The 10 Best LinkedIn Recruiter Alternatives For Tech Recruiters

When it comes to staying on top of the recruitment game, it's all about continuously honing your skills, right? And obviously, with the tech landscape evolving faster than ever, your toolkit as a tech recruiter is expanding by the minute. That’s why you need to stay on top of the game.

We've got the classics like Boolean search and job boards, but let's talk about the real MVP: LinkedIn Recruiter. It's no secret that so many recruiters usually do most of their recruiting through LinkedIn to find those candidates they are looking for. 

However, here's what you need to think about.. Is your current approach hitting the mark?

When it comes to tech recruitment specifically, there are so many alternatives out there that would help you get your job done 10x faster and more efficiently.  This article features 10 amazing LinkedIn Recruiter alternatives for Tech Recruiters.

What is LinkedIn Recruiter? 

LinkedIn Recruiter is a talent acquisition tool. This recruiting platform allows you to connect with millions of professionals through the LinkedIn interface to streamline the hiring process and optimize your recruitment workflow. LinkedIn Recruiter supports various features, including advanced search filters, InMail messaging, talent pool management, and integration with your Applicant Tracking System (ATS). With LinkedIn Recruiter, you can efficiently source, screen, and engage potential candidates for your open positions.

Why do recruiters rely on LinkedIn Recruiter that much?

Now, why do recruiters rely on it so much? LinkedIn's massive database of professionals and its user-friendly interface make it a top choice. It’s easy to see why recruiters love it – you can quickly identify and connect with candidates who match your criteria. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it?

Here’s a review I found on Glassdoor “Technical Recruiter employees have rated LinkedIn with 4.5 out of 5 stars, based on 89 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Technical Recruiter professionals have an excellent working experience there. LinkedIn is rated in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) by Technical Recruiter professionals compared to other employers within the Information Technology industry (3.9 stars).”

Here’s the twist, though: when it comes to tech recruitment, LinkedIn Recruiter might not be the best fit. While LinkedIn Recruiter provides a vast database and user-friendly interface, its pricing might be a concern for some recruiters. The relatively high LinkedIn Recruiter cost, especially for premium features like LinkedIn Recruiter Professional, can strain recruitment budgets, particularly for smaller organizations or startups.

The good news is, there are better tools out there for tech recruiters… tools that can help you find those perfect candidates and get much better results.

LinkedIn Recruiter Lite vs. LinkedIn Recruiter Corporate

There are two versions for LinkedIn Recruiter, Recruiter Lite and Recruiter Corporate.

Recruiter Lite:

Recruiter Lite is tailored for individual recruiters and small teams. It offers essential features that go beyond basic LinkedIn to help you find the perfect candidates more efficiently.

Key Features:

Network access: Up to 3rd-degree connections

Search filters: Over 20 filters

Search alerts: 10

InMail: 30 per month

Recruiter Corporate:

Recruiter Corporate is designed for larger teams and agencies, offering advanced features to streamline complex hiring processes.

Key Features:

Network access: Full access to all profiles

Search filters: Over 40 filters

Search alerts: 50

InMail: 150 per month

‍Here are the top 10 LinkedIn Recruiter alternatives for Tech Recruiters that we’ve gathered for you: 

Tapflow

Tapflow is an AI talent sourcing co-pilot that helps recruiters analyze job descriptions, automate searches, and score and rank the best candidate profiles.

Benefits for tech recruiters: 

  • Acts as your co-pilot throughout the entire sourcing process.
  • AI understands and analyzes your job description.
  • AI generated online searches.
  • Attribute based search instead of keyword.
  • Accurate and smart filters that help you find your ideal tech talent.

Pricing

  • Free trial available

Monthly plans

  • Tier 1: $49/mo
  • Tier 2: $149/mo
  • Tier 3: $399/mo
  • Enterprise: Custom

Yearly plans (If you decide to go with an annual subscription/plan, you can save 25%) 

  • Tier 1: $37/mo
  • Tier 2: $122/mo
  • Tier 3: $299/mo
  • Enterprise: Custom

HeroHunt

Herohunt is fantastic for tech recruitment, it uses AI to conduct deep web searches and provide real-time candidate data. It’s particularly strong in sourcing hard-to-find tech talent.

Benefits for tech recruiters: 

  • Finds tech talent from various sources beyond traditional job boards, ensuring a comprehensive candidate search.
  • Keeps candidate information current, critical for assessing fast-evolving tech skills.
  • Helps you find passive candidates with niche tech skills who might not be actively job hunting but are perfect for specialized roles.

Pricing: 

  • Free trial available
  • Starter: $199/mo
  • Pro: $499/mo
  • Grow: $999/mo


Entelo

Entelo uses predictive analytics and detailed candidate insights to identify and engage potential hires.

Benefits for tech recruiters: 

  • Anticipates candidates’ likelihood to change jobs, allowing proactive engagement with in-demand tech professionals.
  • Provides a deep dive into candidates' tech skills, project experiences, and professional background.
  • Helps build inclusive tech teams by focusing on diverse tech talent pools, ensuring a broad range of skills and perspectives.

Pricing: 

For pricing details, you need to book a demo

Hired

Hired is a candidate matching platform that provides salary insights and tech assessments.

Benefits for Tech Recruiters: 

  • Matches tech candidates to job roles based on their specific skills, experience, and preferences.
  • Offers competitive salary data, crucial for attracting top tech talent in a competitive market.
  • Includes coding challenges and tests to evaluate candidates' technical abilities accurately.

Pricing: 

Starts at $995/month or $10,000/year

Sourcing.io

Sourcing.io is a developer database that provides social profiles and talent mapping features.

Benefits for Tech Recruiters: 

  • Accesses a vast pool of developers with detailed profiles showcasing their tech skills.
  • Offers insights into candidates' online presence and technical contributions.
  • Visualizes the talent landscape, helping recruiters pinpoint tech professionals with specific expertise.

Pricing: 

  • Free trial available for 7 days
  • Monthly: $199
  • Yearly: $1,599

Stack Overflow

Stack Overflow connects recruiters with developers active on StackOverflow.

Benefits for Tech Recruiters: 

  • Provides detailed profiles of active developers, highlighting their technical expertise and community engagement.
  • Reaches a highly engaged audience of developers specifically looking for tech roles.
  • Enhances company visibility and attractiveness to top tech talent through tailored employer branding tools.

Pricing: 

For pricing details, you need to book a demo

AmazingHiring

AmazingHiring aggregates candidate data from multiple sources and uses AI to rank them. It finds passive candidates and offers detailed analytics.

Benefits for Tech Recruiters: 

  • Combines data from GitHub, StackOverflow, and social networks to find well-rounded tech candidates.
  • Prioritizes candidates based on relevance and technical expertise.
  • Provides a deeper understanding of candidates' involvement in tech communities, highlighting their skills and contributions.

Pricing: 

For pricing details, you need to book a demo

CrunchBoard

Crunchboard is TechCrunch’s job board targeting a tech-savvy audience.

Benefits for Tech Recruiters: 

  • Reaches tech professionals who follow TechCrunch and are deeply engaged in the tech ecosystem.
  • Attracts candidates specifically interested in tech roles and innovative companies.
  • Offers access to a pool of tech-focused resumes, ensuring you find candidates with the right technical skills.

Pricing: 

  • Single job posting for 30 days: $349
  • 5 pack of job postings for 30 days: $1,295
  • 5 pack of featured job postings for 30 days: $1,695
  • 10 pack of job postings for 30 days: $2,495

GitHub

GitHub is a platform for developers to host and review code, manage projects, and build software.

Benefits for Tech Recruiters: 

  •  Allows recruiters to review candidates' actual code and projects to assess their technical skills.
  • Provides insights into candidates' experience and expertise based on their contributions to open-source projects.
  • Identifies active and passionate developers involved in the tech community, signaling a strong commitment to their craft.

Pricing: 

  • Free trial available
  • Team: $4 per user/ mo
  • Enterprise: $21 per user/ mo

AngelList

AngelList is a platform for startups to post jobs and connect with talent and investors.

Benefits for Tech Recruiters: 

  • Ideal for sourcing candidates interested in working at startups, often a key sector for tech talent.
  • Matches candidates with startup job opportunities based on their skills and interests.
  • Attracts tech professionals interested in innovative and high-growth environments, ideal for dynamic tech roles.

Pricing:

Flexible pricing that aligns with your usage needs.

What Tech Recruiters should consider or keep in mind when choosing which LinkedIn Recruiter Alternative to go with:

Selecting the right alternative can significantly impact your ability to attract and secure top tech talent. Here are some key factors tech recruiters should consider when evaluating a LinkedIn Recruiter alternative tool:

Technical Skill Assessment

You should look for tools that offer robust mechanisms for evaluating a candidate's technical skills. Features like coding challenges, tech assessments, and the ability to review code repositories can help ensure candidates have the necessary expertise.

Candidate Sourcing Depth

Tools that leverage AI to conduct deep web searches and aggregate data from various sources (Ex: GitHub, StackOverflow) can provide a more comprehensive pool of candidates. This is crucial for finding niche skills and passive candidates who are not actively looking for new opportunities.

Integration with Existing Systems

Make sure the tool can integrate with your existing Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and other HR tools. This integration helps streamline workflows and maintains a smooth recruitment process.

Cost and Scalability

Evaluate the cost of the tool relative to its features and benefits. Also, consider whether the tool can scale with your organization as your recruitment needs grow.

User-Friendly Interface

A tool that is easy to use and navigate can save time and reduce the learning curve for your recruitment team. Look for platforms with intuitive interfaces and good user reviews.

Final thoughts

While LinkedIn Recruiter remains a popular choice for recruiters, especially in the tech industry, it's essential to recognize its limitations and explore alternative options that may better align with your recruitment goals. 

By using specialized tools designed for tech recruitment, such as those mentioned in this article, recruiters can enhance their sourcing capabilities, streamline their processes, and ultimately attract top talent more effectively.