Recruiting software for Small Business - Do you need one?

Recruiting software is a type of human resource management (HRM) software that manages the process of posting jobs and attracting top talent for open positions within a company. A good recruitment software system will automate many of the tedious and time-consuming parts of the hiring process such as CV sifting, making it more efficient and freeing you up to spend more time on the exciting parts of recruiting, such as interviewing, negotiating, and, in the case of agency recruiters, winning new business and acquiring more talent for your database.

It streamlines the entire candidate search and hiring process, automating where possible to reduce workloads, from posting jobs to reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates. The software makes it easier for organisations to find and hire employees by eliminating paperwork and providing powerful resume and candidate search functions.

Today, recruitment tools and software have aided in the automation of hiring procedures and the acquisition of the best talent for different industry sectors. Here are some of the features you need to consider when looking into recruiting software for your business.

Improves quality of hire

Poor hiring decisions can harm an organisation's culture, productivity, engagement, and brand. Look for a set of features that will help you source and find the best candidate, software that enables more high-quality, qualified candidates to apply, and tools that assist recruiters in identifying high-potential candidates and strengthening relationships with hiring managers throughout the organisation.

Here are some essential functionalities for attracting and selecting better candidates:

• Automated optimisation
• Smart search filters
• Smart sourcing algorithms
• Structured employee referral programs
• Social media sourcing
• Powerful talent search and rich categorisation
• Hiring manager interview and selection tools

Automates end-to-end talent acquisition

Full-cycle recruiting, also known as end-to-end recruiting, refers to the entire talent acquisition process from beginning to end. It starts with identifying the need for a new role and ends with onboarding the new employee.

It is a targeted hiring process that will bring you the best candidates. It can also keep your company at the forefront of attracting the best candidates in a competitive business world of tight deadlines, skills shortages, and a raging talent war.

Essential functionality for automating the entire hiring process:

• Job posting automation
• Recruiting chatbot and 24/7 virtual assistants
• Workflow management and automation
• Automated candidate outreach
• Automated interview scheduling
• Integrated talent management

Improves candidate experience

A positive candidate experience has enormous long-term benefits for your company, regardless of whether or not the candidate is hired!

Candidates who had a positive candidate experience during your recruiting process are more likely to accept your job offer, reapply in the future, and refer others to your company, allowing you to expand your talent pool and improve your employer brand.

Essential functionality for keeping candidates highly engaged:

• Easy-to-edit Content Management System (CMS)
• AI-powered dynamic website content
• Enhanced job description pages (embedding videos and blogs)
• Candidate relationship management (CRM)
• Automated assistance and text-to-apply

Manages applicant volumes

Some organisations struggle to adapt to the influx of applications for roles within their organisation.

So how can recruiters like you ensure they deliver a great candidate experience for every candidate, even the unqualified ones? Take a look at these essential features for bulk recruitment tasks:

• Automated workflows
• Automated scoring
• Embedded assessments and video interviews
• End-to-end analytics
• Recruitment funnel analytics (candidate journey insights)
• Centralised templated communication
• Calendar integration (direct interview sync)

Best Recruiting Software for Small Business

The capabilities of recruiting software are rapidly evolving. If you're searching for a list of the top HR software for 2025, we recommend the following:

Zoho Recruit

Zoho Recruit is a robust recruiting software with one of the most comprehensive and customisable feature sets. It’s free for one job, and costs $30-$60 per recruiter per month for a corporate HR plan. It’s intended for staffing firms and corporate HR departments that handle multiple job openings at the same time. It is also a cost-effective option for small businesses because of its ease of use and functionality.

BambooHR

BambooHR is one of the best human resource management systems for small and medium-sized businesses. The cloud-based system includes integrated payroll, applicant tracking (ATS), onboarding tools, e-signatures, time-off tracking, and performance management, as well as simple reporting and an employee-friendly mobile app. Its starting price is $99 per employee per month. Price discounts apply dynamically as employee count increases. It also offers a free trial.

Freshworks

Freshworks is an Indian software company that offers a software product called Freshteam. The monthly fee begins at $50. Freshteam is applicant tracking software with features like data extraction, resume import, resume management, and sort/filter. It provides business hours support, live support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and online support. Freshteam offers a free version and a free trial.

Bullhorn

Bullhorn applicant tracking system (ATS) and CRM boost sales and recruiter productivity while managing the entire recruitment and applicant management process through a single, simple interface. You can easily streamline daily tasks by using faster source, search, and match, as well as leveraging relationship insights to provide a better candidate experience. Using staffing-specific, actionable reports, you can run your business by the numbers. Bullhorn for Email seamlessly integrates the Bullhorn ATS and CRM with Gmail and Outlook, allowing you to view your email inbox directly within Bullhorn.

PeopleHR

This is a packaged, full-featured HR system that includes an ATS module with all of the functionality of a traditional, standalone ATS. You simply receive a complete HR system and performance management system for free! You can automatically post vacancies on your website or on major job boards, and applicant CVs are uploaded to the system. You can filter CVs to quickly shortlist them, and you can also send letters and emails from the system. People HR pricing starts at $4.00 per month. They do not have a free version, but they offer a free trial.

Indeed

Indeed is a job search engine that receives over 3 million job seekers per month and stores over 250 million resumes. Most recruiting software and applicant tracking systems integrate with Indeed. It has some applicant tracking tools, and you can boost your ads or reach out to passive job seekers who have resumes on file for a small fee. Indeed's free plan includes job posting and use of its applicant tracking system. If you want to get premium placement in its newsletters and online, it has pay-per-click pricing ranging from 25 cents to $5 per click, with a daily minimum of $5.

Sage HR

Sage HR is a cloud-based HR and people management solution that streamlines and automates your HR processes from start to finish, while also providing truly engaging and rewarding experiences for your employees. It allows you to automate and simplify processes that would usually take more effort, helping to keep the company more organised and standardised. The starting price is $1.5/month/user, and a 14-day free trial.

Conclusion

In today's competitive job market, leveraging the right recruiting software is essential for attracting and retaining top talent. By automating key processes and enhancing candidate experiences, businesses can streamline their hiring efforts and improve overall recruitment outcomes. Whether you're a small business or a large corporation, investing in effective recruitment tools can empower your HR team to make informed hiring decisions and build a strong workforce. Explore the options available and choose the solution that best fits your organizational needs.

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