Don't drown in a pile of CVs with these 10 application tracking tools
Hiring, which should be an exciting adventure to find the rare pearl, sometimes turns into an exhausting marathon, where you spend more time sorting than exchanging. What if we told you that it's possible to take back control and turn this tedious process into a well-oiled machine?
🛟 This article is your lifeline. Together, we're going to dive into the world of applicant tracking tools, those smart platforms that automate repetitive tasks to let you focus on what really matters: talent. We've selected 10 solutions for you, from the simplest to the most sophisticated, so you can find the one that perfectly matches your needs.
Why use an application tracking tool?
If you're still juggling spreadsheets, you may be wondering why you need to change your habits. The answer is simple: to survive. An Applicant Tracking System( ATS ) is much more than just a database. It's a veritable Swiss army knife of recruitment software, designed for recruiters and business leaders who want to optimize their hiring process.
This software centralizes all information, from the first contact to the signed contract. No more misplaced CVs, forgotten e-mails or pending application statuses. You save precious time by automating the publication of job offers on multiple platforms, the reception and analysis of CVs (thanks to parsing), and even communication with candidates. You can easily :
- collaborate with your team,
- give feedback,
- and track the progress of each file at a glance.
☝️ The end result is a better candidate experience, greater credibility and an enhanced employer brand.
What about using Excel for recruitment?
Let's be honest, we've all been there. For one or two recruitments a year, Excel seems to be the ideal solution: it's free, you can master it, and you can create follow-up tables with the candidate's name, interview date and status. It's the recruiter's cozy little corner in search of simplicity. But let's be clear: it's a makeshift solution, not a recruitment tool.
As soon as the volume of applications increases, Excel shows its limitations. Visibility is lost, data entry errors multiply, and you soon find yourself with an unreadable, unmanageable spreadsheet. It's impossible to automate anything, generate accurate reports or guarantee data security.
In short, using Excel for an intensive recruitment process is like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon. It may be a good place to start, but if you want to go further, you've got to step it up a gear.
Our top 10 applicant tracking software comparison chart
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 Beehire |  Nicoka CABS |  Tellent Recruitee |  Manatal |  SmartRecruiters |  Trello |  Zoho Recruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For all companies | For companies with more than 1 employees | For companies with 2 to 5000 employees | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For companies with more than 1 employees |
| See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software |
| Learn more about Beehire | Learn more about Nicoka CABS | Learn more about Tellent Recruitee | Learn more about Manatal | Learn more about SmartRecruiters | Learn more about Trello | Learn more about Zoho Recruit |
Beehire
Beehire is an intelligent, collaborative recruitment tool that focuses on simplicity and the candidate experience. Its aim is to streamline the entire recruitment process by providing an intuitive platform and homepage where recruiters can easily interact with their teams and candidates.
The solution stands out for its gamification and automation features, which aim to make recruitment less laborious and more engaging.
It is particularly aimed at SMEs looking to modernize their hiring process without drowning in technical complexity. Beehire helps build a pipeline of qualified talent while offering transparent tracking and simplified communication.
⚒️ The platform offers :
- centralized management: consolidates all applications, information and communications in one place;
- customizable workflows: create tailor-made recruitment processes for each position;
- automated communication: sends personalized messages to candidates at every stage to keep them informed;
- collaborative features: facilitates feedback sharing and team decision-making.
💸 Pricing: Beehire offers several plans, including a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start from €80/month with the annual subscription, for an unlimited number of users.
Beehire
Flatchr
Flatchr is an all-in-one recruitment software designed for SMEs and fast-growing companies. Its promise is to simplify the entire recruitment lifecycle, from posting offers to managing interviews.
The solution stands out for its approach to automating and optimizing workflows. It enables you to multi-post job ads on over 100 job platforms with a single click, automatically sort applications and centralize communication with candidates.
Flatchr is a solid solution for recruitment teams looking to save time and improve operational efficiency without compromising on process quality.
⚒️ Flatchr's functionalities include :
-
multi-posting of job offers: enables you to publish job ads on several job boards in just a few clicks;
-
application management: centralizes and organizes all profiles received, whether from job offers or unsolicited applications;
-
intelligent CV parsing: automatically extracts key information from CVs to create complete candidate files;
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a collaborative dashboard: facilitates feedback sharing and team decision-making.
💸 Price: the "Starter" package starts at €49/month for a single offer slot. The "Pro" package goes up to €479/month for 10 slots.
HelloWork
HelloWork is a well-known recruitment platform that has developed its own applicant tracking system. This solution is aimed at companies wishing to benefit from the power of a major jobboard while managing their recruitment process centrally.
The big advantage here is the seamless integration with the HelloWork ecosystem, which facilitates the distribution of job offers and the sourcing of candidates.
The tool is particularly relevant for recruiters who regularly publish on sites such as RegionsJob or Cadremploi. Beyond simple application management, HelloWork offers predictive recruitment and intelligent matching functionalities to find the best profiles faster.
⚒️ HelloWork's strength lies in :
-
native integration with job boards : post your vacancies directly on HelloWork group platforms.
-
optimized sourcing: access a rich, qualified CV library to find the right profiles.
-
comprehensive application management: track applications, communicate with candidates and schedule interviews.
-
analysis reports : measure your recruitment performance to optimize future campaigns.
💸 Price: HelloWork offers a free package enabling you to publish up to two advertisements. The "Liberté TPE" plan starts at €99 per month, with no commitment.
Layan
Layan is a French ATS positioned as an ally in the digital transformation of recruitment. With a focus on ease of use and efficiency, it is designed to help companies of all sizes manage their recruitment processes seamlessly.
Layan's promise is to relieve recruiters of administrative tasks, allowing them to concentrate on human relations. The tool features an intuitive interface, clear dashboards and powerful automation functions.
Layan also focuses on employer branding, offering companies the possibility of creating personalized career pages to attract talent.
⚒️ In short, Layan stands out thanks to :
-
personalized career pages: create a job site that reflects your brand;
-
centralized application management: receive and manage applications from all sources via a single interface;
-
Workflow automation : configure scenarios to send notifications, reminders and e-mails to candidates;
-
its collaborative tracking board: track candidate progress with your team and share notes in real time.
💸 Pricing: Layan offers three packages with customized pricing.
Manatal
Manatal presents itself as AI-based recruitment software. Its value proposition is to transform the recruitment process using artificial intelligence to identify, assess and recruit top talent faster.
It is aimed at companies of all sizes, including recruitment agencies, looking to modernize their approach. The tool uses AI for CV matching, candidate profile creation, talent sourcing and recommendation.
Manatal makes it possible to create personalized workflows, track every stage of the recruitment process and collaborate effectively with the team. It is particularly appreciated for its ability to manage large volumes of data and provide relevant insights for decision-making.
⚒️ Thus, the tool offers a wide range of functionalities, including:
-
intelligent AI matching: analyzes CVs and profiles to find the most relevant candidates for a position;
-
sourcing on over 2,500 platforms: identify and attract passive candidates on professional networks, job boards and social media;
-
Candidate CRM: manage your talent pool and build long-term relationships;
-
visual pipeline management: track the progress of applications on an easy-to-use Kanban board.
💸 Price: Manatal offers a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start at €12.70 per user per month to publish up to 15 jobs (Professional).
Manatal
Nicoka CABS
Nicoka CABS is a comprehensive, modular ATS, tailor-made for recruitment agencies and companies managing large volumes of applications.
The tool is the fruit of many years' experience in the recruitment sector, and this is reflected in its cutting-edge functionalities. Beyond simple candidate management, Nicoka CABS integrates a powerful CRM (candidate relationship management) and an invoicing module for recruitment agencies. It also automates time-consuming tasks such as posting job ads on multiple job boards and searching for profiles on professional social networks.
⚒️ Nicoka's approach is resolutely professional, aiming to offer a robust and reliable solution to optimize the work of the most demanding recruitment teams, via features such as :
-
customizable modules: adapt the tool to your specific needs (customer relationship management, invoicing, etc.) ;
-
advanced candidate management: track the entire candidate lifecycle, from identification to placement;
-
intelligent sourcing: search and collect CVs from a variety of sources, including social networks;
-
accurate reporting: analyze the performance of your recruitment campaigns with detailed dashboards.
💸 Price: Nicoka CABS offers a single price of €130 per user per month, with no commitment, including a free trial.
Nicoka CABS
Recruitee
Recruitee is collaborative recruitment software, ideal for teams wishing to centralize their process and make it more transparent. Its philosophy is simple: establish fluid communication between team members to make the best hiring decisions.
The platform stands out for its polished user interface and simplicity-focused approach. Recruitee features multi-posting of job offers, a visual application tracking system (Kanban board), and collaboration tools for evaluating profiles and scheduling interviews.
⚒️ This solution is particularly well-suited to startups and SMEs that rely on collaboration and speed to attract quality talent, thanks to :
-
a visual dashboard: track the progress of applications on an easy-to-customize Kanban board;
-
team collaboration: share notes, feedback and assign tasks to team members;
-
multi-posting of job vacancies: publish your ads on over 200 job boards with a single click;
-
employer branding: create an attractive career site to showcase your company's culture.
💸 Pricing: Recruitee offers several plans: a free trial, Start at €270 per month (up to 5 active offers), Pro at €343 per month (unlimited offers), and an Optimize plan from €1,374 per month with many additional features.
Tellent Recruitee
SmartRecruiters
SmartRecruiters is positioned as an all-in-one recruitment platform. Its ambition is to simplify the entire recruitment process, from candidate sourcing to onboarding, for companies of all sizes.
The solution is particularly powerful for sourcing candidates, thanks to its integration with numerous job boards and social networks. SmartRecruiters focuses on the user experience, offering an intuitive interface for recruiters and candidates alike.
⚒️ Beyond simple applicant tracking, the platform offers predictive recruitment and performance measurement functionalities to optimize long-term hiring strategies. In addition, SmartRecruiters offers :
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sourcing and distribution: access a large talent database and publish your offers on thousands of partner sites;
-
Candidate CRM: build and manage your talent pool for future recruitment;
-
advanced collaboration : facilitate communication between recruiters, managers and candidates;
-
HR analytics: get accurate reports on your recruitment performance to make informed decisions.
💸 Pricing: SmartRecruiters offers pricing plans based on the number of employees, available on quotation.
SmartRecruiters
Trello
Trello is not an ATS per se, but a project management tool. However, its flexibility and simplicity make it a makeshift solution for smaller structures.
Trello is based on the principle of the Kanban board, where you can organize cards (representing candidates) into lists (representing stages in the recruitment process). Comments, labels and deadlines can be added to each card. It's free to use and very easy to learn.
It's ideal for one or two simultaneous recruitments, but like Excel, it shows its limitations as soon as the volume of applications increases. The lack of recruitment-specific automation and manual data management can quickly become a hindrance.
⚒️ The platform is a good solution for monitoring applications, thanks to :
-
its intuitive, visual interface : the Kanban board makes it easy to keep track of applications visually;
-
simplified collaboration: teams can easily comment on cards and share information;
-
high flexibility: create a recruitment process tailored to your needs;
-
its free version available: ideal for smaller structures or to test the concept.
💸 Price : Trello offers a free version. Paid plans start from €54.23 per user per month for additional features.
Trello
Zoho Recruit
Zoho Recruit is a full-featured ATS that integrates seamlessly with the Zoho suite of tools. It is designed for recruitment agencies and corporate HR teams.
Its strength lies in its rich functionality and ability to manage the entire recruitment lifecycle. Zoho Recruit features candidate sourcing, pipeline management, automated communication and detailed reporting. The tool can be customized to suit different types of company.
It is particularly appreciated for its extensive automation and integration with other software, which saves considerable time and centralizes information.
⚒️ In short, the strengths of Zoho Recruit are :
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its integration with the Zoho suite: connects to other Zoho applications for unified business management ;
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sourcing and multicasting: find candidates on over 100 job boards and social networks;
-
Process automation: create customized workflows to automate repetitive tasks;
-
candidate tracking : follow every step of the process, from application to integration.
💸 Price: Zoho Recruit offers a free version with an active offer. Paid plans start at €25 per user per month with the annual plan.
Zoho Recruit
How do you choose your application tracking tool?
Now that you've had a good look around, the fateful question arises: how do you make the right choice? Don't rush to the most expensive or most reputable tool.
💡 Take a moment to think about your real needs. To do this:
-
analyze your needs: what's your recruitment volume? Do you need advanced sourcing functionalities or simple application management? ;
-
think about your team: a tool must be easy to use and encourage collaboration. Don't hesitate to involve your team in the selection process;
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check compatibility: does the tool integrate with your existing systems (calendar, mailbox, etc.)?
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consider the budget: price shouldn't be the only criterion, but it is crucial. Most solutions offer a free trial version, so take advantage of it;
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candidate experience: a good tool is one that enables you to create a fluid, professional experience for your candidates.
Application tracking tool: what to remember?
Recruitment is like a good joke: timing is everything. To avoid drowning in the flood of CVs and emails, an application tracking tool is no longer an option, but a necessity.
📌F rom the simplicity of Trello to the AI power of Manatal, via specialized solutions from Nicoka CABS, the market is full of solutions to suit every need.
No more sleepless nights sorting CVs on Excel. With the right tool, you can centralize, automate and collaborate to find the perfect candidate faster than ever. Investing in an ATS means investing in the efficiency of your recruitment process and, more broadly, in the future of your company. So, are you ready to take the plunge?
Article translated from French