Recruitment Software Features
Recruitment software helps organizations improve the efficiency of their hiring process from sourcing all the way through to signing an employment contract. The most important recruitment software features improve flexibility, scalability, and cost efficiency.
To identify the best recruiting software for your organization, the first step is understanding which features truly matter to your hiring team.
Your solution, and its features, should be hardwired to address your unique organizational needs.
In this guide, we'll delve into critical considerations, spotlight the real MVPs among recruitment software features, tailor advice to various business types (because one size doesn’t always fit all), and take a discerning look at the overrated features that often underwhelm recruiting teams.
What to Consider Before Choosing Your Recruitment Software
Key factors to consider when choosing recruitment software are flexibility, recruitment process automation, data and analytics, scalability, mobile accessibility, candidate experience, diversity and inclusion, and cost.
A lot of recruitment software vendors promise the same kind of features. But just because two vendors offer the same features doesn’t mean their solutions are of the same standard.
You’d be hard-pressed to find, for example, a recruitment software that doesn’t offer some automation of the candidate journey or resume parsing.
However, levels of recruitment software automation can vary dramatically from tool to tool, and saying all resume parsing is valuable is like saying all wedding dresses are beautiful: In sentiment, yes, but on an individual level, some are just nicer than others.
When you want to consider the real value of recruitment software features a vendor offers, it's easy to get lost in a sea of opinions. Here are key factors to focus on:
Flexibility
Your software should be ready to adapt to your unique hiring demands, from flexible work setups to various roles, and a diverse talent pool. If, for example, the tool can only post jobs to a few integrated job boards that don’t reach your type of candidate, it’s still pretty limited.
Flexibility also means it can grow alongside your organization and pivot as your talent management needs and market conditions change.
Level of Automation
Automation is an essential feature of recruitment software, especially considering that almost 30% of TA leaders report their teams are overburdened with work. Your software should handle as many routine tasks as possible so your recruiters can focus on big-picture work.
An important caveat is that your recruiting automation tools should be sophisticated enough to feel human from a candidate’s perspective. Otherwise, it’d do more harm to your recruitment and employer brand than good.
As mentioned earlier, there are levels to how much automation a solution offers, and how well it works for your team. AI recruiting software — the new gold standard— offers intelligent candidate matching. This is a powerful resource for streamlining your hiring process.
Other forms of automation to look out for are:
- Automated job postings to various job boards and your career page
- Automated candidate journeys (applicant tracking)
- Pre-screening application questions
- Interview scheduling and updates
- Automated onboarding
- Data transfer to your other systems (via ATS integrations, for example)
- Alternative candidate journeys, such as employee referral or passive recruitment solutions.
Recruitment Data Analytics
It's a data-driven world. Advanced analytics gives you the lowdown on hiring trends, recruitment marketing performance, and sourcing effectiveness. That said, “analytics” as a recruitment software feature is not a catch-all word. Some vendors may offer surface-level insight they call analytics while others allow you to drill down and refine every minute detail of your hiring process.
If you’re wondering what types of recruitment metrics are the most important, the key ones include time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, top-of-funnel conversion, pass rate, and first-year attrition rates.
Scalability
Think long-term. Will the recruitment system grow with your company? Free and low-cost recruiting software solutions might seem tempting at first, but some may cost you more in the end. Migrating to a new recruitment software can be pricey in terms of onboarding and lost productivity.
Cloud-based or online recruitment software vendors generally offer tiered plans that you can upgrade to as your hiring needs increase— so you can keep using the same solution long term. Unfortunately, many entry-level plans don’t offer the sophisticated features you’d like.
Compare vendors based on what you get for your spend today, and how much you’ll have to pony up to get to the next tier.
Mobile Accessibility
The best recruitment software removes barriers that may discourage applicants.
According to Appcast, almost 60% of candidates apply for jobs using a mobile device. Imagine losing great candidates because your software isn't mobile-friendly.
For one thing, a job seeker’s access to a computer may be limited to a device issued by their employer— one that may host an employee surveillance tool that would record them applying for a new job. Applying from their mobile phone is a way to ensure their application is private.
For another, consider the candidate experience with a mobile application. Forms that offer options to tap rather than time-consuming fields to fill in are great, and a one-click application process is even better.
Candidate Experience
Candidate experience includes mobile-friendliness and user interface. The simpler your application form and process, the more applications you’ll receive.
Additionally, focus on how the software facilitates clear, transparent, and personalized communication between candidates and recruiters (e.g. personalized notifications and email templates).
Diversity and Inclusion
According to recent DEI statistics, before applying for a job, 6 in 10 employees actively sought information on the organization's commitment to diversity and inclusion, with almost 70% stating that workplace diversity is a major deciding factor.
Look for recruitment software features that adhere to diversity hiring best practices. Let’s be frank, it's not just about your employer brand. A diverse workforce profoundly impacts your organizational culture, employee retention, innovation, and, ultimately, your bottom line.
Total Cost of Ownership
Buying software involves more than the initial price tag. Consider ongoing costs like maintenance, updates, and user licenses. This awareness prevents budget surprises and enables you to calculate the true Return on Investment (ROI) accurately.
Here's a five-part crash course that shows you how to calculate measurable ROI of nearly any new HR initiative, including recruitment software.
The 5 Most Useful Recruitment Software Features
The functions you should look for in a recruitment software platform are candidate sourcing algorithms, video interviews, DEI capabilities, applicant tracking, and recruiting analytics.
AI-Powered Candidate Sourcing
AI recruitment can now analyze job descriptions and applicant profiles to pinpoint the perfect fit. This speeds up shortlisting and makes hiring more accurate.
Video Interviewing
Whether you're hiring for remote, hybrid, or in-office roles, video interviews boost flexibility, efficiency, and accessibility in the hiring process.
This can include one-way video interviews as an initial screening, and real-time interviews that you’ll be able to record and share (as opposed to scribbling notes while your candidate answers the next question).
If your organization hasn’t invested in standalone video interview software, this is a must-have recruitment software feature.
Diversity and Inclusion Tools
Workplace diversity statistics show that this topic is front and center for many job seekers, and the legal landscape has gradually reflected this change. With the right recruitment software, you're armed to battle hiring bias head-on, expand your talent pool to cast a wider net of potential candidates, and stay compliant with today's workforce.
Applicant Tracking
Managing and curating the candidate journey, while also viewing their progress through your hiring funnel in real-time, stands as an irreplaceable pillar of recruitment software.
Short of a dedicated ATS, integrated applicant tracking features are the best way to keep candidate profiles, application statuses, and communication history organized.
Data Analytics
A robust data analytics feature in your recruitment software is a formidable asset. It adds a layer of sophistication to your recruitment strategy by unraveling valuable insights from the data you accumulate.
Armed with these insights, you can fine-tune your approach and make data-driven decisions that set your recruitment efforts on a winning path.
Key Recruiting Software Features for Different Business Sizes
For the best ROI on your recruitment tech, the features your recruitment software offers must cater to your organization's unique needs. Here is a closer look at what features matter most according to operational size.
Small Businesses
Small businesses need recruitment software solutions that are easy on the wallet and simple to use:
Affordable Pricing
Small businesses often work with tight budgets. Recruitment software with a reasonable pricing plan or a free tier is often sufficient to keep hiring costs down.
User-Friendly Interface
Small teams may not have HR experts on staff, so an intuitive interface is crucial. Intuitive user interfaces let business owners and managers handle recruiting without a lot of training or costly support.
Simplified Job Posting
Simplicity is key. Rather than manually posting job openings on multiple job boards and social media platforms one by one, this recruiting software feature accelerates and automates the task, which not only saves time but also increases the number of candidates you reach without putting more strain on your team.
Mid-Sized Businesses
When your business hits the mid-sized mark, your recruiting tool needs to level up too. Here are the essential features that make the difference:
Advanced Reporting and Analytics
While your organization grows, you may be making dozens of hires each year— each critical and with high strategic significance. Data-driven recruitment is your secret weapon. Look for software that provides detailed reports on critical metrics like time to hire, candidate quality, sourcing channel effectiveness, and offer acceptance rate. This data helps you refine your hiring process so that you can pinpoint the hiring channels and processes that link you to great talent.
Customization Options
Customizable workflows and forms allow you to tailor the software to your specific needs. For example, you can have different types of pre-employment tests, interview setups, and onboarding flows for certain positions.
Customizability ensures a hiring funnel that is optimized to how your organization finds top talent and identifies the best candidate for the job.
Collaboration Tools
Larger hiring teams mean more complex communication. Your recruitment process may involve hiring managers, recruiters, sourcing specialists, and even external parties (like recruitment agencies).
Choose a recruitment solution that handles team communication, task assignment, and interview scheduling to streamline the process.
ATS/CRM
As your business grows, you'll want a tool to manage your candidate pipeline and nurture your talent pool. Look for software that incorporates an applicant tracking system and/or a candidate relationship management (CRM) tool. These functions help you organize candidate information and build relationships over time.
Large/Enterprise-Level Businesses
For enterprise-level businesses, advanced automation, custom integration, recruiting CRM, and diversity-focused recruiting tools are recruitment software features that shine brighter than others.
Advanced AI and Automation
These features become a must for large enterprises dealing with a flood of applicants. AI-driven resume screening, recruiting chatbots for initial candidate interactions, and automation of repetitive tasks significantly reduce manual work.
This frees up valuable human resources capacity for tasks requiring human judgment, like conducting interviews and selecting qualified candidates.
Integration Capabilities
Seamless integration (native and API) with existing HR software, onboarding tools, and payroll systems is non-negotiable for large enterprises. It ensures a smooth data flow and boosts overall process efficiency.
Security and Compliance
Every country has its own rules for handling candidate data in recruitment. Enterprises must navigate these regulations.
Robust security features, GDPR and EEOC compliance tools, and data encryption ease the burden of compliance, ensuring that candidate data is looked after correctly and legally.
Overrated Recruitment Software Features
Overrated recruitment software features include auto-suggest functions, automated candidate rejections, 100% AI user journeys, and gamification features.
When evaluating recruitment software, it's vital to keep your organization's unique needs and goals at the forefront. “Trendy” features often fail to deliver real value in terms of ROI or a finely selected candidate pool.
Here's a heads-up on these, seemingly impressive, but ultimately overrated recruitment software features:
Auto-Suggest Features for Job Descriptions
Some software platforms call it "Algorithmic Resume Writing Assistance." This feature can help you write job descriptions, but it might miss the mark on capturing each role's uniqueness or your company's distinct identity.
To keep the meh out of your job ads, don’t rely on auto-suggestions. Rather spend time to write a clear and appealing description of the role. You’ll win those minutes back with slick automated posting.
Automatic Candidate Rejection Emails
Automated rejection emails, while convenient, can fall short when they lack personalized feedback. Candidates often treasure constructive input to improve future applications.
According to TalentBoard’s candidate experience benchmark research, the highest-rated employers are those who provide feedback post-interviews. Thus, while it can be challenging to offer feedback to every rejected candidate, especially in high-volume hiring scenarios, it's worthwhile for those who invest their time seeking it. Plus, it’s a positive reflection on your employer branding.
Artificial Intelligence for ALL Hiring Stages
AI is undoubtedly a valuable asset in recruitment, but it doesn't fit every scenario. Certain hiring situations call for the discerning judgment and expertise of humans.
For example, AI algorithms can handle resume parsing, assist in interviews, and support onboarding, but humans should be the ones who review the parsing results, make hiring decisions, and foster meaningful engagement with new hires.
Gamification Features
Gamification is fun and engaging, but it's not always the best approach. It can distract from the core goal of hiring— finding the right candidates. Excessive gamification can also lead to a candidate experience that feels gimmicky rather than professional.
Recruitment Software Features: Conclusion
As you prepare to invest in a recruitment software solution, we hope the insights shared above have bolstered your confidence in making the right choice.
Now, let's turn theory into practice. Take the time to explore a variety of vendors and identify options that align perfectly with your team's recruitment software needs. If you need help shortlisting the top recruitment software for your hiring priorities and budget, our HR Tech advisors can offer personalized recommendations for free.
