# Page 2 | SmartSearch Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 2 - Is SmartSearch the right Applicant Tracking solution for you? Explore 53 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/78549/SmartSearch/reviews --- SmartSearch 4.5 (53) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/78549/SmartSearch/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Page 2 - Reviews of SmartSearch ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 26-50 of 53 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use DP Dannielle P. Recruiting Manager Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SmartSearch Review June 2017" June 30, 2017 3.0 SmartSearch is a decent product but is expensive. Pros 1) Good customer service 2) Decent reporting tools 3) Auto posts to free and paid Job Boards - which is a great time saver. We post to Indeed, Glassdoor, Monster and Dice with just a one click for each job board. 4) BPM (Business Process Management) = automated req approval emails to the the approval chain. We have the approval chain set-up as Recruiting Department - Compensation Analysis - CEO. Once the hiring manager opens the Req - SmartSearch emails Recruiting for approval with a link to the job. Recruiting reviews the job and hits the "Approved" button. The process is then repeated unto CEO approves. Once the CEO approves, then the job auto-posts itself to free and paid sites. 5) Easy to use and customize reports and Req Fields. 6) Can build data pipes and integrate with ADP so candidate information flows in to ADP Workforce 7) SmartSearch can integrate with a company's web-site and be the back-end of the "Career" page. 8) Nice WIP (Work in Progress) side ribbon where at a glance shows #open reqs, pending approval, submittals & interviews that are taking place. Cons 1) SmartSearch is expensive. 2) If using SmartSearch as the company's Career Page be advised it is very ugly. The font of the req job fields are in Times Roman, size 14. 3) No auto capture of emails to candidates. Everything requires a manual copy and paste. Review Source DS Dan S. President Management Consulting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SmartSearch - the right choice for us" November 3, 2020 5.0 Very good. Pros Process oriented. Can be customized. The reporting. Easy to upload attached documents with ability to upload multiple docs to a record at the same time. Email forms. Cons Long learning curve. Everything else is OK. Alternatives considered [Bullhorn ATS & CRM](https://www.capterra.com/p/140531/Bullhorn-Recruiting-Software/)[Top Echelon](https://www.capterra.com/p/84093/Top-Echelon/)[Zoho Expense](https://www.capterra.com/p/142384/Zoho-Expense/) Reason for choosing SmartSearch I don't recall all the systems, but my team compared 17. It came down to Bullhorn and SmartSearch. SmartSearch had 90% of the benefits for half the price. No brainer! Switched from [Top Echelon](https://www.capterra.com/p/84093/Top-Echelon/) We wanted a state-of-the-art ATS without spending a fortune. We compared SEVENTEEN comparable products in 2018. It took months! We found a complete package that is a great value for the investment. Review Source Response from SmartSearch November 4, 2020 Thank you for the review, Dan. Wow, 17 comparisons! We're so glad we see the benefits of the SmartSearch software. VR Verified Reviewer Executive Recruiter - Direct Placement Team Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Easy to use!" November 22, 2017 4.0 Pros The text messaging feature is great! It makes it easier to get a hold of candidates, seeing how most people prefer to text these days. Cons It needs an easier way to find "duplicate" records in the system. When searching for a common name in the system, it could come up with hundreds of records. If I only have a name and no other information, this system makes it hard to identify the right one. Review Source Response from SmartSearch April 4, 2018 Thanks for your review. Enhancements have been made to the system to improve the intuitive functionality of the software making it easier to eliminate duplicate records. LP Leigh P. Vice President Used the software for: ### "SmartSearch receives my highest recommendation. It is, quite simply, the best tool on the market. " November 17, 2008 5.0 SmartSearch receives my highest recommendation. It is, quite simply, the best tool on the market. It assists us in every area of our business, from applicant and job order tracking to customer relationship management to online time and subvendor management. The APS team and their SmartSearch product have earned our loyalty. Pros SmartSearch has a great "out of the box" product and provides enough customization capabilities to keep our users and customers happy. It's easy to use and our team members love it. The search speed is unsurpassed. We use it for both technical resume word searches and clerical and light industrial application searches, and it provides us with information very quickly. The only limitation to its speed is the traffic on the Internet. SmartSearch is reliable. The system is always "up," and our data is secure. We have brough multiple divisions on the system, and the data migrations have gone off without a proverbial hitch. When I email or call the support team, they find answers. In addition, they listen when we request improvements and incorporate our needs into future releases. In addition, we appreciate that SmartSearch has maintained their focus on the staffing industry. Many competitive products have come and gone, but SmartSearch is still here doing a great job. Cons In recent releases, SmartSearch has addresses their known weaknesses. They have provided an ad-hoc reporting function which has assisted us in generating customized customer-specific reports in a timely manner. They also now provided training content which was not available in previous releases. Review Source JW Jesse W. Consultant Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Customer Service in the Industry" July 3, 2017 5.0 SmartSearch is designed with the recruiter in mind. While reporting and process compliance are important (and the tool does this very well) in my mind the most important function is to help you find more candidates faster and manage your relationships, which SmartSearch does wonderfully. And the customer service is hands-down the best I have experienced across all the ATS/CRM platforms I have worked with. Pros Very flexible and customizable Excellent customer service Designed around how a recruiter thinks and needs to use the tool Cons Really the only negative for me is that the tool is so flexible it can become overwhelming on what you can do with it. This is ultimately a good thing, but you need to invest your time to understand the capabilities and how you can use them all. Review Source MEM Mary Ellen M. Manager of Recruitment Used the software for: ### "Smartsearch, the logical choice--again and again. " June 29, 2012 5.0 I've been in the position several times at different companies where I've had to select applicant tracking software, based on fit. Each time, I review the marketplace to see what is available, investigate the top contenders, match features to cost and every single time, Smartsearch has been the choice. I've been the implementation project sponsor and managed the adoption process. Note: It is ALWAYS easier to manage change among professionals if there is a quality solution that positively impacts efficiency attached. Smartsearch is that solution. I'm excited to recommend the software and the team behind/beside it. Feel free to reach out to me personally at Mary Ellen Mesi on linkedin with any specific questions you may have or detail you'd like. I am a raving fan, for sure. Pros Reasons I keep coming back to Smartsearch include excellent support from the top down, quick response when there is a question, capabilities that far exceed any other tool in its class, cost that is reasonable and the ability to customize easily--increasing the user's reach and effectiveness while maintaining a personal touch. The staff is quick to respond to helpdesk tickets, the programmers are open to suggestions and the upgrade schedule is quite aggressive--they are always adding new features, the latest including social network tie-ins. Cons The new apps for iPhone and Droid are lacking slightly in the Smartsearch 'sizzle' that comes with the standard on-line version, but I'm certain that improvements will be on the way. Also, the Outlook toolbar, which is a solid add-in was designed specifically for PC's, so Mac users are out of luck with that one feature. Review Source TL Tom L. Ceo Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I have used SnartSearch for more thsnn10 years" June 30, 2017 5.0 As CEO of a division of a large staffing company I have seen everything available at one time or another. SmartSearch out performs them all at a very reasonable price without months, or years, of extensive installation processes, training issues, inflexible demands and delays. Pros I have used SmartSearch in over 100 locations with minimal training requirements and ease of use. The staff and principals are accessabke and willing to deliver solutions. The updates are always timely and keeps the program state of the art. I have investigated more costly competitors and found all unsatisfactory and less capable. Review Source BK Barrett K. Operations Manager Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Legacy software with incremental updates" June 30, 2017 3.0 Pros Relatively inexpensive compared to the competition. The Work in Progress sidebar is very helpful. Being able to query multiple resume databases with one search is something that others don't have. Cons The UI/UX is terrible, but daily users figure out how to use it. Overall it is not intuitive. It is challenging to drill down to get further detail in the reporting. It is very hard to navigate back and forth throughout the application and it is impossible to open anything in a new tab for side by side windows. Review Source LP Lisa P. President, Support Services Oil & Energy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SmartSearch is definitey user friendly!" July 5, 2017 5.0 Pros Ease of use and functionality. SmartSearch can be tailored to the user needs and allows for the creation of unique fields required by a client. Cons The most challenging things about SmartSearch is the creation of ad hoc reports that are not found in the reporting area of the platform. The frequency for the need for such unique reports is minimal and contacting SmartSearch tech support for assistance has produced excellent results! Review Source JS Jacob S. Sales Manager Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Use it everyday for our company. I like that tracking portion of the system the best." May 8, 2017 4.0 Pros The Dashboard. It makes follow up and organization easy and those are very valuable to my work and industry. Cons Updates to the system and how long it takes to do a software update, when a change request has been issued. Review Source Response from SmartSearch April 4, 2018 Thanks for your review! Any / all updates to the software are driven by customer demand. We take a holistic view of all requests and prioritize them by the level of urgency from our clients, as a whole, which keeps costs down for our clients. NT Nicholas T. Vice President of Operations Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Completely satisfied with all phases from integration to customization" July 20, 2017 5.0 Truly appreciate the SmartSEarch team, from CIO to help desk to report building specialists. Everyone has made a good experience. Pros The personalized approach SmartSearch brings, makes them a market leader. Value in user fees comparable to the competition set SmartSearch apart. Cons I would like to see a bit more self service customization of data labels. But completely understand the liability in compromising the data's integrity. Review Source EK Eric K. Managing Partner Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SmartSearch is super!" July 3, 2017 5.0 We have used this service for nearly 10 years and never had an issue. If we had problems they were quickly resolved. Pros Easy to setup and use, reliable, great support, good training, always innovating. Good value for the price. Cons Sometimes identifies false duplicates, however, would rather have it flag them than miss one. Location search sometimes misses candidates but is dependent on what data candidate enters. Review Source MS Mark S. Marketing Manager Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Switched from Sendouts to SmartSearch" December 14, 2020 5.0 SmartSearch has been a great ATS for us and they are also a valuable business partner. In addition to providing timely support as needed, they have also collaborated with us on several blog posts and podcasts for cross-marketing opportunities. We can highly recommend working with them. Pros Easy to use, lots of functionalities and the SmartSearch team has been great about customizing features for us. Cons There are a few areas where some additional integration features would be helpful. Review Source Response from SmartSearch December 21, 2020 Thank you, Mark. We appreciate your kind words and partnership. DH Devin H. Sr. Partner Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great customer service!" July 18, 2017 5.0 Really appreciate the tech-support team over there, especially Maria. They've always taking such good care of me and my team. Pros I have use this product for over 10 years now and it's critical to my contact management and active sales efforts Cons There is an much that I don't like about Smart Search. The product is robust and is always growing and functionality. Review Source LS Leah S. VP, Finance and Operations Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Good software with strong support!" June 30, 2017 4.0 Pros We appreciate the accessible and prompt support, when needs arise; they also do a great job of keeping in touch and checking in. The software is also fairly easy to use. Cons Not a lot of customization, some limitations. Training videos are available but most of the training has to be self-taught. Review Source BE Bo E. CEO and Founder Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Powerful, flexible system gives us quality and structure" July 1, 2017 4.0 Outstanding support and trainings! Pros All the system configuration options helps us to get the exact functionalities we want. The Search -engine is very good and fast. Cons It's a complex system and it takes some time to understand all possibilities. There are some functions missing for us as a European user. Review Source CB Caroline B. Recruiting Manager Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Easy to use and robust" July 5, 2017 4.0 Pros This system keeps track of everything I need and is easy to use. It is easy for new employees to learn. Cons We experience quite a bit of small technical issues, but they either resolve themselves or technical support/customer services works to remedy the issues. Review Source BS Bob S. VP, Sales and Operations Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SmartSearch Review" June 30, 2017 3.0 Pros Customized Workflow for Onboarding, Sales, and Candidate Management Document Management Timekeeping and Accounting Cloud Based Cons Lacks Mobile Optimized Functionality for Candidate/Customer Interface Lacks Instructional Guides for New Users Antiquated UX/UI Review Source SM Sandy M. Sr. Technical Recruiter Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Used a number of ATS throughout my career and believe SmartSearch has been the easiest and quickest to learn" July 5, 2017 5.0 Pros customer support received if issues arise and speed of resolution; ease of learning and continued use; ability to run ad-hoc reports; training videos and constant updates to product Review Source JL Jim L. CHRO (retired) Philanthropy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Product for The Money" June 26, 2017 5.0 Many of the companies where I was the VP or CHR or Consultant are still using SmartSearch. One in particular was a early adaptor in 2004 and is still happy with the product. Pros Easy to use. The pricing structure allows managers free access. Interfaces very well with HRIS systems. Great technical and customer support. Excellent "up-time". Flexible and friendly report writer. Integrity of this company is beyond question Cons The user interface needs a fresh new look. I believe that they are working on that. The API could use some updating as well. Review Source PL Paul L. Senior Account Manager Used the software for: ### "SmartSearch is effeciency" July 5, 2012 4.0 An outstanding product with outstanding support. Pros Prior to SmartSearch we did our candidate retention and correspondence in Access database. It was cumbersome, did not perform searches and our fields did not interrelate. When we introduced SmartSearch into our recruiting process we improved our effeciency tremendously. We can search, store, coordinate, and look up information on clients or candidates. When we talk to candidates or clients, we know what has been said or written and we look very professional because we have correct information. In addition, the support offered by SmartSearch is quick and accurate. There are webinars, skilled technicians that know the product and have the answers immediately. We are happy we made the investment. Cons Really, nothing. If there are concerns, SmartSearch support fixes the problem or incorporates our request in the next version. Review Source LF Linda F. Branch Manager Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Always my first choice for an ATS/CRM, hands down!" June 30, 2017 5.0 I have used SmartSearch for the majority of my staffing career. I prefer it over any other ATS systems I have been exposed to in the past. Pros Great tool, it's user-friendly, intuitive and has great functionality as an ATS and CRM. The customer/user support team is knowledgeable, quick to respond and very friendly! Cons Unfortunately, I can't think of any feature that I am disappointed with or would like to change. I'm happy with it as it is! Review Source DM Dawn M. CRO Oil & Energy Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "CRO" July 5, 2017 5.0 Pros Integrates with a number of other applications and social media Ease of use! Customizable. Customer Service is excellent! Cons Can be slow at times but all web based applications have the same challenge! Would like a workforce management application as part of the ATS. Review Source MB Margie B. Recruitment Manager Used the software for: ### "I highly recommend this product, especially if you are a company under 3000 employees." September 17, 2008 5.0 I highly recommend this product, especially if you are a company under 3000 employees where cost is an issue and HR has limited staff. Pros The customer service, from sales to tech support has been terrific; especially when it came to dealing with customization issues. The cost comparison between this service and what others have proposed, for the same product, is phenomenal. We have never experienced a crash or loss of data of any type. It allows me to work from home when necesssary! Cons Most training is done on a "remote" basis; never on-site. Review Source AZ Anita Z. Managing Director Used the software for: ### "I fully recommend SmartSearch." September 16, 2008 5.0 I fully recommend SmartSearch. Pros SmartSearch has been the most valuable addition to our business. It is well designed, the support is excellent and they have the ability to predict needs we didn't realize we needed with each software upgrade. This is a product rich in valuable features. Cons I have no complaints about this software. As soon as I list a complaint, their developers create a solution for me. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.