Best Free Applicant Tracking Systems for Startups

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When you start a company, the list of tasks to accomplish can seem overwhelming. You want to make sure that you find the right people for your team, hire faster and more efficiently, and keep your new hires happy once they come on board. Finding the right applicant tracking system (ATS) to help manage this process will help ease your mind. But what if you don't have the budget for an ATS? Not to worry...below are some great options that are listed based on your preference.

#1: Flatwork

  • Flatwork is a free applicant tracking system that brings speed, AI, email automation, powerful search, and collaboration to recruiting & hiring.
  • Flatwork allows you to automate the talent outreach and save time by creating email campaigns with rule sets to automate your emails. It allows you to set conditions to whether the recipient opened or replied to your emails to increase open rates drastically and tracks the performance of each nurture campaign and control every aspect.
  • It can manage more than 100,000 candidates and fit within your organizational system without the worry of a slow system. It is optimized to meet your needs, and can scale based on your needs.
  • Flatwork allows you to choose the plan that is right for you and your company. It houses many options tailored to startups, enterprises, mid-size companies and so on. You can opt to start with a free plan, that allows you to experiment with its many features, and then change your free to meet your ends. There are also monthly and yearly pricing options for discounted price.

#2: Breezy HR

  • Breezy HR is a cloud-based applicant tracking system that provides recruiters and hiring managers with tools for recruiting, onboarding, and applicant tracking.
  • Breezy HR helps you to manage your hiring process from start to finish by helping you to screen candidates, schedule interviews, provide feedback on applications and resumes, track candidates through the hiring process and finally hire them.
  • They offer a free trial so you're able to test out their features before committing to anything long term which is great if you're just starting out or looking for something simple but effective that doesn't break your budget.
  • Breezy is a great choice for startups because it has a familiar interface. It feels similar to a CRM or Trello board, where you’re able to define clear steps in your hiring process. Then you can apply automation for each of the stages, saving time and creating a consistent workflow for all of your hiring decisions.
Breezy HR Pricing, Reviews and Features (September 2022) - SaaSworthy.com

#3: GoHire

  • GoHire is a free applicant tracking system that allows you to manage your recruitment process from start to finish. GoHire is a great solution for small businesses and startups with fewer than 50 employees because it offers features like
  • A free plan with unlimited applicant tracking
  • Integration with Slack, G Suite and Microsoft Office 365
  • You can also use GoHire if you want help finding candidates or recruiters on your team by recruiting them on LinkedIn.
  • GoHire is a great Applicant Tracking System for startups because it offers a familiar, multi-step hiring workflow with defined stages and a snapshot of all candidates at each stage. It’s a bit more complex than the simplified view in a solution like Breezy, but also allows your team to rate and score candidates.  That means you can prioritize applicants based on their qualifications and experience, as well as sort them by skill level or role. GoHire allows you to set up custom fields for each position so you can collect all the relevant information about applicants so you can make better hiring decisions.

#4: Bamboo HR

  • Bamboo HR is a recruiting platform that helps hiring managers recruit, manage and hire the right talent, faster. The system provides users with the ability to manage their entire hiring workflows and processes through one centralized system. It allows teams to quickly search resumes, schedule interviews and review candidate profiles in real time.
  • The platform also allows users to streamline the interview process by providing access to applicant tracking systems (ATS), automated emails templates for candidates as well as interview rooms scheduling features that can be accessed from any mobile device.
  • With its robust functionality, BambooHR offers a strong set of tools to build branded jobs pages, create listings, collect applications and build a candidate funnel to fill each role. The functionality extends beyond the common ATS and borders on an all-in-one HR suite, but in a much more accessible package (and price range) than many of the enterprise solutions out there.

#5: Recruitee

  • Recruitee is a free applicant tracking system for startups. It's built to be easy to use, so it's perfect for small teams that don't need an advanced ATS.
  • Recruitee's interface is clean and simple, which makes it easy to set up and get started with your recruiting needs. You can create candidate profiles, manage job postings, and track the progress of your hiring efforts in one place with this tool
  • The "Launch" package packs a similar feature set to other ATS solutions, including branded job listings and career sites, an application inbox, and a KanBan-style candidate tracking interface for moving folks through the hiring process
  • It also includes a number of additional features that are only available in the higher-priced packages from other vendors. For example, you can integrate with third-party platforms like Slack and Salesforce, which can help you automate your hiring process even further. The solution also includes applicant scoring and accessible reporting tools to help you analyze your recruitment efforts over time.

#6: Freshteam

  • If a simple, easy-to-use tool with plenty of features is what you’re looking for, Freshteam might be the best applicant tracking system for your startup.
  • Freshteam has an impressive list of features that includes:
  • A mobile app (iOS and Android)
  • An intuitive user interface that makes it easy to manage candidates and projects easily from your desktop or mobile device
  • The ability to connect with other popular apps like Google Drive, Slack and Asana via Zapier integration
  • Freshteam does exactly what it promises - it helps you to find your perfect employee fast. As well as a powerful yet intuitive hiring platform, Freshteam offers integrations with major recruitment software platforms, giving you the ability to bring in leads from multiple sources and surface the best candidates for each job. Onboarding and employee management features mean that the entire process from application to hire is managed under one roof. As easy on your pocket as it is on your eyes, Freshteam's pricing starts at $20 per user per month (or $45 per user per month if you pay annually), while their free version provides basic functionality suitable for small employers.

#7: Greenhouse

  • Greenhouse is an excellent ATS that comes with a free trial, so it’s a good option if you’re on a tight budget and only need the software temporarily. The software is used by companies like Airbnb, GitHub, and Slack. Greenhouse is an all-in-one recruiting solution that provides everything you need to hire new employees: job posts, applicant tracking, background checks and more. It's perfect for startups that are growing quickly because it allows you to post jobs on multiple sites at once and manage applications from one central location.
  • Greenhouse has won several awards including Best Applicant Tracking System (ATS) by Recruiter Technology Awards 2016—Best Free ATS by Dice Report 2016—Best New Hiring Software by Workforce Magazine 2015—Most Innovative HR Solution by Human Resources Executive Conference & Exhibition 2014 - Best New Talent Management Solution at Talent Management Awards 2013 - Most Innovative HR Service Provider To Employers 2014 - Best Applicant Tracking System For Startups 2016
  • The application process is streamlined, so you can quickly move through applications and conduct interviews. Once you've hired someone, the system helps keep track of their progress, including daily reports on how many applicants they've interviewed and how many offers they've made.
  • Greenhouse also offers best-in-class features for creating and managing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. They offer specific tools designed to combat hiring bias like in-app prompts for hiring teams, anonymous candidate reviews, and pre-defined decision criteria.

#8: Workable

  • Workable is an easy-to-use applicant tracking system that's ideal for startups. It's cloud-based, so you don't need to worry about hosting it yourself and can be up and running in just a few minutes.
  • It has all the basic features of a good applicant tracking system (ATS), including:
  • Job posting management
  • Automated email notifications and reminders
  • Workable is a powerful applicant tracking system that makes it easy to manage your job posting and applicant tracking.  The system integrates seamlessly with other popular tools like Slack, Google Calendar, and Dropbox, so you can stay up-to-date on the status of each candidate without having to switch between programs.  It also has a built-in database of over 400 million candidates, which is searchable by employment history, roles, and specific skills.

#9: ViVAHR

  • ViVAHR is a cloud-based applicant tracking system that has a simple interface. This makes it easy to use and allows you to focus on what matters most—your business.
  • ViVAHR has an applicant tracking system built in, which allows you to handle all of your employee applications in one place. It also integrates with other systems, such as payroll software, so hiring employees is more efficient overall.
  • ViVAHR is a purpose-built application tracking system for companies in cleaning, landscaping, and HVAC industries. It is designed to help these businesses manage their recruitment process from start to finish. The software allows users to upload resumes, track applications and schedule interviews as well as manage the entire hiring process.
  • The application uses artificial intelligence algorithms that can scan resumes for keywords that are relevant to the given job description. This helps you find the best candidates and avoid wasting time interviewing people who don't meet your requirements.

#10: SmartRecruiters

  • The SmartRecruiters ATS is one of the most popular applicant tracking systems on the market. It has more than 500,000 users and was named as one of the "Top 20 Free Online Tools" by Entrepreneur in 2010. In addition to its ease of use, it offers a number of features that make it good for small businesses:
  • Easy to learn and easy to use
  • Easy to customize
  • Integration with other tools (like Slack)
  • Mobile device friendly (iOS & Android)

#11: Jobvite

  • Jobvite is a cloud-based recruiting software that helps companies find and hire the best candidates. JobVite includes a full suite of applicant tracking, sourcing, and hiring tools, as well as a powerful applicant database.
  • Jobvite offers you:
  • Recruiting automation tools to help you manage every aspect of your recruiting process from posting jobs to screening applications to scheduling interviews.
  • A comprehensive candidate database including company information that makes it easy for recruiters to verify credentials or contact previous employers for references.
Jobvite Hire: Not Your Typical Applicant Tracking System - Jobvite

#12: Recruiterbox

  • Recruiterbox is a web-based applicant tracking system (ATS) that makes it easy for small businesses to manage hiring processes.
  • Recruiterbox has a free version and several paid plans. The free version comes with all the basic features you need for your startup, including unlimited users and candidates, web forms, job posting tools, automated email notifications when new applicants join your pipeline, an applicant database with unlimited records (including candidate resume uploads), review board management features and more.
  • In addition to its core features set RecruiterBox offers some very powerful integrations with other services such as Slack or Salesforce CRM along with over 700 apps built by third party developers which can be easily integrated into RecruiterBox using Zapier.
  • The only reason we wouldn’t consider Recruiterbox one of our top picks is because while it offers similar capabilities of the other ATS options we’ve evaluated, the pricing seems a bit steep and opaque. In particular, charging based on the number of employees at the company seems a bit arbitrary and could end up costing a pretty penny as your company grows.

#13: OrangeHRM

  • OrangeHRM is a cloud-based employee management system for small businesses. It offers free plan for startups and has many modules to help with HR functions such as onboarding, payroll, performance reviews and more. The platform also has a mobile app that allows you to manage your employees from anywhere in the world.
  • OrangeHRM helps you manage your employees' personal information such as their address or passport number. You can also add fields like marital status or languages spoken by people on your team so that when you hire someone new it's easy to find out who speaks what language or if they're married before sending them an offer letter (which will save you some money).

#14: Zoho Recruit

  • Zoho Recruit is a cloud-based applicant tracking system that helps businesses hire and manage employees. It's free for small businesses, which is why it's one of the best free ATS solutions you can find.
  • Zoho Recruit offers features like:
  • Job posting management
  • Applicant tracking and recruitment marketing tools
  • Job search engine integration with Google or Bing (if you want to post jobs on these sites)

#15: Bullhorn

  • The ATS comes with several useful features:
  • An intuitive applicant tracking system that allows you to manage all your candidates in one place
  • Instant notifications about new applications or responses from candidates whenever you want them
  • An internal messaging system that allows you to communicate with applicants directly from within Bullhorn
  • Bullhorn is a cloud-based applicant tracking system (ATS) that provides third-party recruiters with all the tools they need to manage their recruitment process. The company has been around for more than 20 years and claims to have more than 8,000 agencies in its customer base.
  • Bullhorn's main focus is on increasing the speed of its ATS, which is useful for recruiters executing dozens of recruitment tasks every hour. Bullhorn spends more than $1 million per month on product development alone, mainly focusing on improving the speed of its cloud-based application.

In conclusion, ATSs are a great way to streamline your hiring process. With an ATS, you can choose the right applicant tracking system for your recruiting needs. Even if you don’t have a requirement for a specific feature of an ATS, it might be wise to invest in one anyway because they save time and money by automating much of the manual work that goes into screening applicants. Just remember that this type of software is not going away any time soon so make sure that whatever solution you choose will work with your business now and in the future.

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