Why the Right Talent Acquisition Software Matters—and How Employ Stacks Up

In today’s highly competitive hiring landscape, talent acquisition (TA) technology is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a must. With hiring teams facing increasing pressure to fill roles faster, improve candidate quality, and optimize recruiter efficiency, organizations are turning to technology to reduce costs, drive productivity, and remain competitive as an employer of choice.

The latest Hackett Group^® Talent Acquisition Digital World Class^® Matrix™ report highlights the impact of leading TA solutions and their role in driving business outcomes. This research confirms what we at Employ believe: the right TA software empowers recruiters to do the important work better. The Hackett Group^® evaluated 15 providers—including JazzHR, Lever, and Jobvite, which collectively power Employ’s people-first hiring solutions—to assess capabilities and value delivered to clients based on vendor briefings and extensive customer interviews across 29 different criteria. The resulting report provides an in-depth guide to some of the biggest talent acquisition technology providers and how their solutions impact companies’ operations, recruiting effectiveness, and ultimately the success of the workforce.

Employ is recognized for providing critical capabilities to talent acquisition functions that are top of mind for HR teams and recruiters, including Integration, Recruitment Marketing, Time to Hire, and Time to Fill. JazzHR, Lever, and Jobvite stood out as talent acquisition Top Performers for having a breadth of capabilities, strong improvements in hiring metrics post implementation, and delivering strong value for different types of streamlined hiring needs, whether that’s for specialized roles, frontline roles, or a mix of both.

This acknowledgement reinforces our leadership in the talent acquisition space as a vendor of choice and elevates the value and results we bring throughout the full recruiting lifecycle journey.  As the only company offering the choice of three world-class ATS solutions, we are able to tailor solutions to meet your unique needs—so you get a personalized solution, not our only solution.

Key Findings from the Report

The Hackett Group^® Talent Acquisition Digital World Class^® Matrix™ underscores several major trends in the TA software space, including: 

• AI-Driven Efficiency: Leading solutions are integrating AI across the hiring lifecycle, driving a 38% improvement in Time to Fill and a 42% improvement in Time to Hire.
• Automation & Intelligence: TA platforms leveraging automation have seen a 58% increase in automated staffing transactions, reducing recruiter workload.
• Improved Hiring Outcomes: Companies implementing advanced TA technology report a 46% increase in qualified applicants and a 39% improvement in candidate diversity.
• Integration Matters: Reliable HRIS and HCM integration is critical for delivering seamless workflows, reducing implementation friction, and ensuring long-term success.
• Stronger Candidate Pipelines: Organizations using top TA solutions have experienced a 140% increase in the number of applicants per opening.

How Employ’s Solutions Lead the Way

Here’s how our three powerful solutions, which can be tailored to meet your unique hiring needs, lead the way:

JazzHR: Straightforward, Quick, and Foundational Hiring

JazzHR offers an intuitive, easy-to-use applicant tracking system (ATS) that eliminates manual processes and streamlines hiring. According to the report, JazzHR is a Top Performer in Analytics, Implementation Services, Time to Hire, and UI Quality / Experience.

• Customers report exceptional outcomes for the critical metric of Time to Hire, and Time-to-Fill ratings are quite competitive when paired with Time to Hire. 
• Metric ratings are strong for a platform that is designed for streamlined recruiting processes for customers not seeking extensive additional functions. The platform is easy for anyone to use, so a professional recruiting background is not required, which is particularly useful for franchise location managers and similar structured organizations.  
• Candidate diversity and cost per hire are among JazzHR’s highest rated metrics.

Read the full report on JazzHR here.

“JazzHR provides Employ customers with a strong option for a streamlined recruiting approach that works best for low-complexity hiring, reducing spend on superfluous hiring functions within those environments. JazzHR serves as a strong on-ramp for customers to the Employ suite.”

Matthew Merker, Senior Research Director, Human Capital Management Market Intelligence, The Hackett Group

Lever: Foundational Hiring that Easily Scales Up or Down

As an all-in-one ATS + CRM, Lever is ideal for organizations scaling their hiring efforts while nurturing candidate relationships. The report highlights Lever as a Top Performer in Analytics, Automation & Integration, Data Integration & Validation, Internal Mobility Adoption, Qualified Applicant Improvement, Technical Platform Structure / Flexibility, UI Quality / Experience, and Vendor Ecosystem Breadth.

• Customers report notable improvement in qualified applicant outcomes. 
• Integration capabilities with other solutions in the HR tech ecosystem is reported to be easy and effective. This is particularly beneficial for customers utilizing other solutions for new hire onboarding. 
• Customers are satisfied with implementation experience and customer service. 
• Pace of innovation meets expectations for Lever’s target customer profile. 
• Internal mobility adoption outcomes are above average. 

Read the full report on Lever here. 

“Targeting customers that are seeking to rapidly scale their talent acquisition capacity while improving candidate sourcing, Lever offers a strong option for Employ customers in growth mode. The platform is a key enabler for Employ’s goal of traveling alongside customers in their talent acquisition maturity journey.”

Matthew Merker, Senior Research Director, Human Capital Management Market Intelligence, The Hackett Group

Jobvite: Complex Recruiting and Hiring Processes

For organizations with complex hiring needs, such as those in highly regulated industries, Jobvite provides an end-to-end talent acquisition suite powered by AI and automation. According to the report, Jobvite is a Top Performer in Analytics, Cost per Hire, Data Integration & Validation, Global Client Management, Implementation Experience, Qualified Applicant Improvement, Pace of Innovation, Recruitment Marketing, Technical Platform Structure / Flexibility, Time to Fill, Time to Hire, and Vendor Ecosystem Breadth.

• Customers report significant improvements in Time-to-Fill and Time-to-Hire outcomes after implementation of the platform. These metrics pair well with the similarly high Qualified Applicant Improvement rating. 
• Implementation Experience has one of the highest ratings across vendors covered in the study. 
• Customers are exceptionally pleased with the cadence and Pace of Innovation for new features and quality of life improvements to the platform. 
• Customers report notable improvement in candidate diversity post implementation.

Read the full report on Jobvite here.

“Jobvite possesses the greatest breadth of capability within the Employ lineup of talent acquisition solutions. Customers using the platform can more easily manage complex hiring tasks while streamlining their talent acquisition tech stack.”

Matthew Merker, Senior Research Director, Human Capital Management Market Intelligence, The Hackett Group

What This Means for Your Hiring Strategy

With TA software playing an increasingly critical role in recruitment success, organizations must choose solutions that align with their hiring complexity, automation needs, and growth trajectory. The Hackett Group^® Talent Acquisition Digital World Class^® Matrix™ reinforces the importance of selecting a solution that not only meets today’s hiring demands but also scales for the future. 

Employ’s solutions were all recognized in the report for their strong impact on key hiring metrics. As Matthew Merker, Senior Research Director, Human Capital Management Market Intelligence, The Hackett Group, said: “Employ has made tremendous progress across its capabilities and the unique value that each product brings to market. They are listening and reacting to what today’s talent acquisition leaders and recruiters need, offering choice and optionality as it relates to selecting a solution provider. Their product lines and new go to market strategy position them for growth from SMB to the enterprise level going into 2025.”  

Whether you’re hiring for specialized roles, frontline roles, or a mix of both, Employ has the right solution for you, not the only solution. We’re focused on driving innovation across our entire product portfolio to address, head-on, the real problems of recruiters today. 

Ready to Transform Your Hiring?

Explore how JazzHR, Lever, and Jobvite can help you build a stronger, faster, and more efficient hiring process. Learn more about our tailored solutions here.