What Startups Actually Need from an ATS

• Speed to value: onboard in days, not months; minimal setup.
• Automation: eliminate manual triage, scheduling back-and-forth, and repetitive emails.
• AI that helps (not hypes): resume parsing, candidate matching & scoring, and readable summaries.
• Great candidate experience: mobile-friendly apply, short forms, consistent updates.
• Collaboration: comments, mentions, side-by-side comparisons hiring managers actually use.
• Scalability: flexible workflows, integrations, and permissions as the team grows.
• Clear reporting: time-to-hire, funnel conversion, and source quality out of the box.
• Reasonable pricing path: makes sense for pre-seed/seed, then scales with growth.

Quick Picks by Scenario

• Pre-seed/Seed, ad hoc hiring: Recruitee or Workable for simplicity; VanillaHR if you want AI + interview automation from day one.
• Seed → Series A, multi-team collaboration: VanillaHR (AI + automated phone/video + custom reporting), Teamtailor for branding focus, Lever for CRM-like pipelines.
• Series A/A+, structured processes: Greenhouse or Ashby; VanillaHR if you want deeper automation without heavy configuration.
• Need HRIS + ATS basics: Personio for HR suite; pair with VanillaHR if recruiting is your bottleneck.

The Shortlist (At a Glance)

Why Startups Choose VanillaHR

1. AI by design, not bolt-on. Job creation, resume parsing, matching & scoring—so you focus on top candidates.
2. Automated interviews (phone + one-way video). Phone screening via AI agent; one-way video with AI summaries and insights.
3. Career page delivered for you. Brand-aligned, SEO-friendly + multiposting.
4. Custom workflows & reporting. Stages, permissions, dashboards, and exports tailored to your reality.
5. Fast onboarding & migration. Get going quickly—even from spreadsheets or a previous ATS.

If you want speed and automation beyond standard ATS features, VanillaHR compounds efficiency from Day 1.

Feature-by-Feature: What to Compare

AI & Automation

VanillaHR: AI job creation, resume parsing, matching & scoring, automated phone/video screening with summaries.

Greenhouse/Ashby: excellent structure/analytics; AI generally via marketplace apps.

Lever: strong pipeline/CRM; add AI via integrations.

Workable/Teamtailor/Recruitee: good baseline automation; AI depth varies.

Personio: solid HRIS + ATS basics; recruiting automation less specialized.

Candidate Experience

Mobile-first pages, short apply flow, acknowledgments, and consistent updates. VanillaHR adds one-way video + guided phone screens to cut scheduling friction.

Collaboration & Hiring Velocity

Notes, mentions, side-by-side comparisons, structured interview kits. VanillaHR streamlines decision meetings with synthesis reports.

Reporting & Insights

Track time-to-hire, source analytics, and drop-off points. VanillaHR offers custom dashboards and exports to prove ROI fast.

Integrations & Growth Path

Check boards, calendars, video tools, SSO, and HRIS exports. VanillaHR focuses on pragmatic integrations and a flexible workflow engine so you don’t outgrow it.

How to Choose: A Simple Framework

1. Volume & urgency: roles in the next 6–12 months.
2. Complexity: structured interviews/approvals vs fast screening.
3. Team adoption: will managers log in and leave feedback?
4. Automation appetite: do you want phone/video automation now or later?
5. Reporting: what metrics do leadership/investors want monthly?
6. Budget path: start lean and scale without migrating tools.

Sample Stack for a Seed-Stage Startup

• ATS: VanillaHR (AI + automated phone/video screening)
• Career site: VanillaHR career page (brand-aligned, SEO-friendly)
• Calendars/Meet: native calendar integration for live interviews
• Sourcing: LinkedIn/boards + referrals, all routed into VanillaHR
• Reporting: time-to-hire, source-to-offer, stage conversion, DEI basics

FAQ