We Switched From Google Hire And Here’s What We Learne

Google Hire will cease to exist as of September 1, 2020. The service represented a great value to its customers, who range from large firms of headhunters to individual in-house recruiters. Google’s ATS (Applicant Tracking System) provided a robust set of software tools at a very low price - roughly $5 per user per month. Users could create and post an unlimited number of job ads, which would automatically update on a company career page and Google’s job board, import/parse candidate resumes, and screen candidates using built-in interview tools. All of this while integrating with Google’s already extensive business software suite.

If you’re one of the many people currently switching from Google Hire to a new ATS, here’s what to expect:

For small businesses, Google Hire was the best value for the money by a long shot and, unfortunately, there’s nothing else that comes close in terms of pricing. A rate of $5 per user per month is a fraction of what any other ATS with similar features costs. On one hand, this was an incredible value and, on the other hand, it’s likely why Google Hire failed as a product. During our research of other comparable ATS solutions, pricing ranged from $200 - $500 per month for small recruiting firms with less than 20 recruiters. So expect to pay more, even if you aren’t planning on using the additional features.

Expect to be inundated with emails from competing ATS companies trying to get your business. Many of these companies seem to be start-ups trying to take advantage of the mass Google Hire exodus. One quick way to tell which companies are legitimate and which are cash-grab opportunists is to check Capterra.com, which ranks ATS companies and shares reviews and gives snapshots into what they provide and how much they cost.

Be wary of companies that aren’t transparent with pricing or exactly what is offered with your account. If a free trial is offered, definitely take advantage of exploring the program before scheduling a demo, so you can ask questions about things that are important to how you use an ATS. Be aware that most free trials give you access to all the tools and features available at the highest tier account, so try to be aware of what will be available to you within your budget.

Lastly, make sure you can easily export your information out of the ATS if you ever outgrow it or, worst case scenario, the ATS goes the same way as Google Hire.

We wish ourselves and all of our fellow Google Hire enthusiasts good luck as we navigate to new systems this month!