Key terms
- Smart Sourcing: Indeed’s product for matching candidates to open positions, which can help employers build a candidate pipeline for current or future roles.
- Applicant tracking system (ATS): Software employers use to manage job postings, applications and candidate tracking throughout the hiring process.
- Candidate relationship management (CRM) software: Software that helps employers organize and nurture relationships with potential candidates over time.
- Indeed Apply: Indeed’s application experience that lets job seekers apply using their Indeed profile and resume, helping reduce friction in the application process.
- Pre-hire assessment: A skills or aptitude test employers may use to evaluate candidates before moving them to the next hiring stage.
Who can get the most from recruiter tools?
Recruitment tools are designed with recruiters, human resources professionals and hiring managers in mind. However, anyone involved in hiring can benefit from using them, including:
- Hiring managers: Gain visibility into candidate pipelines, review applications faster and provide structured interview feedback without getting bogged down in email threads.
- Company leadership & executives: Receive clean hiring analytics (time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, pipeline health) to make accurate workforce planning decisions.
- Candidates: Experience clearer communication, simpler scheduling and a smoother application process (e.g., through solutions like Indeed Apply).
Top 10 tools for recruiters
The 10 recruitment tools below can help hiring teams work efficiently and enhance their ability to connect with candidates.
1. Sourcing tools
Sourcing tools, such as the ones offered on Indeed, can help you build a pipeline of potential candidates before a role becomes urgent. These tools allow recruiters to identify and engage with people whose skills and experience align with open or upcoming positions.
For example, Indeed Smart Sourcing and Sourcing Assistant help source relevant candidates for open positions, which can support ongoing pipeline-building as part of a broader recruiting strategy.
2. Job boards
Job boards help employers reach people who are actively searching for new opportunities. Some software solutions automate external job postings on job sites. Many job boards also offer employer tools for posting salary ranges, job descriptions and company profiles so candidates can learn about the role and apply online.
3. Premade assessments
Pre-hire assessments evaluate a candidate’s abilities before moving them to an interview. Several recruitment tools provide custom or premade assessments for applicants to confirm technical proficiency, language fluency, problem-solving or role-specific aptitude.
4. AI recruiting assistants
AI recruiting assistants, such as Indeed Talent Scout, can help hiring teams complete recruiting tasks through a conversational experience. For example, Indeed Talent Scout can help employers find candidates who meet their criteria, draft personalized outreach, improve job postings and schedule interviews.
These tools can help recruiters work more efficiently while keeping people at the center of hiring decisions.
5. Interviewing software
If you’re hiring for a remote position or have a high volume of applicants, consider using interviewing software or Indeed Interview. Interviewing tools can help you conduct live virtual interviews with candidates or prescreen candidates by having them record and submit responses to interview questions using video, voice or text.
Recruiters can review prescreening responses to help identify candidates to move forward, then use live video interviews to connect directly with selected candidates and continue the interview process.
6. Applicant tracking systems
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software program that helps employers manage the application process. You can use these systems to organize digital applications, track where candidates are in the hiring process and keep records in one place.
For example, if a role requires a Bachelor of Science in nursing, you can use filters or screening settings to surface applicants with that credential. These tools can help organize applications, so a human reviewer can make informed, final hiring decisions.
7. Candidate relationship management (CRM) software
CRM software often works alongside the ATS to nurture ongoing interactions with candidates over time. While applicant tracking systems manage active hiring workflows, a CRM helps recruiters revisit past applicants, organize outreach and strengthen the candidate experience.
Keeping a database of potential applicants can also make it easier to fill open positions quickly. For example, if you recently recruited for an accounting position and identified several strong candidates, you might reach out to one of them if a similar role opens soon after.
8. Mobile-first applications
Mobile-compatible recruitment tools make it easier for candidates to review role details and complete applications on their phones. Providing a simplified application experience, including opting into Indeed Apply, can help reduce job seeker drop-off and capture broader applicant interest across mobile devices.
9. AI job description tools
AI job description tools can help employers draft and improve job descriptions. For example, Indeed’s AI Job Description Generator can create an editable draft based on details about the role, while Indeed Talent Scout can provide recommendations for improving job titles, descriptions and benefits.
Review AI-generated suggestions before publishing to make sure the final job description accurately reflects the role and your organization.
10. Onboarding software
The onboarding process can set the tone for an employee’s entire experience with your company. Onboarding software automates parts of the process, streamlines digital paperwork for managers and gives new hires easier access to training and important information.
Benefits of using recruiting tools
Using the right hiring tools can help you build a high-performing team without overburdening your staff. Automating parts of the hiring process can also leave talent acquisition teams more time to focus on employer brand, communication and candidate experience.
Additionally, the right recruiting tools can provide advantages that go beyond basic administrative efficiency.
Velocity and reduced time-to-fill
Automating routine screening and scheduling tasks helps talent acquisition teams engage responsive candidates faster, shortening the overall hiring cycle and minimizing productivity loss from open vacancies.
Attract the right talent
Modern sourcing and screening tools, such as those found on Indeed, help employers evaluate candidates’ qualifications against clear criteria. Rather than sifting through large volumes of applications, hiring managers can focus interviews on relevant, high-potential candidates.
