Recruiting Automation Software: Key Features and 4 Best Tools

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Feeling bogged down by cumbersome and tedious recruiting tasks? Finding top talent can be time-consuming, from reading through stacks of resumes to coordinating interviews and everything in between. 

The good news is that plenty of recruiting automation solutions are available to streamline the talent acquisition process and free up your hiring team's valuable time and resources. In fact, according to Workato's Second Annual Work Automation Index Report, HR automation has grown a whopping 316% year-over-year—with more companies implementing this software than ever before.

Still, a quick Google search for recruiting automation software will yield hundreds of results, which can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, you can save yourself the hassle of scouring reviews by checking out our list of the top four recruiting automation platforms on the market today.

What is recruiting automation software?

Recruiting automation software can vary greatly in its specific features and scope. In simplest terms, however, this type of software aims to simplify and automate aspects of the recruiting and hiring process through the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and algorithms.

Most of this software focuses on helping companies fill job openings for frontline positions. Automated resume-screening features save recruiters time by filtering through applicants' resumes and picking the most promising ones.

Recruiting automation software doesn't necessarily stop there, however. Some platforms can even automate the process of scheduling and conducting interviews early in the hiring process. Using features like chatbots, text messaging, and social media messaging, applicants can schedule asynchronous interviews at times and dates that work best for them. This also allows recruiters to screen early interviews at their convenience, rather than trying to line up their schedules to conduct them in person.

Some automation software even assists with onboarding tasks, such as delivering important documents and contracts, obtaining digital signatures, and running background checks.

Ultimately, recruiting automation platforms take care of many of the tedious and time-consuming manual tasks that your hiring team would otherwise handle. The result? Faster and easier hiring processes, higher quality candidates, and a better candidate experience.

What to look for in a recruiting automation software

Ultimately, you want to introduce software that eases your hiring decision making processes and provides a positive employee experience for your hiring department. But as you begin exploring your recruitment automation options, there are some other best practices to keep in mind, too. 

By following the tips below, you'll be better positioned to choose a recruiting platform that can address your business's unique needs and hiring pain points.

Uses AI and/or machine learning to automate recurring tasks

Ideally, you'll want to select a platform that will utilize AI and/or machine learning to automate many of the most time-consuming manual tasks for your hiring team. This can include resume screening, obtaining contact information, setting up interviews, and collecting signatures for onboarding paperwork.

Of course, not all AI is created equal; a lot of data must go into creating the most trustworthy algorithms while avoiding potential biases.

Provides thorough data and analytics to monitor candidates

As much as you might like for your recruitment automation software to be "set-it-and-forget-it" in nature, being able to monitor your hiring campaigns is a must. The best recruitment software will provide thorough data, metrics, and analytics to monitor candidates at every step of the process. This way, your hiring team can stay informed—and you'll be able to determine when it's time to make some changes to your AI inputs or other settings.

Offers user-friendly dashboards and easy-to-use software

While many companies are making the switch to recruitment automation software, those holding back are understandably hesitant to effectively hand over their recruitment processes to computers. Meanwhile, many HR teams have concerns about the costs and roadblocks associated with implementing new software company-wide.

If you share these concerns, this is where choosing a recruitment automation platform that's intuitive and user-friendly will make all the difference. The better the software is designed, the easier it will be to implement without racking up excessive training costs. Likewise, many of the most reputable recruitment automation platforms offer assistance with implementation and training to ensure that the process is as seamless as possible.

Includes transparent pricing models

Pricing for recruitment automation subscriptions can run the gamut from being essentially free to costing organizations hundreds of dollars (or more) per month. Most of these solutions charge based on the number of hiring team members (such as hiring managers and HR representatives) who will use the software. However, pricing models can vary greatly from one company to the next.

With this in mind, it's important to choose a software solution with a transparent and honest pricing model. This way, you'll know exactly what you're getting (and which features you may need to pay extra for).

Best recruiting automation software

Now that you have a better idea of what to look for in a recruiting automation software solution, where can you begin exploring some of the top platforms on the market? Check out our list of the best recruiting automation software below to get a better feel for what each has to offer, as well as some potential pros and cons.

1) Emi Labs

Emi is a frontline recruitment automation platform designed to help companies fill high-volume frontline roles while saving recruiters time. From pre-screening to onboarding and beyond, Emi automates tasks such as application screening, resume screening, interview scheduling, candidate communication, and more. And once a candidate is hired, Emi takes things a step further with onboarding features like digital signature collection, process management, and document validation.

Emi also helps you meet candidates where they are, including social media. With 72% of employers reporting that they use Facebook to attract and recruit talent, Emi can help you maintain a competitive edge through your hiring process. 

Interested in learning more about what Emi Labs has to offer? You can book a free demo to see for yourself why some of the world's top brands trust us to streamline their recruitment process.

Pros

  • Support from Emi's implementation team included for a smooth transition
  • Easy-to-use, intuitive platform
  • Improves productivity for recruiters
  • Improves candidate engagement for job seekers

Why this tool stands out

Overall, Emi Labs is a great solution for companies looking to fill open positions more quickly and efficiently. Users will enjoy the integrated artificial intelligence and machine learning that can automatically screen candidates, build on your workplace diversity practices, and select the best-suited applicants for the job. From there, Emi improves the candidate experience by reaching qualified candidates wherever they are—even allowing for job applications via SMS, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp.

2) SeekOut

Like many recruitment automation tools on the market, SeekOut utilizes AI to provide hiring teams with a competitive advantage while seeking new talent. Specifically, SeekOut uses innovative and intuitive AI technology to tap into underutilized talent pools and discover skilled candidates quickly and precisely. From there, your hiring team can obtain contact information for follow-up with just a single click.

Pros

  • Detailed Boolean customization makes searches extremely precise
  • Excellent customer support team available at all times
  • Integration with existing ATS and outreach software
  • Intuitive interface, easy for users to navigate

Cons

  • Sometimes inaccurate email addresses and contact information
  • Lack of filtering features for candidates based on stage in the hiring process
  • No ability to create templates for messages

Why this tool is worth mentioning

Unlike some other recruiting platforms, SeekOut aims to expand your talent search by including public profiles, employee referrals, company alumni, GitHub, and other platforms in the screening process. The software can even integrate into your company's existing ATS, allowing you to refresh and rediscover candidates your recruiting teams may have overlooked in the past. Meanwhile, if you're currently paying for a LinkedIn Recruiter subscription, this platform can replace it and save your company some money with its LinkedIn integrations.

From a DEI standpoint, SeekOut has been ranked a top diversity recruiting tool by G2—so this is something to keep in mind if you have concerns about fairness in your recruitment process.

3) Interseller

If you're looking to decrease the amount of time your recruiters spend handling outreach, Interseller may be the solution for you. This platform is designed to quickly find and reach out to any personal or work email address through automated and personalized email sequences.

For organizations of all sizes, Interseller makes it easy to synchronize all your candidates and communication to your current services while managing your email schedule and safety settings in one centralized location. Meanwhile, the handy candidate sourcing tool allows you to find your own prospects using a simple browser extension.

Pros

  • Integration with LinkedIn Recruiter is great for follow-up
  • Quick and easy to get started as soon as you sign up
  • Excellent and accessible customer support
  • More cost-effective than using traditional AI recruiting software

Cons

  • Email addresses aren't always accurate or current
  • No easy way of adding notes under an individual contact
  • Lack of InMail messaging automation

Why this tool is worth mentioning

Overall, Interseller is an excellent tool for companies looking to save time and hassle when it comes to outreach. Because Interseller isn't a full-fledged recruiting platform, it can be much more affordable for smaller businesses and organizations that are looking to save money while still optimizing their outreach.

4) Zoho Recruit

This recruitment automation technology is designed not just for human resources teams and in-house recruiters but also for staffing resources. Specifically, Zoho Recruit is an applicant tracking system (ATS) that helps source, track, and ultimately hire the best candidates for the job—all in one easy-to-use platform.

With just a few clicks, Zoho Recruit allows you to create a job posting that will be instantly shared on more than 75 job boards and (if desired) your social media handles. From there, the platform's built-in tracking and engaging tools make it easy to build relationships while custom automation tools push the right candidates through the interview process.

Pros

  • Integrates with Google and other Zoho products
  • Free plans available for single recruiters
  • Highly customizable software
  • Around-the-clock customer support available

Cons

  • Cost per user can get costly for larger companies with many recruiters
  • Can take some time for new users to get accustomed to the platform
  • Doesn't allow you to screen more than 10 resumes at a time

Why this tool is worth mentioning

Zoho Recruit truly has something to offer for businesses of all sizes. Smaller organizations with just one recruiter may even be able to get away with the free plan, whereas paid plans are available to suit the size of any organization. This is also one of the only platforms out there with features catering to staffing agencies.

Zoho Recruit also saves recruiters time by automatically sharing a single job posting to more than 75 career sites and similar platforms. This, in turn, expedites the hiring process while expanding your talent pool.

Reduce time-to-hire with Emi

There's no shortage of great recruiting automation software out there. The key, of course, is choosing the platform that will work best for your organization's needs and budget. Whether you're looking for something to assist primarily with candidate recruiting and screening or need an all-in-one solution to assist at every stage of the hiring process, there's bound to be an option that checks off every item on your list.

Emi is an innovative recruiting, screening, and onboarding solution that can truly do it all. Streamline your frontline recruitment process, optimize your workflows, and save your hiring team valuable time by making the switch today. Get in touch with our friendly and knowledgeable team today to book your free demo, and be on your way to better, faster hiring decisions.

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