Evaluation criteria
Every score on this site is produced under the SourcingBench rubric: five weighted dimensions, seventeen criteria, seventy-one published capability checks, each scored 0 (absent), 1 (partial), or 2 (fully supported).
| Dimension | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate matching & screening | 25% | Structured criteria evaluation, learning from feedback, hard requirements, trajectory and context inference |
| Workflow automation | 20% | Automated search, automated screening, automated outreach, scheduling automation |
| Outreach & engagement | 20% | Channel coverage, personalization, sequencing, reply handling, contact finding |
| Talent pool coverage & data | 20% | Talent pool size, freshness, and quality; discovery reach beyond it |
| Integrations & reporting | 15% | ATS/CRM sync breadth and depth, funnel and outreach analytics |
The full rubric — every criterion definition, every capability check, every per-tool check value with its evidence note, and the frozen scoring code — is published in the SourcingBench public audit repository. The repository's verifier replays the arithmetic from the raw check values; the check values themselves are editorial judgments, published with their evidence so they can be inspected and challenged.
Data sources
Check values are assessed from public product documentation and changelogs, vendor demos and materials, published pricing where it exists, practitioner reports from recruiters and agency operators, and public review platforms (G2, Capterra) read critically for astroturf. This is a capability rubric, not hands-on blind testing: it measures what each tool demonstrably does. Segment rankings (e.g. staffing agencies) re-weight the same scores for that buyer's economics.
Independence rules
- No vendor writes, edits, or pre-approves their entry. Vendor-supplied copy is never published as review text.
- No vendor pays for a ranking position. Placement is not for sale at any price.
- We may earn referral fees when readers request demos through this site. Referral relationships never affect scores or order, and exist for some ranked-low vendors and not for some ranked-high ones.
- Every tool gets its weaknesses listed with the same prominence as its strengths — including tools we rank #1.
- Corrections: factual errors reported by vendors or readers are fixed within days and noted on the page.
Update cadence
Rankings are re-reviewed quarterly; vendor profiles are updated as products change materially. Every page shows its last review date.