Don't drown in a pile of CVs with these 10 application tracking tools
Recruitment, 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 application 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 that 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, designed for recruiters and company directors who want to optimise their recruitment process.
This software centralises all information, from the first contact to the signed contract. No more misplaced CVs, forgotten emails or pending application statuses. You save precious time by automating the publication of job offers on several 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 application at a glance.
☝️ The end result is a better candidate experience, greater credibility and an improved 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 cosy 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. You lose visibility, input errors multiply and you soon find yourself with an unreadable, unmanageable table. 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 need to step it up a gear.
Comparison table of our top 10 applicant tracking software products
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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 interact easily 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 modernise 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 :
- Centralised management: consolidates all applications, information and communications in one place;
- Customisable workflows: allows you to create bespoke recruitment processes tailored to each position;
- Automated communication: sends personalised messages to candidates at every stage to keep them informed;
- collaborative features: makes it easy to share feedback and make decisions as a team.
💸 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 vacancies to managing interviews.
The solution stands out for its approach to automating and optimising workflows. It allows you to multi-post job adverts on more than 100 job platforms in a single click, automatically sort applications and centralise communication with candidates.
Flatchr is a solid solution for recruitment teams looking to save time and improve operational efficiency without compromising on the quality of their process.
⚒️ Flatchr features include
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multi-posting of job vacancies: enables you to publish advertisements on several job boards in just a few clicks;
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application management: centralises and organises all profiles received, whether from job offers or unsolicited applications;
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intelligent CV parsing: automatically extracts key information from CVs to create complete candidate files;
-
a collaborative dashboard: makes it easy to share comments and make decisions as a team.
💸 Price: the "Starter" package starts at €49/month for a single vacancy. The "Pro" package goes up to €479/month for 10 slots.
HelloWork
HelloWork is a well-known recruitment platform that has developed its own application tracking system. This solution is aimed at companies that want to benefit from the power of a major job board while managing their recruitment process centrally.
The big advantage here is the seamless integration with the HelloWork ecosystem, making it easier to post vacancies and source candidates.
The tool is particularly relevant for recruiters who regularly publish on sites such as RegionsJob or Cadremploi. As well as simply managing applications, HelloWork offers predictive recruitment and intelligent matching functions to find the best profiles more quickly.
⚒️ HelloWork's strength lies in :
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its native integration with job boards : publish your vacancies directly on the HelloWork group's platforms.
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optimised sourcing: access a rich, qualified CV database to find the right profiles.
-
comprehensive application management: track applications, contact candidates and schedule interviews.
-
analysis reports : measure your recruitment performance to optimise your future campaigns.
💸 Price: HelloWork offers a free package with a maximum of two adverts. 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 so that they can 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 option of creating personalised career pages to attract talent.
⚒️ In short, Layan stands out thanks to :
-
its personalised careers page: create a job site that reflects your brand;
-
centralised application system: receive and manage applications from all sources via a single interface;
-
Workflow automation : configure scenarios to send notifications, reminders and e-mails to candidates;
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its collaborative tracking table: track the progress of candidates with your team and share notes in real time.
💸 Pricing: Layan has three packages with bespoke 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 the best talent faster.
It is aimed at companies of all sizes, including recruitment agencies, looking to modernise their approach. The tool uses AI to match CVs, create candidate profiles, source and recommend talent.
Manatal makes it possible to create personalised 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.
⚒️ The tool offers a wide range of functions, including
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Intelligent matching using AI: analyses CVs and profiles to find the most relevant candidates for a position;
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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;
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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 features. As well as simply managing applications, Nicoka CABS incorporates a powerful CRM (candidate relationship management) and an invoicing module for recruitment agencies. It also automates time-consuming tasks such as publishing advertisements on multiple job boards and searching for profiles on professional social networks.
⚒️ Nicoka's approach is resolutely professional and aims to offer a robust and reliable solution to optimise the work of the most demanding recruitment teams, through features such as :
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customisable 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;
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intelligent sourcing: search and collect CVs from a variety of sources, including social networks;
-
accurate reporting: analyse 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 who want to centralise 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 clean user interface and simplicity-focused approach. Recruitee offers multi-posting of vacancies, a visual application tracking system (Kanban board), and collaboration tools for evaluating profiles and scheduling interviews.
⚒️ This solution is particularly well-suited to start-ups and SMEs that want to attract quality talent quickly and collaboratively, thanks to :
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a visual dashboard: track the progress of applications on an easy-to-customise Kanban board;
-
team collaboration: share notes and feedback and assign tasks to team members;
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multi-posting of job vacancies: publish your adverts on over 200 job boards with a single click;
-
an employer brand: create an attractive careers site to showcase your company's culture.
💸 Price: Recruitee offers several plans: a free trial, Start at €270 per month (up to 5 active jobs), Pro at €343 per month (unlimited jobs), and an Optimize plan from €1,374 per month with lots of extra 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.
⚒️ As well as simply tracking applications, the platform offers predictive recruitment and performance measurement functionalities to optimise long-term recruitment strategies. In addition, SmartRecruiters offers :
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sourcing and distribution: access a large talent database and publish your vacancies on thousands of partner sites;
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Candidate CRM: build and manage your talent pool for future recruitment;
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Advanced collaboration : facilitate communication between recruiters, managers and candidates;
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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 as such, but a project management tool. However, its flexibility and simplicity make it a makeshift solution for small organisations.
Trello is based on the principle of the Kanban board, where you can organise cards (representing candidates) into lists (representing stages in the recruitment process). You can add comments, labels and deadlines to each card. This option is free and very easy to learn.
It is 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 automation specific to recruitment and the manual management of information can quickly become an obstacle.
⚒️ The platform is a good solution for monitoring applications, thanks to :
-
its visual and intuitive interface : the Kanban board makes it easy to keep track of applications visually;
-
Simplified collaboration: teams can easily comment on the cards and share information;
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Highly flexible: create a recruitment process tailored to your needs;
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Free version available: ideal for smaller organisations or for testing 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 comprehensive 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 its ability to manage the entire recruitment lifecycle. Zoho Recruit features candidate sourcing, pipeline management, automated communication and detailed reporting. The tool can be customised to suit different types of business.
It is particularly appreciated for its advanced automation and integration with other software, which saves considerable time and enables information to be centralised.
⚒️ 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;
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Process automation: create customised workflows to automate repetitive tasks;
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Candidate tracking : follow every stage 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 into the most expensive or most reputable tool.
💡 Take a moment to think about what you really need. To do this:
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analyse your needs: what is the volume of your recruitment? Do you need advanced sourcing features or simple application management? ;
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Think about your team: a tool should 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 should not be the only criterion, but it is crucial. Most solutions offer a free trial version, so make the most of it;
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the candidate experience: a good tool is one that allows you to create a fluid and 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 specialist solutions from Nicoka CABS, the market is full of solutions to suit every need.
No more sleepless nights sorting through CVs on Excel. With the right tool, you can centralise, automate and collaborate to find that rare gem faster than ever. Investing in an ATS means investing in the efficiency of your recruitment process and, more broadly, in the future of your business. So, are you ready to take the plunge?
Article translated from French