HR managers and their teams often witness communication gaps during remote work. They can leverage online recruiting software to foster effective communication and automate various processes with features such as video interviews, real-time messaging, and automated email notifications.
To help you make the right decision, this article highlights, in alphabetical order, the five top-rated recruiting software for small businesses based on user reviews. For each product, we include overall user ratings along with the highest-rated parameter, review excerpts from industry professionals, and product pricing. Read more.
1. Apploi
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Apploi for recruiting:
“The built-in, automatic workflows allowing pre-filled templates to be texted or emailed at various stages in the hiring process are crucial and have saved our team a tremendous amount of time not having to manually confirm interviews, orientations, etc.”
“The benefit that my company have been able to see is time. It actually does the work for you with all the available features that it offers, and we are able to make more offers because of it.”
“This app was easy to set up, and easy to use, and netted me quality candidates very quickly. It was easy to keep track of the applicants and contact them through the app. It was easy to collaborate with other administrators in the hiring process as well.”
2. JobAdder
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used JobAdder for recruiting:
"Features easy to use, easy to see candidates in a list or individual files, can open links always in a new tab, it’s very very smooth to use and very nice to look at. Makes me motivated to work!"
"I love how simple and easy to follow all the features are, the support is amazing and the software is better than any others out there for sure!"
"JobAdder is a great system that is constantly striving to be better than it was yesterday. With a finger on the pulse of what recruiters need, this software likes to stay ahead of the game. The support team are quick to respond even in NZ timezone timeframes. Overall I love the system and wont be changing anytime soon. I've used this software for over 6 years now. The how to videos and software update videos are fantastic for time poor people that need to stay up to date making use of the upgraded features."
Read all JobAdder reviews here.
3. Manatal
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Manatal for recruiting:
"Even though I've just been using it for the past year, I already love this software. It has greatly simplified my day-to-day work. It is an excellent ATS that is easy to use, and with tools that facilitate collaboration with clients among many other things."
"The software and the staff at Manatal have both been excellent in my experience. An incredible team who genuinely cares about the success of my company and not just their self. This is a fantastic product that is also quite simple to use. We were able to improve our processes and our performance because to the great tools we were able to use."
"It's easy to use and has a good, clear interface that doesn't overwhelm you. I enjoy their Advanced Search feature since it made it easy for me to rank the best candidate for the job from my talent pool based on criteria that I can freely specify. I've been able to find people who were not a good fit for the position they applied for but turned out to be a fantastic fit for another later on."
Read all Manatal reviews here.
4. Recruiterflow
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Recruiterflow for recruiting:
"Simple and easy to use giving you a great overview of a customisable pipeline. Search functions for candidates work really well most of the time and the tag functions make organising candidates really easy. The email marketing tool is excellent and a must-have!"
"As a very small recruiting business, I found Recruiterflow to be very economical & the right tool to keep me better organized. Makes it easy to reach out to candidates in a timely manner, and helps me keep moving them along in process. I love the templates; quick and easy to reach out and set up interviews. Love the notes feature; makes it easy to keep track of feedback from HM's."
"The software is really easy to use and very customizable. It has a nice sleek look which makes it clear and very professional. It has great features that allow tracking candidates, searching CVs, and automating responses. It helps post jobs on several platforms at the same time which is saving a lot of time."
Read all Recruiterflow reviews here.
5. Top Echelon
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Top Echelon for recruiting:
"I find the abilty to customize and build cards makes this software incredible. I can set up my full interview process with questions so can review and compare apples to apples on candidates. This software is easy to use. I'm a very experienced recruiter and love how intuitive Big Biller is. I can also email blast candidates and receive hundreds of interested responses. Of all the ATS's I have used I like this one the best."
"What I like most about their software is how easy it is to search for candidates, input candidates, communicate with them and clients and how all the information is stored in the system. I also LOVE their help desk. Always responds quickly and with the correct information the first time."
"It is very easy to go in the help section and find out different tricks you can use to help make your job more efficient plus the active training seminars are always a good reminder to connect when I have some downtime to learn, or ask questions. Thank you for a wonderful platform!"
Read all Top Echelon reviews here.
What features do recruiting tools offer?
Recruiting software solutions offer core features such as:
Candidate management: | Optimize your recruitment processes by allowing your hiring team to track and manage applicants’ data in a centralized platform. This includes resumes, applications, interview notes, and communication history. With this feature, talent acquisition professionals can set up predefined stages in the hiring process, such as screening and assessments, and automate day-to-day actions, such as sending emails and moving potential candidates through varied hiring stages. |
Interview management: | Plan, schedule, and conduct interviews during hiring. Hiring managers can use this feature to coordinate interview time with candidates, adapt to different interview formats, such as in-person and virtual interviews, and collect feedback from interviewers. Many recruiting systems also offer interview question templates to ensure consistency in the questions asked and evaluation criteria. |
Job posting: | Create detailed and customized job descriptions for each open position and include relevant fields for job titles, responsibilities, and qualifications. The system also allows talent acquisition professionals to share job postings on multiple job boards, social media sites, company websites, and other related channels. |
All products listed in this report include the features mentioned above. Besides these core features, a recruiting tool commonly tends to offer:
Applicant tracking
Assessment management
Collaboration tools
Onboarding
Reporting and analytics
Resume parsing
Social media integration
Task management
How to choose the right recruiting software for small businesses
Here are some factors to consider while you look for the best recruiting software for small business:
Assess candidate sourcing capabilities. Candidate sourcing capabilities in recruitment software allow HR managers to look for potential candidates within your database or external sources. These may include a boolean searchLook for candidate assessment features. While evaluating potential recruiting solutions, look for candidate assessment features to ensure that the candidates meet specific criteria and job-related requirements. These features may include customizable assessments, skills testing, behavioral assessments, aptitude tests, and interview assessments. All these features will help you select the most qualified candidate for the job.
Consider integration with applicant tracking system (ATS). Integration between recruitment software and applicant tracking system ensures that candidate data flows seamlessly between the solutions. It helps improve the recruiting process’ efficiency by eliminating duplicate data entry and providing consistent candidate records.
Common questions to ask software vendors before purchasing recruiting software for small businesses
Consider asking your vendor the following questions so that you find the best recruiting software for small business:
Does the software offer resume screening?
Resume screening and filtering features enable HR professionals to evaluate candidates efficiently. Look for a tool that allows you to parse and review resumes and extract relevant candidate information, such as work experience, education, and skills. It should also enable professionals to rank candidates based on how closely they match the requirements criteria. Ask your vendor about all these features to identify the most relevant candidates for your job requirements.
Does the software feature a recruiting analytics dashboard?
Consider a tool that offers a centralized recruiting analytics dashboard to consolidate recruitment metrics and key performance indicators related to the recruiting process. The dashboard typically presents data in the form of graphs, charts, and tables so that users can quickly grasp patterns and areas that require attention.
What are the hiring reports offered by the software?
While evaluating potential solutions, make sure that the software offers necessary hiring reports, such as summary, applicant funnel, candidate experience, interview feedback, hiring source, and cost-per-hire reports to get insights into key hiring metrics.