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The best recruiting CRM is the one that keeps candidates warm between searches
An ATS runs the search. A recruiting CRM runs the relationships around it: the runner-up from last year, the passive candidate who said not now, the hiring manager who has not opened a req since spring. The best one is the one that keeps those people warm with a message you did not have to write, from your own inbox.
On this page
Recruiting CRM vs ATS: the two jobs
The applicant tracking system
Built for the search: the job, the pipeline, the stages, the compliance record. Every candidate in it belongs to a req. When the req closes, the relationship closes with it.
The recruiting CRM, or relationship layer
Built for the people between searches: silver medalists, passive talent, past placements and hiring managers. One timeline per person, a rhythm per group, the check-in written and sent from your own inbox or phone.
What to look for
- Imports from your ATS as a CSV. You will not re-type candidates. If it cannot take an export, it will never hold your real network.
- A rhythm per group. Quarterly for runners-up, monthly for managers you want the next search from, a yearly note on the placement anniversary.
- The check-in written from your notes. A reminder to write to a silver medalist is a task you skip. The note already written from the interview is a tap.
- Sequences that stop on a reply. Passive outreach in two to five steps from your own inbox, and the moment they reply, it stops.
- Sends from your own address and number. Candidates answer a person. Bulk senders and shared numbers read as spam.
- Nothing goes out without you. A relationship tool that writes to your network on its own is a liability. Approval should be the default.
- A price per recruiter, not per seat tier. Solo recruiters and small agencies should not need a sales-team plan.
The free options, honestly
A spreadsheet of silver medalists works for one quarter. Free tiers of general CRMs store contacts and leave the writing to you. Some ATS products include a basic CRM module. Capstone Outreach has no free plan: a 14-day free trial, then $25 a month, and it writes the check-ins and sends them from your own inbox and phone.
Where Capstone Outreach fits
Capstone is the relationship layer beside your ATS. Import candidates and client contacts as a CSV, tag silver medalists, passive prospects and hiring managers, set a rhythm for each, and the quarterly note, the passive-candidate sequence and the no-ask check-in to a manager are written for you and sent from your own inbox or phone once you approve. It does not post jobs, parse resumes, run pipelines or report on compliance.
For the search side, recruiters usually compare Bullhorn, Loxo, Recruit CRM, Greenhouse and Recruiterflow. Check each one's site for current pricing and features; this page makes no claims about them.
Start 14 days free, then $25/mo iPhone: 14 days free, then $24.99/mo
A study of 20 million LinkedIn members found that acquaintances, more than close friends, led to new jobs (Science, 2022). Capstone keeps those people warm. You approve every message, and it goes from your own email or phone.
Also on Android. Cancel in the first 14 days and you pay nothing. The CRM for recruiters →
See it on your phone
Ten seconds each, from the app.
Everyone on a rhythm. Who is due, and when.
Every step written up front. You approve before anything sends.
The text is written. One tap sends it from your own number.
One timeline per person: rhythm, tags, notes, private notes.
Start 14 days free, then $25/mo iPhone: 14 days free, then $24.99/mo
A study of 20 million LinkedIn members found that acquaintances, more than close friends, led to new jobs (Science, 2022). Capstone keeps those people warm. You approve every message, and it goes from your own email or phone.
Recorded in the Capstone Outreach app on a demo account. The iPhone and Android app.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a recruiting CRM and an ATS?
An ATS runs the search: the job, the pipeline, the stages. A recruiting CRM keeps relationships warm between searches: candidates you did not place, passive talent, hiring managers. Many agencies run both.
Do I need a recruiting CRM if my ATS has a CRM module?
Only if the module actually writes and sends the check-ins and stops when someone replies. Most modules store notes and set reminders, which leaves the work with you.
Is there a free recruiting CRM?
Free tiers of general CRMs and spreadsheets store contacts for free. Nothing free writes the message and sends it from your own inbox. Capstone Outreach has a 14-day trial rather than a free plan.
Does it work for in-house recruiters?
Yes. In-house teams use it for silver medalists and passive pipelines for roles that open every year, and for hiring managers across the business.
What should I send a candidate I did not place?
A no-ask check-in every quarter, written from what they told you in the interview, so they call you first when they are ready. The message pages linked below have templates.
Templates and plans
What a personal CRM does · The best personal CRMs, compared · Pricing
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