PeopleStrong vs. SmartSearch ATS

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
N/A
PeopleStrong HCM is a cloud-based solution which provides visibility across the talent acquisition process creating a “kiosk-simple” experience designed to free up users and allow them to focus on important aspects like sourcing, managing candidates and stakeholder experience with smart sourcing, managing and reporting techniques. PeopleStrong HCM is aimed to simplify and automate the whole HR information system. The system offers users to manage a database of employees in a secure…N/A
SmartSearch ATS
Score 6.6 out of 10
N/A
SmartSearch is a web-based talent acquisition and staffing management software. Features include job posting to job boards and social media outlets, resume parsing, and automated workflow. SmartSearch advertises robust customer service and implementation assistance.N/A
Pricing
PeopleStrongSmartSearch ATS
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
PeopleStrongSmartSearch ATS
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
PeopleStrongSmartSearch ATS
Considered Both Products
PeopleStrong
Chose PeopleStrong
I haven't used any other platform other than Peoplestrong.
Chose PeopleStrong
This has been the cheapest option compared to others and it has a lot of modules to choose as options. I am not on the decision-making committee to choose the app as a user PeopleStrong had made the people strong. As a growing organization with multiple users around the world, …
SmartSearch ATS
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I did not choose to purchase this software.

If you are someone who wants to go back and forth with the rep and customize a tool and reports that match your business then you will like this tool.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
We have looked at multiple alternatives over the years at both Gates and our collective experiences prior to joining Gates. In our opinion, SmartSearch is the right choice for our business today. We have been able to scale it globally and conduct all of our major requirements …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
We really have not used any other products. We started with SmartSearch a very long time ago when the ATS business was in it's infancy and have never seen a demo or a recommendation that has convinced us to move elsewhere.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
SmartSearch is far, far, far better than our experience with any other system. It may not be as "pretty" but the technology and service blow away the competition.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
We initially selected SmartSearch because it was more affordable than other options. Now, because we have invested so much in getting the reports and work flows to work, it is difficult to leave for another product. And yet, because SmartSearch is old and does not have all …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
Functionally, SmartSearch is not on the same page as ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter as a platform is much more geared toward helping applicants and is essentially a glorified resume database. SmartSearch offers so much more in terms of features and abilities, that would not really …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I used the other products at other companies. I was not the decision maker in using SmartSearch. SmartSearch is great for customization and for keeping other vested parties in the loop.
Chose SmartSearch ATS

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 …

Chose SmartSearch ATS
SmartSearch did more of what we needed it to do and did it better than any other product at an affordable price with excellent scalability. The staff is easy to work with and it wasn't a hard push to buy their product. It's web-based and has a pretty decent mobile application …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
SmartSearch is by far the easiest and most effective ATS that I have used. It is extremely user friendly and integrates well with other products to eliminate duplicate efforts.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
Monster is used for people who you know are definitely in the market for a new job. SmartSearch is used to administer and maintain a database of members.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
We have looked at other ATS products such as BrassRing, Position Management, SilkRoad, and Taleo.
We moved off of SmartSearch ATS since we outgrew the system capabilities and needed to implement robust reporting and a manager portal.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
SmartSearch was already in place before I started. Compared to other programs I have worked with, it is much nicer. It is streamlined, easy to use, good user interface, compatible with Outlook, has the ability to export and much more!
Chose SmartSearch ATS
Taleo, UltiPro, Oracle, - smart search is user friendly and has great tools for searching candidates.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
The only other like system that I have used was PipelineDeals, and that was more for sales, versus recruiting. So my answer can't be applicable to this question.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I have used Pointwing, Ultra-Staff, and SmartSearch. Of the 3 SmartSearch was the fastest and the smoothest to use. It was more customizable and caused less issues when used. While I am not familiar enough with the reporting end of things, I would say that may be where it may …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I love Adobe Echosign for what it is designed to do - secure signatures electronically. It's very convenient to be in one state and be able to do business nationally by getting documents and contracts signed electronically. It's so much faster than faxing or scanning used to …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I would rate iCims as #1, Newton #2, and Smart Search #3
Chose SmartSearch ATS
It is day & night when compared to other available products. However I would say sales support and customer service were significant in our decision making process.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I have not used any other similar products.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
i think they are very different systems and i would say i like smartsearch better. i did not select the system, the company was already utilizing it when i started. The other company I used ss at already had it in place as well but I believed used more aspects of it then my …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I have not used other or similar products.
Features
PeopleStrongSmartSearch ATS
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
PeopleStrong
10.0
Ratings
24% above category average
SmartSearch ATS
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
PeopleStrong
10.0
Ratings
23% above category average
SmartSearch ATS
-
Ratings
Pay calculation10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Reimbursement management10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
PeopleStrong
10.0
Ratings
22% above category average
SmartSearch ATS
-
Ratings
Approval workflow10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
PeopleStrong
10.0
Ratings
21% above category average
SmartSearch ATS
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee recognition10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
PeopleStrong
10.0
Ratings
29% above category average
SmartSearch ATS
-
Ratings
Report builder10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
PeopleStrong
10.0
Ratings
23% above category average
SmartSearch ATS
-
Ratings
New hire portal10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
PeopleStrong
10.0
Ratings
23% above category average
SmartSearch ATS
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
PeopleStrong
10.0
Ratings
24% above category average
SmartSearch ATS
-
Ratings
Performance plans10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
PeopleStrong
10.0
Ratings
26% above category average
SmartSearch ATS
3.4
Ratings
81% below category average
Job Requisition Management10.00 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Company Website Posting10.00 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media10.00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting10.00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention10.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking10.00 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts10.00 Ratings5.50 Ratings
Customized Application Form00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Resume Management00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Candidate Search00 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Collaboration00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Task Creation and Delegation00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Email Templates00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
User Permissions00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Reporting00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
PeopleStrongSmartSearch ATS
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Breezy HR
Breezy HR
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Breezy HR
Breezy HR
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
PeopleStrongSmartSearch ATS
Likelihood to Recommend
10.0
(0 ratings)
6.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
3.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.4
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
PeopleStrongSmartSearch ATS
Likelihood to Recommend
PeopleStrong enhances operational efficiency, improves employee experience, and empowers HR teams with data-driven insights to make informed decisions. The platform is typically used by HR departments, talent acquisition teams, managers, and employees themselves. It offers a comprehensive, all-in-one HR management solution to organizations of various sizes across industries.
Read full review
If you have a recruiting organization that needs flexibility and a wide range of options to address an ever changing landscape than this is your system. It does not try to pigeon-hole recruiters into a single recruiting model. It allows you to customize how your organization does things but also allows you to control where you need to control. We have been using SmartSearch for more than 24 years. We started out on one of the first versions because we liked the company and the direction they were taking. SmartSearch has not always been the tool with the flashiest features.... but it has always had some of the best features. They have always been of the cutting edge of the next technology and have the tools and features that make SmartSearch a complete solution. We have not seen anything else out in the marketplace that has encouraged us to change.
Read full review
Pros
  • verifying workflow
  • leave notifications
  • task reminders
  • Quantitative KPI goals
Read full review
  • Customization - the team at SmartSearch always tries to find a solution that works for our company specifically.
  • Customer Care - the team actually cares and is concerned about the well-being of our business. They help us solve issues as if they worked for us and this feeling is felt at every level of the organization beginning with their President.
  • Technology - I have used multiple ATSs and demoed many, many more. SmartSearch has superior technology for staffing firm; the technology that helps us recruit and fill jobs faster.
  • Listening - the team at SmartSearch actually listens to us and our concerns whether it's regarding a feature for an upgrade or simply solving an issue we are facing.
  • Common Sense - there have been many times in our relationship when we have asked about a feature and we hear "that makes sense, we will make that change for all of our customers"...listening is rare and they do it well.
Read full review
Cons
  • It it a little slow portal
  • Creation of leaves could be an feature to be get added
  • It can offer your working details to other companies also so that a worker could get more job offers
Read full review
  • There's some room for improvement with candidate status. If you change a status, you have to refresh your screen for that to appear. It's a minor thing.
  • It would be nice to hide certain bits of information on the web posting, but keep that information in the requisition for our records, ie, salary range, etc.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
While I do not have experience with SmartSearch's competitors, I would renew my use of SmartSearch simply based on the up-front costs of implementing the program. It would be better to continue with a program that is sufficiently meeting my needs than it would be to incur the same up-front costs to implement something else.
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Usability
PeopleStrong is a great platform. When businesses optimize the use of PeopleStrong, they can drive long-term benefits such as talent retention, reduced administrative costs, and enhanced overall workforce performance, ultimately contributing to a strong return on investment that effectively implement and adopt the platform, leading to improved HR processes, cost savings, and enhanced employee engagement.
Read full review
There are so many facets of SmartSearch, that to know everything about it is nearly impossible. While it is mainly straight forward, there is a lot. After using the program for a while, you become pretty comfortable with the basics and can start adding some of the other features.
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Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
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.
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
Once you get the 1 person on the phone they are very knowledgeable and tend to solve the problem. The issue is there are not enough resources to handle all the clients. Their primary clients are "recruiting firms" and I think that is where most of the their support resources go
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
Using the basic functions of SmartSearch is an easy implementation. But consider carefully what your organization needs to really drive placements. Because we only did a basic implementation first, we were caught off guard when later trying to implement more functions and realizing that the capabilities were limited or were difficult to learn and implement and realizing that tech support was not going to be consistent.
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Alternatives Considered
This has been the cheapest option compared to others and it has a lot of modules to choose as options. I am not on the decision-making committee to choose the app as a user PeopleStrong had made the people strong. As a growing organization with multiple users around the world, the need to have an app that has smooth working on the phone is a major reason to switch to PeopleStrong
Read full review
We have looked at multiple alternatives over the years at both Gates and our collective experiences prior to joining Gates. In our opinion, SmartSearch is the right choice for our business today. We have been able to scale it globally and conduct all of our major requirements for our applicant tracking system and that works for Gates. We also feel like we are an important partner to SmartSearch and they work with us and we feel like our feedback is important to them. I have worked with a number of ATS vendors prior to SmartSearch and pre-Gates. That is not a universal approach in this space and is a unique value prop from SmartSearch.
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Return on Investment
  • Increase recruitment process
  • Saves time
  • Database management
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  • I am not involved in the budgeting or finance for recruiting software, so cannot speak directly to any numbers for ROI. However, SmartSearch personally saves me several hours a day in organizing candidates, thus saving my company substantial amounts in productivity.
  • The lacking ability to tag additional recruiters throughout the hire track process means whoever onboards the hire has to ensure that a "split" is marked when completing the NHS. Failure to do so can result in quite a lot of lost time from HR to get the mistake fixed.
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ScreenShots