10 Best Applicant Tracking Systems Of 2021

This article will help you quickly compare and evaluate the best applicant tracking systems (ATS).

Why? 

Because applicant management and tracking is a daunting task. As soon as you hit “publish” on any job posting site, the resumes and qualifications from job seekers will start rolling in. It can be overwhelming to keep track of them all, not to mention pick out the most qualified candidates and remember why they stood out. 

Some people rely on spreadsheets and email threads as their version of a “free applicant tracking system” but that is never a fully reliable method for narrowing down the candidate pool to find the perfect fit. 

A complete recruitment management system may simply collect and organize applications—this is a main function of applicant tracking software—but nowadays the entire system may also include many additional features, including recruitment CRM, talent acquisition, human resource management, talent management, metric-based recruiting, candidate experience, and predictive analytics. Finding the right recruitment software can take care of a lot of administrative overhead.

In this post, I’ll share with you the basics of what applicant tracking software tools do, tell you what you should look for in an application tracker, and highlight a few of the best ones I’ve come across.

Quickly Compare & Evaluate The 10 Best Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

The below-recruiting software can help streamline application management, the recruiting process, onboarding, and HR. Here’s a sneak peek:

The Best Applicant Tracking Systems List

Here’s a shortlist of the best ATS systems:

1. Manatal
2. CEIPAL
3. Zoho Recruit
4. SAP SuccessFactors
5. Oracle Taleo
6. iCIMS Recruit
7. Smart Recruiters
8. Workday
9. Workable
10. JazzHR

ATS System FAQ

If you’re looking into ATS software for the first time, start here with these common questions. 

What is ATS?

ATS stands for “applicant tracking system”, which is a digital tool that assists with collection, sorting, and analysis of online job submissions. Using an ATS is a way to lessen the administrative burden of the recruitment process and the hiring process.

How do applicant tracking systems work?

Applicant tracking systems manage the process of filling an open job role by either aggregating data from third-party sources (like Indeed and Yello) or platforming all of those tasks within the ATS tool itself.

An ATS tool may encompass all or just a few of the following processes: job posting, resume parsing and collection, qualification analysis, referral programs, interview scheduling, HR, CRM, onboarding, and so on.

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Overviews Of The 10 Best Applicant Tracking Systems

Here’s a brief description of each of the ATS tracking tools that are featured on this top 10 list.

1. Manatal – Best for ease of use, AI tools, and social media recruitment

Manatal is a leading recruitment software solution relying on AI, machine learning, and innovative and unique features with clients in over 90 countries worldwide. The software helps in streamlining all recruitment operations from sourcing to onboarding.

Manatal’s interface is both practical and intuitive, and as a result, little to no training is required and teams can quickly start leveraging its tools. The platform includes all the standard ATS features such as daily recruitment processing, drag and drop pipelines, compliance tools (i.e. GDPR, CCPA, & PDPA), a full analytics suite, skill bank, candidate and job history, activities management, collaboration tools, a placement management system, and all main functions that relate to applicant and employee information and records.

More innovative features include things like powerful search functions, AI-based recommendations, candidate scoring, and social media recruitment (Linkedin, Facebook, GitHub, and more). These features have proven extremely valuable in streamlining activities like candidate sourcing and screening, as well as in helping leverage large existing candidate databases.

Finally, Manatal includes a complete CRM (customer relationship management) system and an easy to use, customizable career page builder so users can start showcasing openings.

Manatal offers an open API and integrations with Linkedin, Gmail, Outlook, Mailchimp, and more.

2. CEIPAL – Best AI-powered talent acquisition platform

CEIPAL is a SaaS platform that automates both the front- and back-office business operations of staffing companies. The tool offers an integrated workforce management platform, applicant tracking system, and human resource information system (HRIS).

CEIPAL utilizes a range of technologies such as artificial intelligence, people analytics, passive candidate sourcing and more. The tool also includes some great job marketing and advertising features that allow users to advertise jobs on multiple boards, as well as other platforms such as social media and SMS. The AI features can assist with analyzing and understanding applicants and candidates. 

The overall UI of CEIPAL is seamless, clean, and easy for all users to manage. Users can customize the software to include all the specific features that work best for their processes, and ensure that it’s prepared to maximize overall productivity (regardless of the workflow). 

CEIPAL offers 150+ integrations ranging from job boards to VMS integrations to productivity apps and more.

3. Zoho Recruit – Best applicant tracking system for staffing agencies

Zoho Recruit is an applicant tracking system designed for recruiters and corporate hiring teams. The tool helps teams hire a workforce that is in sync with the changing talent demand, as well as hire more qualified candidates. 

Users can post jobs to multiple job boards, automate and manage candidates, clients, & contacts, as well as spend less time on mundane processes.

Zoho Recruit’s applicant tracking system caters to multiple hurdles faced by recruiters. The tool offers solutions for both in-house recruiters and staffing agencies, and helps users source, track, and hire the best candidates, without any juggling required across different media. 

Users can make use of customizations and automations for tasks like sending emails, updating interview status, and more. Zoho Recruit also provides reports and analytics for hiring strategies.

Zoho Recruit costs from $30/user/month. They also offer a 15-day free trial, 24/5 support, and a demo.

4. SAP SuccessFactors – Best for data analytics and reporting

SAP SuccessFactors is an ATS portal with everything from candidate relationship management through talent reviews and calibration tools. This ATS solution also includes functionalities for HR professionals outside of recruiting, such as payroll and performance management.

5. Oracle Taleo – Best for large enterprises

This applicant tracking software is an easy-to-use Fortune 500 ATS interface for candidates, recruiters, hiring managers, and hiring teams. Oracle Taleo takes a mobile-first, data-driven approach.

6. iCIMS Recruit – Best for advertising job postings

This ATS online system has tools for job advertising strategies, Google job search optimization, and employee referrals. iCIMS Recruit can also keep track of open positions and job postings.

7. Smart Recruiters – Best for ease of use and user interface

SmartRecuiters is an enterprise-grade recruitment database with features like screening assessments, scorecards, and background checks. Like many of the other ATS solutions on this list, SmartRecruiters is delivered as a SaaS.

8. Workday – Best for onboarding processes

Workday is a recruitment CRM software for candidates, recruiters, and hiring managers alike. This tool is great for creating workforce plans all the way through on-boarding.

9. Workable – Best for customization according to specific needs

Workable offers a recruitment CRM that navigates the hiring process from posting a job description all the way to offer letters, including instant posts to 200+ job sites. Workable is also easy to use for tracking job requirements and requisitions, and has a built-in functionality to schedule interviews with candidates.

10. JazzHR – Best for small businesses

JazzHR is a human resources management tool with ATS capabilities that lets users rank, track, and discuss the best candidates and top talent alongside a custom workflow for each job opening.

Other Applicant Tracking Systems

Here’s a few more that didn’t make the top applicant tracking systems list. If you need additional suggestions, check these out.

1. Bullhorn – Best for combination CRM and ATS solutions
2. Greenhouse – Best for automating recruiting and hiring tasks
3. Jobvite – Hiring software with powerful referral capabilities, built-in automated intelligence, and the ability to screen and rank candidates automatically.
4. Ascendify – Hiring tools that personalize content based on the applicant, automatically skill match people into talent pipelines, and identify which team they fit into best.
5. Yello – Leverage acquisition, recruitment marketing, and operations functionality in a single platform and make smarter hiring decisions.
6. Avature – A comprehensive enterprise solution that can be configured to manage executive, professional, and hourly recruiting.
7. Zenefits – Create a compensation package and auto-send offer letters to new hires, create PTO policies, and manage requests, plus more HR capabilities. 
8. Namely – Recruiting features that include custom job workflows, job posting and syndication, configurable job applications, and background checks.
9. Ultimate Software – Candidate-centric hiring platform design that helps you engage candidates throughout the application process with simple technology that they want to use.
10. Beamery – Recruit more proactively by engaging pipelines of qualified talent and improve the end-to-end talent experience. 
11. Talemetry – An enterprise recruitment marketing platform with AI-powered recruiting software, cutting-edge recruitment automation tools, and training and support.
12. Hiretual – An all-in-one hiring platform for talent search, talent engagement, and talent relationship management.
13. BambooHR – A human resource manager with tools for automatic alerts, in-system messaging, maintaining your employer brand, sending an offer with letter templates, and a mobile app. 
14. Symphony Talent – A candidate-centric hiring platform that provides an information-rich, relevant, and engaging experience. 
15. Freshworks Freshteam – Create, manage, and publish job postings; describe job listings using templates; and advertise job postings through a range of channels.
16. Breezy – A user-friendly candidate management system with a drag-and-drop visual hiring pipeline that shows you in a glance where a candidate is, at any time.
17. Zoho Recruit – Pre-screening assessments, resume management tools, built-in reports, and dashboards, hiring pipeline, and recruiting KPIs.
18. Lever – Build and track your talent pipeline and capture the actions, engagements, and decisions in a talent database that track insights to cost and value.
19. MyRecruitment Platform – A cloud-based online hiring system that offers some free ATS tools at their entry-level plan, like 1 active job opening and e-forms.
20. Collage – Create a professional, branded career page with no IT required and automatically syndicate it to popular online job boards such as Indeed. 
21. Smashfly – A talent marketing platform that combines a recruiting CRM, career site, recruiting event management, referrals, and analytics solutions
22. TA Technology Advice – To compare prices and reviews of multiple Applicant Tracking Systems at once.
23. Hiring Room – Best for multilingual applicant tracking.

What Do You Think About These Applicant Tracking Systems?

Have you tried out any of the applicant tracking systems listed above? Let us know in the comments what you look for, and which features you’ve found most useful in your work. 

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