If you’re searching for new recruitment agency software or an applicant tracking system (ATS), your research might lead you to open-source recruitment software.
A common question in the industry is: What is open-source recruitment software, and how does it compare to commercial solutions? Let’s take a closer look at what open-source recruitment software entails and how it stacks up against commercial options to improve your recruitment process.
What is Open-Source Software
Open-source recruitment software refers to recruitment tools where the source code is publicly available, allowing businesses and developers to view, modify and customise the software to meet their specific hiring needs. It is often free to use, although there may be paid options for additional features, support or customisation.
Key features of open-source recruitment software include:
- Customisation – Organisations can modify the software’s source code to suit their unique recruitment processes, branding or specific workflows. This flexibility can be a significant advantage over proprietary solutions.
- Cost-Effective – As the software is open-source, the initial cost of acquisition is typically free. However, there may be costs related to implementation, maintenance and support – especially if custom features are required.
- Collaboration – Open-source recruitment software often has a community of users and developers who contribute to its continuous improvement, provide support, and share best practices.
- Integration – Open-source systems often allow seamless integration with other tools or platforms that an organisation uses, such as job boards, HR software, or internal databases, without being locked into proprietary systems.
- Transparency – As the source code is available, businesses can be sure there are no hidden issues with the software. This transparency is important for ensuring data security and compliance with privacy laws.
Open Source Recruitment Software
Pros
- Minimal licensing fees – Nine out of ten times, open-source recruitment software is an inexpensive offering compared to a commercial solution.
- Independence – Open-source recruitment software is developed using open source software by a community of independent developers.
- Hands-on exploration – You’re able to explore and understand the software in detail and make your own development changes.
- Easy to manage – Anyone can fix bugs and make the software better without waiting for a new software release.
Cons
- Maintenance charges – Whilst licensing fees are minimal, the cost (time and resources) associated with developing the software may end up being higher.
- Limited documentation – As there is not just one person developing the software the access to detailed functionally documentation is limited.
- Learning curve – Since you’ll be responsible for the software yourself, you’ll probably end up needing to hire a software developer to maintain and develop your software.
- Confusion over users/compatibility – Parallel developments are ongoing, so users may be confused as to which version is compatible with their software.
- Sudden death – The software often comes to a halt and sometimes disappear because software developers fight, quit or simply lose interest.
- No guarantee of support – Should something go wrong, nobody is obligated to help you as it is community based. Generally, any support is offered through an online forum.
Commercial Recruitment Software
It is a higher-cost licensing option where licenses are purchased directly from a recruitment software provider. The source code is proprietary, developed, and maintained exclusively by the provider.
Pros
- Quicker response times to fixing bugs – With a dedicated development team behind the software, you’ll often receive a quicker turn-a-round to fixing bugs or problems.
- New releases and updates – You may not be able to develop the software yourself, but you will know when updates are coming – unlike with open-source recruitment software, which can change without any notice.
- Ongoing support assistance – A commercial solution provider usually provides a range of support services (telephone and online) to assist you and your software users.
- Better documentation – You will have access to thorough and detailed software functionality documentation.
- Dedicated training – With open-source recruitment software you’re generally left to figure out how the software works yourself. With a commercial solution you have access to a team of experienced software trainers with the knowledge of their product.
Cons
- Cost – Often, it’s more expensive and is a larger investment (upfront and reoccurring).
- Software Development – You will need to wait for the software provider to release new software functionality updates or pay to have bespoke development done.
- Tie-in – Once you have purchased your recruitment software, if you decide it is not the right software for your business, changing to another software solution again could be cost prohibitive or you may be contracted for a lengthy period.
Does my agency need it?
The choice depends on several factors, including the level of functionality you need for your recruitment operations – whether basic or comprehensive – the importance of recruitment software in your business, your budget, and your access to a software developer for maintaining and enhancing an open-source solution.
Full transparency, we at Eclipse Software firmly advocate for a commercial solution. Eclipse recruitment software is designed to help you work more efficiently and improve your recruitment strategy without the burden of maintaining or developing the system yourself. This allows you to focus on what truly matters – managing and growing your business.
However we recognise there is a place for open source software within the recruitment industry, like WordPress. This is why we have chosen to develop an open source WordPress plugin as one of our web integration products.
We listened to our clients and recognised that while having a stable, well-supported recruitment software is crucial for their business, they also need the flexibility to develop and customise their websites. This often requires an open-source solution that seamlessly connects their website with their Eclipse recruitment software.
Since websites are typically built by external web design agencies with the expertise to develop open-source products, we chose to offer a web integration solution that works flawlessly out of the box. It provides the reliability and support of a commercial product while maintaining the flexibility of open-source technology.
When choosing recruitment software or an applicant tracking system (ATS), you may come across open-source options alongside commercial solutions. Understanding the differences between the two is key to selecting the right fit for your business.
