Definition
"Recruiting software" is the broad term for every tool used to hire. The ATS is the core, but the family also includes the recruiting CRM, multiposting tools, resume parsing, candidate matching, interview scheduling and online assessments.
Some companies assemble several specialized tools; others choose a platform that covers the essentials. For a small business or a small agency, fewer tools often means less double entry and fewer candidates forgotten between two systems.
How to choose
The right criteria depend on your volume and market: supported languages, how easily you can import your current data, per-user or per-company pricing, transparency of AI features, and compliance with local personal information rules. Our comparison of bilingual recruiting software in Quebec details these criteria.
Concrete example
A three-recruiter agency uses a job board, a spreadsheet and a shared inbox. By bringing these into a single piece of software, it stops re-entering every candidate by hand and easily finds profiles it has already met when a new search comes in. The time saved goes back into talking to candidates and answering them.