Enhance your recruitment efficiency with our top five picks for the best ATS tools headquartered in India.

5 best ATS software for SMBs in India

 An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software tool that helps automate and centralise the recruitment process. On a more granular level, it helps users manage job applications, organise candidate data, and create and maintain hiring workflows for organisations. These software solutions typically help automate the entire hiring workflow, from receiving applications to the final candidate selection. 

How do applicant tracking systems work?

ATS tools can offer a variety of functionalities, including collecting candidate information and converting it into information-rich profiles, matching candidates against pre-determined qualification criteria, and more. Many such tools also include interview scheduling and email management capabilities. In terms of the process, here's an overview of how such tools typically work:

  • Recruiters create and customise job postings within the applicant tracking system software
  • Job seekers submit applications through the ATS software solution, entering information directly or uploading resumes and cover letters
  • The ATS tool then extracts and organises relevant information from resumes or gathered data
  • The software tool would then generally automatically screen applications based on predefined criteria, rank candidates, and create a centralised database
  • Recruiters can then search, sort, and filter candidates based on specific criteria
  • Communication is facilitated between recruiters, hiring managers, and candidates via such platforms 
  • The platforms would also typically offer tools for interview scheduling, likely also including automated reminders and notifications
  • The final selections are made by the interviewers and hiring managers and offer letters are issued

Why should businesses use applicant tracking systems?

Now that we’ve discussed how such systems generally work, we will now list some potential benefits such tools have to offer. Applicant tracking systems can offer several benefits to businesses, helping to make the recruitment and hiring process more efficient. Here are some common ones:

  • Efficiency and time saving: helps automate manual tasks, allowing recruiters to focus on strategic aspects
  • Improved candidate experience: enhances communication between both internal stakeholders and the potential candidates
  • Compliance and consistency: some such tools can also help maintain legal compliance and ensure standardised and non-biased hiring practices
  • Data-driven decision making: offers insights to optimise hiring strategies and improve outcomes

Top-rated applicant tracking systems in India

In this article, we have listed the five best-rated ATS software tools, arranged in alphabetical order. Each platform has a minimum average overall user rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars. All these tools are also headquartered in India. To understand our approach in detail, refer to the complete methodology provided at the end of the article.

The 5 best-rated applicant tracking systems in India and their key features (Sources: YouTube]

1.

Keka dashboard screenshot of candidate pipelines displaying job openings
 Keka’s candidate pipeline dashboard displaying job openings [Source: Capterra]
  • Overall rating: 4.4/5
  • Ease of use: 4.3/5
  • Customer service: 3.9/5
  • Features: 4.3/5
  • Value for money: 4.2/5

Keka helps simplify candidate management, sourcing, and evaluation with features like a project-style Kanban board, targeted tech assessments, and scorecards. The platform can also be integrated with various job boards and offers insights into job posting metrics. Moreover, it offers tools for interview scheduling, email management, and requisition creation, among others. 

Key features of Keka

  • Offers an overview of the candidate's application status using ‘Candidate Kanban’
  • Evaluates candidate skills and competence through pre-employment tests
  • Provides summaries of test results and feedback using performance scorecards
  • Posts and monitors job openings across various platforms
  • Offers measurable data and analytics from hiring processes to help enhance decision-making 

Keka offers two different plans for hiring purposes: Keka Hire Pro and Keka Hire Advanced. The Pro plan offers support for up to 10 active jobs, a career portal, interview scheduling, and more. The Advanced plan comes with unlimited job postings, custom roles and permissions, and an internal job board. Users can opt for a free trial before committing to either plan.

2.

Naukri RMS dashboard screenshot
Screenshot of Naukri RMS dashboard displaying job openings [Source: Capterra]
  • Overall rating: 4.3/5
  • Ease of use: 4.5/5
  • Customer service: 4.4/5
  • Features: 4.2/5
  • Value for money: 3.9/5

Naukri RMS is a recruitment management system that helps automate the hiring process. The system features adaptable workflows to align with organisational needs, enabling the automation of tasks like applicant screening, candidate communication via emails, and more. Naukri RMS also provides a referral management solution that includes real-time employee notifications and personalised communication channels.

Key features of Naukri RMS

  • Allows candidate shortlisting with resume parsing
  • Helps users schedule interviews
  • Offers collaboration tools to aid in sharing feedback
  • Leverages recruitment analytics to support data-driven decisions for hiring
  • Businesses can compare their hiring performance against competitors via metrics such as experience, cost to company (CTC), diversity, etc.

Interested businesses can schedule a demo with the platform.

3.

Screenshot of PyjamaHR’s dashboard displaying published and unpublished job listings

PyjamaHR’s dashboard displaying job listings [Source: Capterra]

  • Overall rating: 4.2/5
  • Ease of use: 4.2/5
  • Customer service: 4.1/5
  • Features: 4.2/5
  • Value for money: 4.4/5

PyjamaHR is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based applicant tracking system that helps users analyse resumes, screen candidates, and identify the most qualified individuals for a given role. The platform utilizes natural language processing to understand job requirements and match them with the skills and experiences of potential candidates. It also offers insights and data-driven recommendations to make informed decisions throughout the hiring journey. In addition, its collaboration tools can be used to facilitate communication within internal HR teams as well as with potential candidates.

Key features of PyjamaHR

  • AI-driven resume parsing for candidate profile analysis and email management
  • 360-degree candidate comparison view for informed decision-making
  • Talent pool feature for centralised data storage and management
  • Automated interview scheduling as well as reminders and alerts
  • Chrome extension for candidate import
  • Integrates with various third-party tools
  • Available as a mobile app for both iOS and Android for on-the-go accessibility

PyjamaHR offers a Free plan that comes with support for unlimited candidates, unlimited active jobs, a careers page builder, LinkedIn recruiters integration, and more. Other add-ons include consolidation of all job listings in one hub, candidate tests, and more.

4.

Talentpool dashboard screenshot showing duplicate candidate profile tracker
Duplicate candidate profile tracker [Source: Capterra]
  • Overall rating: 3.9/5
  • Ease of use: 4/5
  • Customer service: 4.1/5
  • Features: 3.8/5
  • Value for money: 4/5

Talentpool aids in the hiring process with tools for job requisitions, diverse application sources, and advanced resume handling. It also offers position templates, feedback automation, and real-time visibility through reports and dashboards. Automated calendar requests, interview scheduling, and to-do lists help enhance scheduling and process efficiency. Moreover, users can generate reports for insights into recruitment expenses and return on investment (ROI).

Key features of Talentpool

  • Maintains a centralised candidate database
  • Automatically identifies and manages duplicate candidate profiles
  • Tracks and optimises candidate sources with insights on job boards, social media, and referrals
  • Finds ideal candidates using refined search filters and user-defined tags

Prospective users can book a demo via the platform’s website.

5.

TalentRecruit dashboard screenshot showing total active jobs, pending approvals, and more
TalentRecruit’s jobs dashboard displaying total active jobs, pending approvals, and more [Source: Capterra]
  • Overall rating: 3.9/5
  • Ease of use: 4.0/5
  • Customer service: 4.0/5
  • Features: 3.9/5
  • Value for money: 3.9/5

TalentRecruit is a talent acquisition and ATS software. Configurable and scalable, it offers various recruitment capabilities, allowing organisations to streamline processes from candidate sourcing to onboarding. The platform is GDPR-compliant, supports multi-lingual collaboration and comes with a dedicated mobile application aligned with its desktop counterpart. 

Using this tool, users can implement social media recruiting, whereby jobs can be posted to different social media platforms to widen the candidate pool. It also enables users to monitor candidate traffic from social media tools to the company’s career page as well as email management. The tool comes with ‘ERIKA’, a 24x7 robotic recruiter for virtual assistance in finding, assessing, and engaging with talent. It helps by analysing the candidate shortlisting patterns of hiring managers and interview panellists and generates suggestions based on this.

Key features of TalentRecruit

  • Enables encryption of sensitive company data and hiring information
  • Data analytics with PowerBI for improved decision-making
  • Helps schedule interviews
  • Auto-rating and ranking of candidates to eliminate human bias in hiring

Those interested in trying TalentRecruit can get in touch with the platform via their website.

How to choose the right applicant tracking software for your business?

Choosing the right applicant tracking software for a business can be a critical decision that can significantly impact the hiring process. To make an informed choice, keep in mind the following pointers:

  • Identify specific recruitment needs
  • Look for a user-friendly interface
  • Ensure the software integrates with existing systems 
  • Prioritise features like resume parsing, job posting capabilities, and customisable communication templates
  • Choose a scalable solution that can grow with the business
  • Evaluate the level of customer support provided by the vendor 
  • Take advantage of free trials or demos before making a final decision

As organisations strive to attract and retain top-tier talent, investing in a reliable applicant tracking system could prove to be vital. Whether it's enhancing collaboration among hiring teams, automating repetitive tasks, or providing insightful analytics, these software tools can help empower recruiters to make informed decisions and build a strong workforce.

Want to know more? Check out our catalogue of applicant tracking systems software to discover more products.


Methodology

To be considered for this list, products had to justify the following criteria as of December 2023:

  • All tools in our list justify Capterra’s definition of applicant tracking software: “Applicant tracking software allow organizations to easily manage the hiring and applicant tracking process by key training a database of candidates and job information. Applicant software can be used by organizations to collect applicant information and then filter, grade and match candidates’ skills against job requirements. Many applicant tracking systems (ATS) include an interface that allows recruiters to manage all of an organization’s job openings.”
  • All software companies are headquartered in India.
  • They have the following core features available: candidate profiles, candidate tracking, and job posting.
  • All tools have had over 20 user reviews in the past two years (December 12, 2021 to December 12, 2023)
  • They have a minimum average overall rating of 3.9/5 stars in the past two years (December 12, 2021 to December 12, 2023)

From there, the five products with the highest average overall ratings were selected for inclusion.