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SmartSearch ATS is SMART!
Updated September 30, 2015

SmartSearch ATS is SMART!

Bill Humbert | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with SmartSearch

SmartSearch ATS is being used in my company both as an Applicant Tracking System for my RecruiterGuy.com contract recruiter/consulting business and as a Customer Records Management System for my public speaking business SpeakBill.com. It solves my problem of tracking jobs, candidates, managers, posting jobs for Internet Aggregators to scrape, and tracking activity for clients and my businesses.
  • When a company is a new client, SmartSearch ATS does an excellent job of bringing functionality to their client very quickly, usually within a couple of weeks. Their training program is designed so even non-technical users may use their SmartSearch ATS quickly.
  • The Customer Support Team at SmartSearch ATS are off the charts great for jumping on problems quickly and solving them. Sometimes the problems are created by other vendors who link with SmartSearch ATS. Even then SmartSearch resolves the problem. My advice? Expect a happy resolution the rare times you have a problem.
  • The Development Team at SmartSearch ATS have been around for many years. While the fundamentals of the SmartSearch ATS software are mature, the nature of the ATS software business is constant change. SmartSearch ATS does a wonderful job staying up to date. There is no need to bleed at cutting edge. Give me up to date and stability any day! SmartSearch ATS provides both.
  • When you create a new job posting, you are required to pick a field from "miscellaneous export information". Camera Operator and Makeup Artists are choices. Web Developers are not a choice. I don't get that.
  • My business is a small business. I have been a SmartSearch ATS client since 2004, through good economies and poor economies. The return on investment has to be there. SmartSearch ATS has a great return on my investment.
  • As I mentioned previously the customer support at SmartSearch ATS is off the charts great! That means less down time and much more UP time!
  • I am recognized as an expert in recruitment or talent acquisition. SmartSearch ATS helps me keep that recognition.

I have used many ATS. Some clients needed me to help them select their ATS. SmartSearch ATS (in my mind) kills many of the newer upstarts because they are a confident, mature ATS that focuses on the needs of their clients and provides unparalleled support.. Some ATS are selected more out of convenience than functionality. ADP ATS is one of those. As a Recruiter, I would much rather use SmartSearch ATS than ADP's product.

SmartSearch ATS is reliable, cost effective, up to date, and focused on their clients' needs. Nothing more needs to be said.

I believe that SmartSearch ATS deserves an 11 out of 10. In my experience (and I am technically competent for an English degree and published author), the overall support team at SmartSearch ATS deserves their recognition as a top support team. Even when I manage to find new and exciting technical challenges, the SmartSearch ATS team solves my problems. Their support is truly appreciated.

Of course, as in any product choice, the product needs to match the company requirements. SmartSearch ATS solves tracking problems very well for small to medium sized companies - a nice broad market in itself. SmartSearch ATS would not be a good enterprise ATS choice. It is not designed to be.

Based on my experience, a strong enterprise ATS does not currently exist. Most do a better job driving away passive candidates than attracting them.

With SmartSearch ATS, it is possible to make it easy for passive candidates to indicate their interest.

How many positions will you need to post over the next year?

How many candidates will you need to track?

How many company employees will need to access SmartSearch ATS to track candidates?

What types of reporting do you require?

What is your budget?

Is the standard SmartSearch ATS fine for your company or will you need to customize?

Would you like your ATS to mirror image your website? SmartSearch ATS does.

SmartSearch ATS Feature Ratings

Recruiting / ATS
9.5
Job Requisition Management
10
Company Website Posting
10
Publish to Social Media
10
Job Search Site Posting
10
Customized Application Form
8
Resume Management
10
Duplicate Candidate Prevention
10
Candidate Search
10
Applicant Tracking
10
Collaboration
10
Task Creation and Delegation
8
Email Templates
8
User Permissions
10
Notifications and Alerts
10
Reporting
8

Using SmartSearch

1 - I am the owner, recruiter, consultant, trainer, and public speaker. SmartSearch ATS solves my tracking, posting, reporting, CRM, and resume storage needs.
SmartSearch ATS provides my support. This is a software product that only requires a person who understands basic technology to use easily. If the understanding is not there, SmartSearch ATS does a great job training that person or those people to become proficient. Any other ATS that requires a support staff is not cost efficient for a small to medium sized company.
  • Posting positions for internet aggregators to scrape
  • Tracking candidate activity
  • Tracking resumes
  • CRM for clients
  • As a CRM for my public speaking business - SpeakBill.com
  • Right now I feel I am fully utilizing SmartSearch ATS but I will try new solutions with this product when I face new problems.
I believe over the past 30 or so pages (or so it seems), you have every reason for my business to continue as a SmartSearch ATS client and user. The support is off the charts great the few times I need them (generally not even once per year). My business has been a client since 2004. That should say it all.

Evaluating SmartSearch and Competitors

Yes - 

It's been so long I do not remember the name of the ATS. Suffice it to say, they are no longer in business.

SmartSearch ATS provided my business with all of the functionality I needed in an applicant tracking system. Additionally the customer service is such a strong SmartSearch ATS strength that converting over to SmartSearch ATS was a pleasure - not a pain.

  • Price
  • Product Features
  • Product Usability
  • Product Reputation
  • Third-party Reviews
For my business the single most important factor was confidence that SmartSearch ATS would take care of my business needs at a reasonable cost.
Actually I am happy with my process for selecting an ATS. I have been a third party recruiter since 1981. My process asks the right questions that enable me to make the best selection for my client or my business. SmartSearch ATS obviously is the best selection for my business since 2004.

SmartSearch Implementation

Follow the suggestions of the SmartSearch ATS staff during the implementation. Let them know where your pain points are in your current system. Provide SmartSearch ATS with your support during implementation so they may be effective supporting your business through the implementation. Then it is important to ask questions if you have any. Accept training. Use the system. The SmartSearch ATS staff are experts.
  • Implemented in-house
Change management was a small part of the implementation and was well-handled - SmartSearch ATS staff handled my change management to perfection so the transition was not an issue.
  • None

SmartSearch Support

ProsCons
Quick Resolution
Good followup
Knowledgeable team
Problems get solved
Kept well informed
No escalation required
Immediate help available
Support understands my problem
Support cares about my success
Quick Initial Response
None
No - 

Their support is premium at all times!

Once I had a suggestion in the middle of the night - nothing important really. In the middle of the night I heard back from the SmartSearch ATS CTO saying he had implemented the suggested change. I hope he is getting more sleep these days! Great support!

Yes - The very few bugs I've found were resolved quickly and to my satisfaction - even when it was caused by a vendor that linked to SmartSearch ATs. See my note about the middle of the night solution by the CTO.
SmartSearch ATS ALWAYS provides me with exceptional support. I believe I have documented that fairly well. If we could just figure out the miscellaneous export information that is controlled by a third party, life would be excellent!

Using SmartSearch

ProsCons
Like to use
Relatively simple
Easy to use
Technical support not required
Well integrated
Consistent
Quick to learn
Convenient
Feel confident using
Familiar
None
  • Loading resumes is easy.
  • Searching resumes in my SmartSearch ATS is easy.
  • Posting positions on RecruiterGuy.jobs is easy - and I also use it to demonstrate why clients should consider a .JOBS TDL.
  • None
Yes - The SmartSearch ATS mobile interface works fine for me when I need it.
I've used SmartSearch ATS almost every day since 2004. It is easy, stable, and reliable.

SmartSearch Reliability

My license for SmartSearch goes back to 2004. It has always been available for me - don't remember a single time it was not available in all of those years.