If you’ve clicked on this article, it probably means you’re trying to figure out what the best free applicant tracking systems are in 2023.
An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is a software tool specifically designed to support and enhance recruitment efforts. It provides recruiters with a centralised platform to manage the entire hiring process, from sourcing candidates to onboarding.
In this blog, we discuss:
- The key features you can expect in a FREE ATS for recruiters
- How to choose a FREE ATS
- The best FREE applicant tracking systems in 2023
Key Features to Expect in a FREE ATS for Recruiters:
- Candidate Sourcing: Recruiters can utilise an ATS to discover potential candidates through various channels such as job boards, social media platforms and employee recommendations. The system should also provide advanced search functionalities to locate candidates based on specific requirements or criteria.
- CV/Resume Screening: An ATS automatically parses and screens resumes, allowing recruiters to quickly review and filter candidates based on predefined criteria, such as qualifications, skills, experience or keywords. This helps streamline the initial candidate screening process.
- Applicant Database: The system maintains a database of all applicants, storing their profiles, resumes, notes and other relevant information. Recruiters should be able to search and access candidate profiles easily, enabling them to build talent pools and engage with potential candidates for future opportunities.
- Interview Management: An ATS helps recruiters schedule interviews, send interview invitations and coordinate availability between candidates and interviewers. It may also provide interview scorecards or evaluation forms to standardise the interview process and facilitate interview feedback.
- Analytics and Reporting: ATS platforms can generate reports and provide analytics to recruiters, offering insights into recruitment metrics like time-to-fill, source of hires, candidate pipeline and diversity statistics. This data enables recruiters to measure their performance, identify bottlenecks, make data-driven decisions and help sell their services in the future.
- Compliance and Data Security: ATS platforms often include features to ensure compliance with data protection and privacy regulations. They may support functionalities like consent management, data encryption and configurable access controls to safeguard candidate information.
How to choose a FREE ATS:
An applicant tracking system (ATS) for a freelance recruiter requires careful consideration of your specific needs and the unique aspects of your work. Here are some key factors to consider when selecting an ATS:
- Cost-effectiveness: As a freelance recruiter, cost-effectiveness is crucial. Look for a free ATS or ATS option that offers affordable pricing plans specifically designed for small businesses or independent recruiters. Be sure to consider the features included in both the free and paid plans as you may choose to upgrade when you have a larger budget available.
- Flexibility and scalability: As a freelance recruiter, your needs may vary depending on the clients and projects you handle. Select an ATS that offers flexibility and scalability, allowing you to adapt the system to different recruitment processes that easily accommodate changes in the volume of candidates and job postings.
- User-friendly interface: Opt for an ATS with a user-friendly interface that is intuitive and easy to navigate. As a solo recruiter, you need a system that doesn’t require extensive training or technical knowledge to operate efficiently.
- Candidate management: Consider the candidate management capabilities of the ATS. Look for features like resume parsing, candidate profiles, tagging or skilling options and efficient search functionalities. These features will help you organise and track candidates effectively.
- Integration capabilities: Assess whether the ATS integrates with other tools or platforms you use for your recruitment workflow. Integration with job boards, social media platforms or communication tools can save you time and effort by streamlining your processes and eliminating the need for manual data entry.
- Mobile accessibility: Consider whether the ATS has a mobile-friendly interface or a dedicated mobile app. This will allow you to manage your recruitment tasks on the go and stay responsive even when you are not at your desk.
- Customer support: Assess the level of customer support offered by the ATS provider. As a freelance recruiter, you may need responsive customer service to promptly address any issues or questions. Look for options with readily available support channels and helpful resources, such as documentation or training materials.
- Data security and compliance: Ensure that the ATS provider prioritises data security and compliance with relevant regulations. As a recruiter, you handle sensitive candidate information, so choosing a system that protects data privacy and offers features like data encryption and access controls is essential.
The Best FREE Applicant Tracking Systems in 2023:
In no particular order, we look at some of the best free ATS platforms on the market today, highlighting the key features they offer and the services they provide. Do note that the free ATS platforms listed below are only a selection of what is out there and you will find that all of these options will have further tools available within their relevant paid versions or add-ons.
Giighire:
Giig offers a Free ATS that includes CV parsing, unlimited jobs, unlimited candidates, unlimited applicants, a candidate pipeline board, an interview pipeline, mass import, client CRM, and access to a free website builder (Building A Free ATS For Freelance Recruiters, But Why?). In addition, features such as candidate reviews, automated to-do lists, and a reporting dashboard are coming soon. With the vast amount of unlimited tools and minimal restrictions, we think Giighire’s Free ATS is a hard one to compete with. Designed for freelance recruiters and will also be suitable for small businesses, agencies or even small start-ups.
Zoho Recruit:
Zoho Recruit has a strong ATS that offers a free version with some features being limited. The features available include one job opening, unlimited candidates, unlimited applicants, an interview pipeline board, candidate management, and basic reporting. It also integrates with other Zoho applications for broader HR functionalities. This option would be suitable for small businesses looking to scale up or small agencies starting out.
OpenCATS:
Another option would be OpenCATS. They are an open-source ATS that is entirely free. It offers features like job posting, candidate management, CV parsing, interview scheduling and basic reporting. It does however require technical knowledge to install and customise.
Jobsoid:
Jobsoid is another option that provides a free plan. They offer one job posting, unlimited candidates, candidate management, email templates and basic reporting tools. With only one job posting available, we believe this is a good starting point for any independent or freelance recruiter. Do be aware that you will soon need to upgrade to the lite version of $49 per month as we suspect one job posting will soon limit your work.
Ceipal ATS:
Ceipal does not offer a free version but in their cheapest option of $24 dollars a month per user, you gain access to unlimited CV parsing, job requisition, job posting, the ability to organise your “TalentBench”, gain access to an integrated CRM and the offer of free data migration. They do also state that this is only available with a minimum of 5 users so it actually comes in at $120 per month. This option would be suitable for small businesses looking to scale or small agencies starting out.
Workable:
Workable unfortunately no longer offers a free plan but does offer a free trial. Workable is more suited to small teams with limited hiring requirements. Their starter plan of $149 per month covers 2 active jobs for up to 50 employees or seats. They also include features such as job posting, CV parsing, candidate management, email templates, basic reporting and Zoom integration along with some other third-party tools. With the cost and the fact that only two active jobs are available in the starter subscription, Workable’s offerings are suitable for small businesses or established freelance recruiters.
Recruitee:
Similar to Workable, Recruitee no longer offers a free version and comes in at £209 a month providing 10 job slots as standard which can be upgraded at a cost. They do provide the usual standard features with the added benefit of a talent-sourcing Chrome extension, candidate video chat, various collaboration tools and basic analytics. Whilst discussing this in a blog that is predominantly looking at Free ATS platforms, plus the cost, this option would be suitable for small businesses looking to scale or small agencies starting out.
Summary:
As an overview, there are plenty of options out there for a Free ATS and these are only a handful. All vary slightly but as you are reading this blog we will assume you are looking for one that is free, or at least for one that is low cost. Therefore, using the points above, you should pick one that has a suitable user interface, has good candidate management, is cost-effective and is both flexible and scalable. Be aware of what is offered in the paid plans as this might be something you will consider down the line. The ideal tools you will be looking for within a free ATS will be CV parsing, an unlimited or large allowance of jobs, unlimited candidates, unlimited applicants and both a candidate pipeline board and an interview board.