Selecting the right hiring software isn’t about chasing the shiniest new tool or the one with the longest feature list. It’s about finding technology that solves your specific challenges, integrates well with your existing systems and processes, and can grow alongside your organization.
In this section, we’ll walk through practical approaches to evaluating and selecting hiring software that addresses your unique needs and delivers real value to your organization.
What is Hiring Software (+ the Most Common Types)
Hiring software refers to the digital tools and platforms that help companies streamline and optimize everything from their job descriptions to their screening and selection processes.
The goal with these solutions is to automate repetitive tasks, improve the candidate experience, and provide people leaders with the data they need to make better hiring decisions.
And there are a. lot. of options.
Common Types of Hiring Software
So, if you’re just getting started in your research, you’ll quickly realize that the recruitment software space is massive.
Its compound annual growth rate is 9.4% year-over-year – yes, massive.
This just means that there are a lot of new players out there, which brings a lot of new options for you to consider. Here’s a breakdown of the most common hiring and recruitment software types you’ll encounter:
- Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): The O.G. — an ATS is the core system for managing your hiring process. It serves as a centralized database for all job candidate records and helps distribute job postings, track applicants through hiring workflows, and manage communication with candidates.
- Video Interviewing Software: Tools that facilitate remote or virtual interviews, allowing recruiters and hiring managers to evaluate candidates without geographic limitations. These can range from simple recorded video responses (one-way video interviews) to live two-way interviews with collaborative evaluation features.
- Talent Assessment Solutions: Software that evaluates candidates based on skills, behavioral traits, and cultural fit. Modern versions use predictive analytics and extensive scientific research to match candidates to specific roles based on job competencies and organizational goals.
- Resume Parsers: These tools automatically extract and organize information from resumes into searchable candidate profiles, eliminating manual data entry and making it easier to filter candidates based on skills and experience.
- Recruitment CRM (Candidate Relationship Management): Similar to sales CRMs, these tools help you build and maintain relationships with passive candidates, creating talent pools you can tap into when positions open up.
- Programmatic Job Advertising: These platforms automatically distribute your job postings across multiple sites or job boards and optimize your recruitment advertising budget based on real-time performance data.
- Reference Checking Software: These tools automate the reference collection process through email or text-based surveys, increasing completion rates and standardizing the information gathered.
- Interview Scheduling Tools: These solutions eliminate the back-and-forth emails typically required to schedule interviews by syncing with each stakeholder’s calendar and allowing candidates to select available time slots that work best for them.
- Onboarding Platforms: While technically post-hire, these systems bridge the gap between recruitment and employment by digitizing paperwork and creating structured onboarding experiences that keep new hires engaged through their first day.
And given the surge of investments and growth in the talent acquisition space, the landscape looks much different than even just a few years ago.
Why You Might Need New Hiring Software
Before diving into the vast ocean of hiring software options, you first need to step back and ask: why are you really looking for new hiring tech or looking to switch hiring software providers?
Usually, it boils down to a few key catalysts:
You Have To Consolidate
How did so many companies end up with a tangled web of HR systems? Maybe you started with a solid core product from a vendor. Then, over time, that vendor developed a bunch of add-on features that weren’t quite as robust as their main offering.
Meanwhile, your team was falling prey to the siren song of cross-selling. “Since you already use our ATS, why not try our skills assessment module?” Before you knew it, you had a patchwork of solutions — some great, some mediocre, and some that your team actively avoids using.
Here’s another example: perhaps you found yourself with one platform that changed the game, so you decided to integrate with another…and then another. Suddenly, you have a messy tech stack with several different providers and no understanding of which are helping vs. which are hurting your hiring process.
So, you’re either juggling too many different solutions or even competing platforms from different that essentially do the same thing. Your HR team needs a spreadsheet just to remember which system handles what function, and your employees are constantly asking, “Wait, which portal do I use for this again?“
Consolidating your hiring tools can be a huge lifesaver here. In this case, less is typically more.
Don’t worry, we’ll help you get a handle on things just below.
You’re Out of Budget
Sometimes, the push for new or different HR tech can come directly from your CEO or CFO, who’s looking at the bottom line. Many finance leaders still view HR as a cost center rather than a strategic partner (though we’re working on changing their minds!).
When budgets tighten, HR tech spending often comes under scrutiny. But smart consolidation isn’t just about cutting costs — it’s about getting more value from every dollar you spend and having the ability to highlight positive results, when asked, with detailed recruiting analytics and reporting.
Your Legacy Systems Can’t Hang
Legacy hiring systems can be notoriously clunky. Your team might be spending hours navigating confusing interfaces, waiting for pages to load, or trying to extract basic reports. And when they reach out for help? Customer service feels more like customer disservice.
At this point, you simply need something that doesn’t make your team want to throw their computers out the window.
Modern, intuitive interfaces don’t just make work more pleasant — they dramatically improve adoption rates and efficiency.
Tip: Keep an eye out for vendors whose product offerings haven’t changed in years or who aren’t transparent about the changes they are making as these can be easy red flags of a legacy system that is not adept to help you grow.
You’ve Got Growth On The Brain
Your company is evolving. Maybe you’re expanding globally, merging with another organization, or experiencing rapid headcount growth. Regardless, congrats!
While your current hiring tools might have been perfect when you had 50 employees in one location, they’re buckling under the pressure of supporting 500 people across multiple countries.
Growth often requires a toolset that can support new business strategies and organizational structures. It’s time to think about how your hiring tech relates to the rest of the organization’s goals and challenges.
You Have Talent-Related Skeletons In Your Closet
Sometimes, the need for new hiring software stems directly from critical people challenges your organization is facing, such as:
- High employee turnover that’s costing you top talent
- Onboarding processes that leave new hires confused and unproductive
- Difficulty recruiting executive-level or specialized talent in competitive markets
The right hiring software can be a powerful ally in addressing these fundamental challenges — not by replacing human connection, but by enabling your team to focus more on people and less on processes.
Understanding which of these drivers is most important for your organization will help you focus your search and evaluate options more effectively. It’s the difference between shopping with a specific grocery list versus wandering aimlessly through the supermarket and filling your cart with things that catch your eye, but you don’t really need.
5 Steps To Research (And Select) The Right Hiring Software
Choosing the right hiring software is a bit like dating — it’s tempting to be dazzled by slick interfaces and smooth sales pitches, but lasting relationships are built on compatibility, honesty, and solving real problems together.
The goal isn’t just to select a shiny new tool. It’s to find technology that solves genuine business challenges, integrates with your existing systems, and scales with your organization.
Bonus: Buying New Tech vs. Switching Vendors
The buying process looks dramatically different when you’re implementing your first hiring solution versus replacing an existing vendor.
If you’re switching, you’re not just evaluating new options — you’re planning a complex migration while managing an upcoming renewal deadline.
Here’s how to navigate this tricky terrain:
🔥 Start Earlier Than You Think
Whatever timeline you’ve mapped out for vendor selection, double it. Seriously. Everything takes longer than expected, especially when you’re migrating data and processes from one system to another.
For companies with 50+ employees, start at least 6 months before your current contract renewal. Smaller companies (under 50 employees) might manage in 6 weeks, but 3-6 months is a comfortable timeline for most organizations.
🔥 Map What You’ve Got to What You Need
Create a detailed inventory of what your current system provides — integrations, workflows, data fields, reports, and automation. Then map these to your requirements for the new system.
The good news? New vendors are super motivated to help with this mapping exercise. They want your business and will often create detailed transition plans showing how their solution compares to your current one.
🔥 Be Flexible with Renewal Timing
Don’t let your current vendor’s renewal date dictate your decision timeline. Many new vendors will work with you on timing to avoid double-paying during a transition.
Ask your current vendor about pushing your renewal date or switching to month-to-month while you implement a new solution. You might be surprised how flexible they become when they realize you’re seriously considering alternatives.
Remember, a rushed decision to avoid overlapping contracts often leads to poor vendor selection. It’s better to pay for two systems briefly than to make a hasty choice you’ll regret for years.
