Finding the right talent to fill open positions can be a challenging and time-consuming task for companies and recruiters. LinkedIn Recruiter is a popular tool used by many recruiters, but it also comes with a hefty price tag. For recruiters and companies looking for a more budget-friendly alternative to LinkedIn Recruiter, there are several options worth considering.
What Does LinkedIn Recruiter Do?
Before exploring alternatives, it helps to understand what core features LinkedIn Recruiter provides. LinkedIn Recruiter is a recruitment tool that integrates directly with LinkedIn to help recruiters and hiring managers source, contact, and manage candidates. Key features of LinkedIn Recruiter include:
- Searching the LinkedIn database with advanced filters like skills, experience, locations, and more.
- Saving search alerts to automatically surface new, relevant candidates.
- Quickly contacting candidates through InMail messages.
- Tracking candidate pipeline and activity within the tool.
- Collaborating with other recruiters and hiring managers.
- Posting jobs to LinkedIn to attract candidates.
This wide range of robust features makes LinkedIn Recruiter a powerful recruitment tool, but also an expensive investment, with prices starting at around $8,000 per year depending on the plan.
Low-Cost Alternatives to LinkedIn Recruiter
For recruiters and companies looking for similar functionality at a lower price point, here are some alternative tools to consider:
1. LinkedIn Free Account
For basic LinkedIn-based recruiting, a free LinkedIn account allows you to:
- Search LinkedIn profiles using all the same criteria as Recruiter.
- Save up to 3 search alerts to get notifications of new candidates.
- Connect with and message prospects, albeit with limited InMail messages.
- Post jobs for free to attract relevant candidates.
While limited compared to a full Recruiter account, a free LinkedIn account provides ample capability for smaller companies or individual recruiters who don’t need high volumes of InMail and advanced tracking features.
2. Boolean Search Strings
Boolean search strings can unlock powerful search capabilities even within a free LinkedIn account. By constructing searches using operators like AND, OR, NOT, and parentheses, you can conduct sophisticated searches similar to Recruiter.
For example: “HR Manager AND (Chicago OR New York) AND (Recruiting OR “Talent Acquisition”)”
Learning to create effective Boolean search strings takes practice, but can provide a free way to mimic some of Recruiter’s advanced search filters even without a paid account.
3. Indeed
Indeed is one of the most popular job posting and resume database sites visited by millions of candidates each month. Key features relevant as a LinkedIn Recruiter alternative include:
- Posting open positions to attract relevant candidates.
- Searching resumes using keywords, locations, skills, and more.
- Setting up email alerts for new resumes matching your searches.
- Contacting candidates through Indeed’s messaging system.
Indeed lacks some of Recruiter’s collaboration features and integration with LinkedIn, but provides tremendous reach and some basic candidate relationship management capabilities for free.
4. Google for Jobs
Google for Jobs is a relatively new job search engine from Google that aggregates listings from major online job boards. Useful features include:
- Posting open positions to Google for free exposure and reach.
- Candidates can subscribe to email alerts for new relevant job postings.
- Google uses AI to match candidates with jobs based on resume details.
Posting to Google for Jobs provides a free way to get your openings in front of interested and relevant candidates already searching for jobs online each day.
5. Zoho Recruit
Zoho Recruit offers many similar features as LinkedIn Recruiter, including:
- Searching resume databases and creating search alerts.
- Posting jobs across top job boards.
- Tracking applicants through the hiring pipeline.
- Collaborating with other recruiters and hiring managers.
Starting at $100 per month for up to 5 users, Zoho Recruit provides a full recruitment platform at a fraction of the cost of LinkedIn Recruiter. The main tradeoff is less direct integration and sourcing from LinkedIn.
6. Facebook Jobs
Facebook recently introduced its own job board and application tracking system. Useful for recruiters as a LinkedIn Recruiter alternative because you can:
- Post openings to Facebook for free to reach its broad audience.
- Screen candidates and follow their application through the hiring process.
- Manage jobs and applicant tracking in one place.
Facebook provides another free option for getting your postings in front of a huge audience already actively using the platform.
Paid LinkedIn Recruiter Alternatives
For recruiters and teams looking for a more complete paid alternative to LinkedIn Recruiter, here are some robust options:
1. Recruiterbox
Recruiterbox is an applicant tracking system and recruiter software featuring:
- AI-powered talent search engine.
- Custom, branded career sites.
- Bulk candidate outreach and scheduling.
- Tracking applicants through the hiring funnel.
- Collaboration tools.
- Integration with Gmail and Outlook.
Starting at $99 per month for up to 3 users, Recruiterbox provides a full-featured recruitment platform for a fraction of the cost of LinkedIn Recruiter. It lacks the deep LinkedIn integration, but makes up for it with diverse posting options and advanced collaboration features.
2. Bullhorn
Bullhorn is another robust recruitment software providing:
- AI tools to identify and engage passive candidates.
- Custom career portal and landing pages.
- Candidate relationship management.
- Collaboration across recruiters and hiring teams.
Bullhorn offers among the most sophisticated features for complex recruitment processes, with pricing starting around $200 per month per user.
3. Beamery
Beamery takes a talent CRM approach to recruiting, with features like:
- Talent pool management and engagement.
- Candidate profiling and smart suggestions.
- Career portal and recruitment marketing.
- Pipeline and analytics reporting.
Beamery focuses on attracting and retaining talent over time rather than just filling an immediate role. Pricing starts around $400 per month for 5 users.
4. SmartRecruiters
SmartRecruiters provides a customizable, scalable applicant tracking system including:
- Advanced sourcing with broad job board reach.
- Screening questions, automated interview scheduling, and onboarding.
- Collaboration tools for staffing teams.
- AI-driven search, matching, and list building.
- Analytics on hiring performance.
SmartRecruiters is designed to scale from individual recruiters up to enterprise-level hiring with pricing to match, starting around $1,000 per month.
Key Factors in Choosing a LinkedIn Recruiter Alternative
With so many options to choose from, here are some key factors to consider when selecting an alternative to LinkedIn Recruiter:
Budget
Consider how much you are able to spend on a monthly or annual basis. Free and low-cost options like Indeed or Boolean search provide great value for budget-conscious recruiters.
Features Needed
Evaluate must-have features like applicant tracking, collaboration tools, hiring funnel analytics, job board integration, etc. and choose an option that provides everything you need.
Ease of Use
Make sure the tool you choose has an intuitive interface and provides the right level of automation for your needs. You want recruiting technology to save you time, not create extra hassle.
Implementation and Training
Understand the resources required to get up and running and whether any training or support is provided. Ideally, you want quick setup and the ability to learn on the fly.
Scalability
Consider your current and future hiring volume needs. Some tools like SmartRecruiters easily scale up to handle high-volume enterprise recruiting.
Integration and Interoperability
Determine what other platforms like ATS, HRIS, calendars, etc. you need to integrate with and choose a solution that plays nice with your tech stack.
Conclusion
Recruiting top talent requires the right tools, but LinkedIn Recruiter’s high costs place it out of reach for many. Luckily, there are fantastic free and paid alternatives to suit every budget and need. Focus on your must-have features, scalability needs, and costs to choose the best LinkedIn Recruiter alternative for your recruitment goals.
| Tool | Price | Key Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Free Account | Free | Basic LinkedIn search and messaging | Individual recruiters |
| Boolean Search Strings | Free | Advanced search techniques | Power users sourcing from LinkedIn |
| Indeed | Free | Job posting and resume search | Budget recruiters needing candidate visibility |
| Google for Jobs | Free | Reach candidates through Google search | Employers wanting free, wide reach |
| Zoho Recruit | Starts at $100/mo | Applicant tracking system and CRM | Growing companies that need full recruitment platform |
| Recruiterbox | Starts at $99/mo | ATS, talent search, and collaboration tools | Lean recruiting teams wanting robust feature set |
| Bullhorn | Starts at $200/mo | Sophisticated ATS with CRM and AI | Enterprise recruiters and staffing firms |
| Beamery | Starts at $400/mo | Talent CRM and recruiting automation | Companies focused on long-term talent strategy |
| SmartRecruiters | Starts at $1,000/mo | Scalable ATS with advanced sourcing and analytics | Growing and enterprise-level hiring needs |
When evaluating alternatives, focus first on the core functionality needed by your recruitment team like search, pipeline management, and collaboration features. Then assess options that provide those must-haves while fitting within your budget. For advanced capabilities like AI-driven search, custom career sites, and scalability, expect higher but still affordable prices compared to LinkedIn Recruiter.
With a bit of research, there are many excellent LinkedIn Recruiter alternatives at any price point that can meet your unique recruiting requirements. The key is taking the time to thoroughly assess your needs, top features desired, and team budget. Evaluating multiple options against these criteria will lead you to the ideal recruiting solution and talent sourcing engine for your organization’s hiring needs.
