Choosing recruitment software can feel like shopping for a car when you don’t really know engines. Every vendor looks great on the homepage, everyone promises “AI,” and every demo seems to do everything… until you go live.

I’ve spent years designing and implementing recruitment systems for agencies and in-house teams, and the same pattern shows up again and again: the tools that win aren’t the flashiest – they’re the ones that quietly fit the business.

Here’s a practical guide to choosing recruitment software that actually works for your team.

1. Start with your recruitment model, not the software

Before you even book a demo, get clear on:

• Who you recruit for:
  • Agency vs in-house
  • Niche (education, tech, healthcare, waste, construction, etc.)
• What you place:
  • Perm, contract, temp, or a mix
  • High-volume vs specialist roles
• Where you operate:
  • Countries (impacts compliance, data protection, time zones)
• Your team size and structure:
  • Solo recruiter, small team, or multi-branch agency
  • Do you have resourcers, account managers, compliance officers?

Write this down. The right system for a 2-person niche tech agency is very different from what a 50-person temp desk needs.

If the vendor can’t explain how they support your exact model, move on.

2. Map your process end-to-end

Software should support your real workflow, not a generic one.

Grab a whiteboard and map this out:

1. Job comes in (job spec, client details, rates)
2. Sourcing candidates (job boards, LinkedIn, referrals, talent pool)
3. Screening & shortlisting
4. Submitting to client
5. Interviews & feedback
6. Compliance / onboarding (background checks, right-to-work, contracts)
7. Placement / start date
8. Timesheets & payroll (for temp/contract)
9. Invoicing & reporting

For each step ask:

• What are we doing in spreadsheets/emails right now?
• Where do mistakes or delays happen?
• What absolutely must be automated?

This becomes your requirements list. When you look at software, you’re not asking “What does it do?” – you’re asking “How does it handle step 3, 5, 7 in our process?”

3. Non-negotiable core features

Most modern recruitment systems talk about the same big buckets. Here’s what actually matters inside each.

a) ATS & CRM in one place

You want a system that handles:

• Candidate profiles (CV, skills, history, notes)
• Client/company records and contacts
• Vacancies / job orders
• Activity tracking (emails, calls, meetings)
• Search and talent pooling (by skills, location, availability, etc.)

Key question:
Can I go from “new job” to “shortlist of relevant candidates” in a few clicks?

b) Automation that actually saves time

Look for:

• Email & SMS templates and sequences
• Triggered actions (e.g. send a follow-up when interview is logged)
• Simple workflows (e.g. move candidate to “Placed” → create placement & send docs)

Avoid over-complex “build your own workflow engine” if you don’t have a systems admin – it will never get used.

Key question:
Show me three real automations your existing customers use daily.

c) Integrations you’ll really use

Common must-haves:

• Job boards & aggregators (multi-posting, apply tracking)
• Email & calendar (Outlook / Gmail)
• Video interview tools
• Background check / ID verification
• Payroll & accounting (for temps/contract)
• E-signature

Key question:
Are these native integrations, or zaps/plug-ins that might break? Who supports them when they do?

d) Candidate and client experience

Your system shouldn’t just work for your team; it should feel smooth for candidates and clients.

Nice-to-have but powerful:

• Candidate portal (update details, upload docs, timesheets)
• Client portal (view shortlist, feedback, approvals)
• Mobile-friendly application journeys
• Branded emails and pages

Key question:
What does the candidate actually see from your system? Show me the full journey.

e) Compliance & data security

Boring but critical:

• GDPR / POPIA / other local regulations
• Data residency options
• Permission and role controls
• Audit trails (who changed what and when)
• Easy ways to delete/anonymise data

Key question:
How do you handle data retention and subject access requests in the system?

f) Reporting & KPIs that drive behaviour

Look for:

• Pipeline views (jobs, candidates at each stage)
• Basic performance dashboards (submissions, interviews, placements, revenue)
• Filters by consultant, team, client, sector
• Export options (for deeper analysis later)

Avoid systems where reports require a developer every time.

Key question:
Show me how a manager would check today’s performance for their team in under 60 seconds.

4. Total cost of ownership (not just the subscription)

Two tools can both be “£75 per user per month” and have wildly different real costs.

Consider:

• Implementation fees: setup, configuration, data migration
• Training: initial and ongoing
• Add-on modules: SMS, portals, analytics, premium support
• Contract length: can you start with 12 months, or are they pushing 3-year deals?
• Hidden limits: number of emails, job postings, storage, API calls

Make a simple spreadsheet:

• Year 1: licenses + setup + training
• Year 2: licenses + add-ons
• Year 3: same

Then ask yourself honestly: If we double headcount, does this still make sense financially?

5. Questions to ask every vendor

Here’s a short list you can copy/paste for demos:

1. Who is your software really built for? (Agency/in-house, industry, size)
2. What percentage of your customers look like us? (Same market, same model)
3. What does a typical implementation timeline look like, from contract to go-live?
4. How do you handle data migration from our current system/spreadsheets?
5. What support do we get after go-live – and is it included in the price?
6. Can I speak to 2–3 customers similar to us about their real experience?
7. What’s on your product roadmap over the next 12–18 months?
8. If we outgrow you, how easy is it to export our data cleanly?

Any vendor who dodges these questions is telling you something important.

6. Watch out for these red flags

• Everything is “customisable.” Translation: nothing works well out of the box.
• Endless buzzwords (AI, blockchain, predictive, etc.) with no concrete examples.
• No clear implementation plan or named project lead.
• You can’t see real configuration screens, only slideware and “concept” demos.
• They pressure you with “this discount expires Friday” before you’ve even seen a full demo.

If your gut feels uneasy, listen to it.

7. Run a real-world pilot

Before you commit fully:

1. Pick one team or one desk to test with.
2. Migrate a small but representative set of data (a few clients, roles, candidates).
3. Define success for the pilot – e.g.
   • Time from job in to shortlist
   • Number of manual steps removed
   • Feedback from recruiters & admin
4. Run it for 30–60 days and measure.

The goal isn’t to confirm the software is perfect – it’s to prove it’s good enough to improve your day-to-day reality.

Final thoughts

Recruitment software won’t magically fix a broken process, but the right platform will:

• Make it easier for your team to follow best practice
• Give candidates and clients a more professional experience
• Give you visibility on what’s working (and what isn’t)
• Free up hours each week to focus on relationships, not admin

When you choose based on your model, your process, and your real-world needs – rather than demos and buzzwords – the decision becomes much simpler.

If you’d like, I can turn this into a Q&A “interview with me” version, or tailor it specifically for agencies vs in-house teams or a niche like education recruitment.