about ERIN is that it's a relatively new platform. The more companies and employees that join the network, the more effective it will be.

Runners up

Other talent acquisition software platforms that leverage referrals include employeereferals.com and JobVite. Keep reading for details.

employeereferrals.com

employeereferrals.com is a relatively straightforward program with lots of great elements. Employees can easily share job listings via email, text, or social media post, and administrators can save time with hiring campaigns, integrations, reporting, and analytics.

JobVite

With JobVite, you can run hiring campaigns, upload employee referral bonus structures, leverage incentive management tools, and even implement probation periods. Hiring managers will receive automatic notifications about referrals for open positions, see which team members have referred candidates with the lowest turnover, and track all metrics in one place.

Making the most of your recruiting efforts

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to recruiting. Still, leveraging digital dashboards and hiring software can save you time, money, and effort while helping you attract and retain better candidates.

If your hiring team needs assistance with the recruiting process, consider working with JobFairX. Our digital hiring platform helps organizations in various industries source qualified, diverse talent. Whether you're looking for experienced professionals to fill mid-level roles or entry-level applicants for a startup, we'll help you get it done.

Watch a demo to learn more about what we do.