If you’ve ever looked at a recruitment CRM and wondered whether you should use Custom Fields vs Custom Tagging, you’re not alone.
It’s one of the most common questions recruiters ask when setting up a new ATS or CRM. At first glance, they seem to solve the same problem-adding extra information to candidates, contacts, companies or jobs.
In reality, they serve two completely different purposes.
Understanding when to use Custom Fields, when to use Custom Tags, and when to combine both can make your database significantly more organised, easier to search, and far more valuable as your agency grows.
In this guide, we’ll explain the differences, show practical recruitment examples, and help you decide which approach is right for your desk.
Custom Fields allow you to add structured information to records inside your recruitment CRM.
Instead of forcing every recruiter into the same predefined database, Custom Fields let you build your CRM around the information your agency actually tracks.
Examples include:
Unlike notes, each field has a defined format.
For example:
Notice Period
Dropdown
Or:
Visa Status
Dropdown
Because the information is structured, it becomes fully searchable throughout your CRM.
Instead of searching through hundreds of candidate notes, you can simply filter:
That’s the real power of Custom Fields.
7 Recruitment Custom Fields Every Agency Should Use
Custom Tags work differently.
Rather than storing structured information, Tags are designed to categorise records using keywords.
Recruiters often use Tags for:
For example, one candidate might have the following tags:
Another candidate could have:
Unlike Custom Fields, candidates can usually have dozens of tags attached to a single record.
Tags are ideal when information is descriptive rather than fixed.
Although both improve searchability, they solve different problems.
| Custom Fields | Custom Tags |
|---|---|
| Structured data | Flexible categorisation |
| Usually one value per field | Multiple values |
| Great for reporting | Great for searching by skills |
| Consistent across every record | Recruiter-defined keywords |
| Ideal for compliance and operational data | Ideal for expertise and classifications |
A simple way to think about it is this:
Fields answer questions.
Tags describe people.
Let’s look at some real recruitment scenarios.
A candidate can only have one current notice period.
That makes it perfect for a Custom Field.
Searching becomes effortless.
Show me everyone with:
or
Trying to achieve this with Tags quickly becomes messy.
A software engineer may know:
This information changes regularly and candidates may have dozens of skills.
Tags are perfect here because recruiters often search combinations of keywords.
Healthcare agencies might track:
Each should be a Custom Field because they’re operational pieces of information that often drive recruitment decisions.
Perhaps a recruiter works across:
These are descriptive categories.
Tags are the better choice.
Your database technically contains the information, but it’s almost impossible to search accurately. This is one of the fundamental differences between structured and unstructured data: structured information follows a predefined format, making it far easier to search, organise and analyse.
One of the biggest mistakes agencies make is storing everything inside the Notes section.
Imagine writing:
Candidate has SC Clearance, requires sponsorship in two years, prefers remote working and is available in four weeks.
Now multiply that by 15,000 candidates.
Your database technically contains the information—but it’s almost impossible to search accurately.
Now imagine storing the same information as searchable Custom Fields.
| Field | Value |
| Security Clearance | SC |
| Visa Status | Skilled Worker |
| Working Preference | Remote |
| Notice Period | 4 Weeks |
Suddenly your recruiters can instantly filter thousands of candidates in seconds.
That’s the difference between storing information and actually using it.
This isn’t really a choice between Fields or Tags.
The best recruitment databases use both.
A technology recruiter could have:
Together they create a much richer candidate profile.
For example:
Find candidates who are:
That’s a search that simply isn’t possible if everything lives in free-text notes.
Creating tags like:
quickly leads to inconsistent data.
Structured information belongs in Custom Fields.
If recruiters regularly need to search for a piece of information, it shouldn’t live inside Notes.
It should be its own searchable field.
Not everything deserves its own Custom Field.
Ask yourself:
“Will recruiters actually search or report on this information?”
If the answer is no, it probably belongs in Tags, or simply doesn’t need storing at all.
As a simple rule:
Choose Custom Fields when the information:
Choose Custom Tags when the information:
For most recruitment agencies, the answer isn’t one or the other.
It’s both.
A recruitment CRM should work the way your recruiters work-not force your team into rigid templates.
To summarise Custom Fields vs Custom Tagging:
Custom Fields give structure to the information that matters most.
Custom Tags make searching by skills, sectors and expertise effortless.
When used together, they transform your database from a collection of records into a genuinely searchable recruitment asset.
If you’re evaluating recruitment software, don’t just ask whether it supports Custom Fields or Tags.
Ask how they work together.
The right combination will save your recruiters hours every week while making every search faster, more accurate and more valuable.
How to Build a Custom Recruitment CRM
Custom Fields store structured information such as notice period, visa status or salary expectations. Custom Tags categorise records using keywords like skills, industries or technologies.
Yes. In fact, most recruitment agencies should. Custom Fields keep important operational data organised, while Tags make it easier to search for skills, markets and specialisms.
Yes. In a modern recruitment CRM, Custom Fields should be fully searchable and filterable, allowing recruiters to quickly find candidates based on specific criteria.
Only for information that doesn’t need to be searched. If recruiters regularly need to filter or report on data such as notice period, visa status or compliance, it should be stored as a searchable Custom Field rather than buried in Notes.
Ready to build a recruitment CRM around your workflow?
With Giig Hire, you can create unlimited searchable Custom Fields across Candidates, Contacts, Companies and Jobs, giving your team complete flexibility without the complexity of traditional recruitment software.
