Your ultimate recruitment CRM

CRM for recruiting

The right CRM can be a game-changing tool that simplifies the hiring process. It enables you to efficiently track and engage with candidates, ensuring you easily find the perfect fit for your team.

In the recruitment industry, trends are constantly evolving to meet new demands.  Key focus areas in 2024 include prioritizing candidate experience, leveraging data for decision-making, and automating routine tasks. Recruitment CRM software can address these needs by facilitating personalized communication, providing actionable insights through analytics, and simplifying processes to free recruiters for strategic work. 

In fact, companies using a CRM for recruiting are twice as likely to find high-quality candidates, according to a recent study. Despite this, just 15% of recruiters would recommend their CRM to others — highlighting the importance of selecting a comprehensive tool that meets all your needs. 

Adopting CRM in recruitment aligns with these industry trends, helping companies attract and retain top talent more effectively. We’ll explain what recruiting CRM is and tell you what to look for when choosing a CRM for recruiting. We also provide our top 20 recruiting CRM picks.

What is recruitment CRM software?

Recruitment CRM, or Candidate Relationship Management, is like a supercharged Rolodex for talent acquisition. It's a software platform that helps recruiters manage every aspect of the hiring process, from attracting and engaging candidates to onboarding new hires. Imagine a system that combines the power of a traditional applicant tracking system (ATS) with the nurturing touch of a customer relationship management (CRM) tool specifically designed for the recruitment world. Here’s how it works.

• Candidate attraction: Cast a wider net with automated job posting across platforms, social media integration, and targeted sourcing tools.

• Relationship building: Engage potential hires with personalized outreach, nurture talent pools for future needs, and track interactions throughout the process.

• Streamlined workflow: Organize applications, schedule interviews, automate tasks like email notifications and feedback loops, and collaborate with hiring teams seamlessly.

• Data-driven decisions: Gain insights into candidate behavior, track key metrics like time-to-hire and pipeline health, and optimize your recruiting strategies based on data.

Benefits of CRM for recruitment

Ultimately, recruitment CRM empowers you to:

• Reduce time-to-hire: Find the right talent faster by streamlining the process, keeping everyone informed, and providing more opportunities with time to fill.

• Improve candidate experience: Build stronger relationships with potential hires, foster a positive employer brand, and land the best talent.

• Boost hiring efficiency: Automate tasks, gain valuable data, and make smarter decisions about your recruiting efforts.

With a good recruitment CRM, you can attract top performers, build a loyal talent pool, and land the best employees for your business, all while saving time and resources. So, ditch the messy spreadsheets and manual follow-ups and embrace the power of CRM for recruiting. It's time to take your hiring game to the next level.

Choosing the right CRM for recruiting

Choosing the right recruitment CRM system can feel like navigating a complex maze. To emerge victorious, you need a map–a clear understanding of your needs and how to match them with the right tool.

Define your goals

Before venturing into the world of recruitment CRM, define your goals. Are you a one-person show hunting for niche talent, or a scaling agency managing high-volume recruitment with a CRM for agency needs? Do you prioritize automation and data-driven decisions, or a robust candidate experience with personalized engagement? Knowing your "why" will guide your exploration.

Map the CRM for recruitment’s features

When evaluating CRM features, it's essential to focus on the functionalities that directly support your recruitment process. For instance, candidate management allows you to keep track of all interactions and history with potential hires. Interview scheduling streamlines setting up meetings with candidates. Automating repetitive tasks such as follow-up emails can significantly increase your team's efficiency, and the ability to contact candidates directly from the CRM enhances communication. 

Know your budget for a recruitment CRM

Now, let's talk budget. CRMs come in all shapes and sizes, and so do their price tags. Be realistic about your financial comfort zone, factoring in user licenses, potential additional costs like training or data migration, and any future scaling needs. Remember, the cheapest option might not be the most cost-effective in the long run.

Make sure the CRM works for your recruitment team

Don't forget the user experience. Your CRM will be your team's daily companion. Prioritizing user-friendliness can promote employee morale. Look for an intuitive interface, logical workflows, and mobile access for on-the-go recruiting. Bonus points for integrations with your existing tools like calendars or email platforms.

Try a demo before buying a recruitment CRM

Before committing, take advantage of demos or free trials. This is your chance to test-drive the CRM and see if it truly fits your needs. Ask questions, explore features, and imagine your team using it daily. Get a feel for the level of support and training that you’ll receive too – is the CRM company responsive and helpful?

Choosing a recruiting CRM can be daunting, but it's also an exciting opportunity to supercharge your talent acquisition. By being clear about your needs, strategically assessing features, and prioritizing user experience, you'll find the perfect match to guide you through the talent labyrinth and land your dream hires.

Our top CRM for recruiting picks

1. Freshsales

With Freshsales, nurturing candidates is seamless, thanks to its advanced email campaign capabilities. Recruiters can design and execute targeted campaigns that deliver personalized messages to candidates based on their interactions and interest levels. This ensures that potential hires remain engaged and informed throughout the recruitment process. By automating follow-up emails and providing timely updates about new opportunities or next steps, Freshsales helps maintain a warm connection with candidates. This continuous engagement is crucial for building a strong talent pool, enhancing the chances of securing top talent.

Key features

• CRM web tracking and event tracking 

• Email and calendar integrations  schedule meetings and appointments

• Video conferencing integrations like Zoom  

• Built-in phone and email

• Email management with two-way email sync, scheduled emails, email templates, email metric tracking, and more

• Custom views to filter and sort candidates

• Manage resumes and files within candidate profiles

• Pipeline management to track the hiring process efficiently   

• Freshsales mobile app to manage candidate  recruitment even when on the go

• Freddy AI to prioritize the most suited candidates for the job, craft compelling emails, and automation tools help to streamline processes 

• Analytics and reporting to analyze recruitment metrics

Advantages

Unify your processes in talent acquisition with a single platform, streamlining workflows and eliminating data fragmentation. Freshsales also allows time for what matters by providing tools to automate repetitive tasks and leverage AI suggestions to free up your team for strategic decisions and proactive candidate interactions. Go beyond gut feelings with Freddy AI's analytics, uncover hidden insights, predict hiring success, and refine your talent acquisition strategies. Manage your recruitment efforts on the go with the dedicated mobile crm, staying productive and connected wherever you are.

Why customers rave about the Freshsales

What truly makes Freshsales stand out is its user-friendly and intuitive interface. Gone are the days of juggling disparate platforms for recruitment. From sourcing to onboarding, everything flows seamlessly within Freshsales, boosting efficiency. With a wealth of features, including email integration, pipeline management, built-in phone, analytics and reports, and more, recruiters can track candidates throughout the hiring journey and prioritize their efforts to engage with talent seamlessly. With customizable workflows and insights into recruitment metrics through analytics and reporting, Freshsales ensures recruiters can stay productive and well-informed, ultimately driving recruitment success.

Pricing: 

The Growth plan starts at $9 per user per month billed annually, making it affordable for businesses to start managing their recruiting process effectively. The Pro plan is $39 per month per user with AI, advanced workflows, and customizations for growing needs. The Enterprise plan is for large-size businesses and starts at $59 per user per month. 

2. Nutshell

Nutshell is a CRM software designed to help businesses streamline sales processes; however, it can help recruiters stay organized and work smarter. Nutshell offers many features that can simplify recruitment and enhance candidate management. Recruiters can manage candidate pipelines, track interactions, and collaborate effectively with Nutshell. 

Key Features

• Contact management 

• Pipeline management 

• Email automation

• Automation for lead assignment and advancement, task reminders, and more

• Reporting and analytics 

• Team collaboration tools 

• Online meeting scheduling tools

Pros 

• Integrations with various other CRM platforms 

• User-friendly interface

• Advanced tracking and reporting features 

Cons

• Pricing may be high for small businesses or startups 

• Customization complexity may make it more difficult to use for less tech-savvy users

• Does have room for growth but is better suited to smaller teams

Pricing

The Foundation plan is $19 per user per month, billed monthly. The Pro plan is $49 per month per user. The Power AI plan is $59 per user per month. The Enterprise plan is $79 per user per month. 

3. Nimble

Nimble is a versatile CRM platform that offers unique capabilities for recruiting purposes. Nimble provides a centralized hub for managing candidate relationships and tracking recruitment activities. With Nimble, recruiters can organize candidate information, collaborate with different teams, and track interactions. Its social CRM features, contact management features, and integration capabilities help to make it a practical choice for recruiting teams. 

Key Features

• Contact relationship and pipeline management

• Can sync Google and Microsoft 365 contacts, emails, and calendars 

• Nimble Prospector helps to create contact records from various social sites like LinkedIn

• Segmentation capabilities

• Automatic reminders for follow-up emails and more

• Email tracking 

• Customizable pipelines

Pros 

• Over 100+ integration partners

• Access to communication history 

• Integrates with multiple apps like Google Workspace and Office 365

Cons

• Some companies may find it to be too expensive 

• Limited contact records

• Limited group messaging per month 

Pricing

$29.90 per seat per month. 

4. Hubspot

HubSpot CRM offers recruiters an intuitive interface and powerful tools to manage candidate relationships and hiring workflows effectively. HubSpot CRM helps recruiters get a comprehensive view of each applicant with its centralized data platform so that recruiters can make more informed decisions. Its automation capabilities help to streamline repetitive tasks like email follow-ups, increasing overall productivity. More than just a tool for managing data, HubSpot CRM fosters a collaborative team culture with a centralized hub for all recruitment activities. 

Key Features

• Detailed reporting and analytics 

• Performance tracking and contact management automation

• Pipeline management 

• Conversations inbox

• Team email

• Email tracking 

• Meeting scheduler

Pros

• Easy to use interface

• Free CRM plan

• Easy to use data analytics

Cons

• Best as an all-in-one tool and not as a point solution

• Challenging template customization

• Advanced features may be difficult to understand for some users

Pricing 

For small teams and single users, HubSpot offers free tools. The Starter plan starts at $15 per month and the Professional plan starts at $90 per month. HubSpot charges for implementation additionally. 

5. Insightly

Insightly is an effective tool for modern recruiters with a streamlined approach to managing candidate relationships and driving recruitment efforts. Insighly's customizable reports and dashboard set it apart from other CRM software. It is also a highly customizable platform with third-party integration capabilities. 

Key Features

• Pipeline management 

• Opportunity management

• Workflow automation

• No-code integration engine

Pros

• Access on mobile

• Automation of emails, tasks, and workflows

• Dashboard customization

Cons

• Lack of phone support

• Limited record limit and storage with the free plan

• Learning curve

Pricing 

The CRM Plus plan is $29 per user per month. The Professional plan is $49 per user per month. The Enterprise plan is $99 per user per month. 

6. EngageBay

EngageBay offers a CRM solution tailored to meet recruiting teams' unique needs, helping them make hiring processes more efficient. With EngageBay, recruiters can manage candidate pipelines, track interactions, and more. EngageBay provides a strategic framework for recruiters to cultivate meaningful connections with top talent with centralized candidate interactions and information that help recruiters comprehensively view each candidate's journey.  

Key Features

• Appointment scheduling

• Contact management 

• Contact management software

• Email integration and tracking

• Email template builder

Pros 

• Continual improvement and updates

• Support is fast and effective

• Collaborative tools

Cons

• Learning curve 

• Templates are not as cutting-edge and may be outdated

• Need for more in-depth training

Pricing 

The CRM & Sales Bay starts at $11.95 per user/month and has plans up to $73.59 per user/month on the Pro. 

7. Keap

Keap offers a transformative approach to CRM for recruiting, focusing on building lasting connections with candidates while streamlining the hiring process. Keap helps recruiters seamlessly manage candidate relationships, track interactions, and provide personalized communication. With Keap, recruiters can create a candidate-centric approach, achieving better hiring outcomes. 

Key Features

• Mobile app

• Reminders and reports

• Automated lead capture

• Personalized automation based on candidate data and activity

• Reporting 

Pros

• Clean and easy-to-use interface

• Customization capabilities

• Automation leads to time saving 

Cons

• Implementation and setup time can be long

• Pricing may be too expensive for some businesses

• Slight learning curve

Pricing 

Pro plan is $199 per month for 1,500 contacts. Max plan is $299 per month for 2,500 contacts. Ultimate plan is $299 per month for 2,500 contacts. 

8. Copper

Copper makes CRM for recruiting more efficient and effective by helping recruiters manage candidate relationships, streamline hiring workflows, and more. Its contact management system ensures recruiters have all necessary information readily available, from resumes to communication history. 

Key Features

• Integration with Google Workspace

• Access to history of interactions with contacts 

• Workflow automation 

• Contact and lead management

• Email tracking

Pros 

• Easy to use and implement 

• Seamless onboarding 

• Built specifically for CRM unlike some other platforms 

Cons

• Designed to work with Google and other email hosting services may not work as well

• Basic plan has limited functionality

• Workflow automation may be time-consuming

Pricing 

Basic plan is $29 per user per month. Professional plan is $69 per user per month. Business plan is $134 per user per month. 

9. Close

Close is a versatile platform that can be a solution for recruiters and help them enhance candidate management. With an advanced contact management system, recruiters can centralize candidate information, creating easy access and organization. Close's advanced communication tools, including email templates, facilitate personalized and efficient candidate engagement. 

Key Features

• Email and calendar sync

• Customizable call software

• Task setting for teams 

• Workflow automation

• Call assistant

• Reporting

Pros 

• Quick setup

• Customization 

• Zapier and other integrations 

Cons

• Lack of free version

• Not always suitable for larger teams 

• Limited native integrations 

Pricing

Startup plan is $59 per month. Professional plan is $329 per month. Enterprise plan is $749 per month

Bitrix24

Bitrix24 helps recruiters centralize candidate information and manage candidates at various stages of the recruitment process. Bitrix has unlimited records and a wealth of CRM tools like scheduling, pipeline management, and more. Is also helps to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration among team members leading to a more efficient recruitment process.

Key Features

• Automated workflows

• Mobile CRM access

• Telephony

• Analytics

• Email integration

Pros

• Unlimited users

• Mobile app is helpful for remote work

• Collaboration tools like file sharing, built-in-chat, and more

Cons

• Customization limitations when compared to other CRM platforms

• User interface is often cluttered and outdated

• Cost of paid plans with more features may be expensive for some businesses

Pricing

Free plan is offered. Basic plan is $61 per organization per month. Standard plan is $124 per organization per month. Professional plan is $249 per organization per month. Enterprise plan is $499 per organization per month.

Vtiger

Vtiger is an effective CRM software for recruiting with its wide range of features, user-centric design, and more. All data is stored in a centralized database, making it easy to access important information. Vtiger's automation capabilities alleviate the burden of manual tasks, and its advanced reporting and analytics provide actionable insights.

Key Features

• Email templates

• Analytics and reports

• Calendar and events

• Internal collaboration tools

• Appointment management

Pros

• Easy and simple collaboration between teams

• Customizable

• Very responsive customer support

Cons

• Learning curve

• Cannot view content from interface without downloading it first

• Mobile app lacking in features

Pricing

Pricing starts at $15 per month for the standard user. Free trial and free version are available.

Pipeliner

Pipeliner CRM is a comprehensive solution for recruitment processes, offering features to streamline talent acquisition. Pipeliner helps recruiters to manage candidate interactions seamlessly from initial contact to final placement. Its dynamic visualization tools enable recruiters to track candidates' progress through various stages of the hiring process, ensuring transparency and efficiency. Pipeliner's integration capabilities with job boards, email platforms, and other recruitment tools enhance productivity by centralizing data and automating repetitive tasks.

Key Features

• Pipeline management

• Contact management

• Relationship maps

• Account matrix

• Automatizer workflow tool

Pros

• Automated data entries

• Easy to learn

• Mobile app

Cons

• Learning curve

• Limited integration options

• User interface is lacking

Pricing

Starter plan is $65 per user per month. Business plan is $85 per user per month. Enterprise is $115 per user per month. Unlimited plan is $150 per user per month.

Salesforce sales cloud

Salesforce enables recruiters to manage the hiring process with its customizable dashboard and reports, offering valuable insight into recruitment metrics and helping to make data-driven decisions. Its integration capabilities with third-party platforms help recruiters reach candidates across multiple channels and streamline sourcing efforts.

Key Features

• Pipeline management

• Mass emailing

• Customizable reports and dashboard

• Integrated with third party platforms

• AI and automation

Pros

• Customization options

• Easy setup

• Advanced reporting

Cons

• Pricing plans can be expensive

• Limited focus on recruiting and recruiters may need to invest in additional customizations or third party integrations for recruitment processes

• Overwhelming amount of features for recruiters who just want basic CRM functions

Pricing

Starter Suite plan is $24 per user per month. Professional plan is $80 per user per month. Enterprise plan is $165 per user per month. Unlimited plan is $330 per user per month. Einstein 1 Sales plan is $500 per user per month.

Pipedrive

Pipedrive simplifies managing candidate relationships and tracking processes throughout the recruitment lifecycle. Recruiters can easily visualize their pipeline, organize candidates, and prioritize tasks with Pipedrive's CRM functions. Its integration with email, calendars, and more makes it an essential tool for streamlining communication and automating tasks.

Key Features

• Workflow automation

• Telephony feature on some plans

• Reporting

• Team monitoring tools

• Customizable pipelines

Pros

• User-friendly interface

• Continuous innovation and regular updates

• Highly customizable

Cons

• Learning curve

• Not as affordable for some businesses

• Limitations in email synchronization in terms of pricing plans

Pricing

Essential plan is $9.90. Advanced plan is $19.90. Professional plan is $39.90. Power plan is $49.90. Enterprise plan is $59.90.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is a valuable CRM platform for recruiting professionals, with tools tailored to streamline candidate management and engagement. ActiveCampaign's advanced segmentation features allow recruiters to categorize candidates based on various criteria, facilitating targeted outreach and ensuring a tailored approach to each prospect. Additionally, integrating with popular recruiting tools and applicant tracking systems enhances workflow efficiency, enabling seamless data synchronization and team collaboration. ActiveCampaign empowers recruiters to build meaningful relationships with candidates, optimize recruitment processes, and ultimately drive better hiring outcomes.

Key Features

• Advanced analytics and reporting

• Powerful automations

• Notification emails

• Note creation

• Task assignment

• Lead segmentation

Pros

• Easy to use

• Integrations with over 900 tools

• Machine learning and CRM is integrated with automations

Cons

• Mobile app can be slow at times

• Advanced features can be too complex for some users

• Reporting can be difficult to navigate

Pricing

The Plus plan is $23 per month. The Professional plan is $59 per month. The Enterprise plan is $119 per month.

Monday sales CRM

Monday Sales CRM integrates a wide range of features to streamline recruitment. Monday Sales CRM offers automation capabilities to speed up tasks that would typically take a lot of manual effort, like emailing. It is also equipped with features for managing and tracking candidate progress.

• Key Features

• Lead management

• Contact management

• Email tracking and sync

• Mass email sending

• AI-assisted email creation

• Call logging

Pros

• Automations save time and are easy to integrate

• 24/7 customer support for all plans

• Unlimited contacts and boards for the Basic plan

Cons

• All plans have a three seat minimum

• Lacks more advanced analytics

• Complexity for simple needs

Pricing

The Basic CRM plan is $12 per seat per month. The Standard CRM plan is $17 per seat per month. The Pro CRM plan is $28 per seat per month. The Enterprise CRM plan pricing is set up between Monday Sales team and users.

LeadSquared

LeadSquared is a marketing automation and CRM software that works to help users automate routing tasks and manage CRM recruiting. This software can integrate with multiple other applications to increase efficiency and has an iOS application for on-the-go work.

Key Features

• Omnichannel support

• Interactions history

• Internal notes

• Team analytics

• Task automation

• Advanced search capabilities

Pros

• Mobile optimizing

• Customization for reports

• Automated notifications

Cons

• Limited integrations for mobile apps

• Landing pages for mobile are not user-friendly

• Some users report server issues and slow service times

Pricing

Pricing for all plans is communicated with LeadSquared to determine how much users will be charged.

Agile CRM

Agile CRM is a software that helps businesses of all sizes with sales, marketing, and customer service processes. In terms of recruiting, Agile CRM frees up time to focus on building meaningful connections with candidates by offering integration capabilities, event and appointment management tools, and multichannel accessibility. Agile CRM provides sharing and unlimited team messaging to increase collaboration and ensures security with authentication tools.

Key Features

• Contact management

• Appointment scheduling

• Reporting and analytics

• Email integration

• Custom reports

Pros

• Ability to sync with Google Calendar

• Mobile accessibility

• Intuitive mobile dashboard

Cons

• Managing updates can be difficult

• Some users have complained about less support from lower plans

• Pricing may be too expensive for some users

Pricing

The free plan is offered for up to 10 users. The Starter plan is $14.99 per month per user. The Regular plan is $49.99 per month per user. The Enterprise plan is $79.99 per month per user.

Salesflare

Salesflare is a CRM software perfect for small to midsize businesses and is compatible with Microsoft 365, LinkedIn, Gmail, and more for efficient recruiting. With automation tools for reminders, contacts, and emailing, Salesflare can cut down on manual tasks in recruiting so that employees can focus more on establishing lasting relationships with candidates. Its collaboration tools, like shared email templates, help to ensure recruitment is being addressed as a team.

Key Features

• Email and meeting synchronization

• Data enrichment for contacts

• Automated reminders

• Email tracking and web tracking

• Live notifications

• Customizable reporting

Pros

• Email templates can be shared and inserted into emails for Gmail

• LinkedIn email finder

• Mobile access

Cons

• Limited scalability for larger organizations

• Some users have reported issues with email synching

• Interface can be difficult to navigate

Pricing

The Growth plan is $35 per month, and the Pro plan is $55 per month. The Enterprise plan pricing is worked out between Salesflare and users.

Zendesk Sell

Zendesk Sell has CRM functions and tools to help teams with recruitment processes and boost productivity. Zendesk Sell offers a centralized platform to streamline recruiting and create more informed decision-making, from email integration and tracking to activity reporting and analytics to customizable dashboards. With many integrations and automation capabilities, Zendesk Sell makes recruiting more efficient and saves time.

Key Features

• Email integration

• Mass emailing

• Task sequencing

• Custom call list

• Smart lists

Pros

• Over 100 integrations

• Mobile app

• Customizable dashboard

Cons

• Some challenges have been reported with uploading data and data sometimes being erased

• The learning curve can be intense

• Costly for small businesses

Pricing

The Zendesk Sell Team plan is $25 per agent per month, while the Sell Growth plan is $69 per agent per month. The Sell Professional plan is $149 per agent per month. The Sell Enterprise plan starts at $169 per user per month.