Lever is quickly gaining popularity within the human resources software industry since it was established in 2012. World famous brands such as Shopify, Yelp, Quora, and Cirque du Soleil trust Lever for their HR software needs.

IBM has been around for a very long time — introducing topnotch products time and again. Therefore, people also have high expectations for Talent Management Solutions — after all, it’s from IBM.

Use our HR Software Buyers Guide to request a free shortlist of the best CRM software for your needs. In less than five minutes, we’ll match you with five CRM vendors we think you’ll love. 

This article will compare the best features of Lever and IBM Talent Management so you can make an educated decision on which applicant tracking option suits your needs before purchasing an HR software.

A quick introduction to Lever and IBM Talent Management

Lever was founded by Sarah Nahm, Nate Smith, and Randal Truong. This cloud-based software company provides applicant tracking capabilities to the recruitment aspect of human resources.

The primary objective of Lever is to find the best candidates for job postings, automate the recruitment process workflow, and develop relationships with candidates through nurture.

IBM Talent Management was formerly known as Kenexa. Kenexa was a long-standing provider of recruitment services. IBM officially acquired Kenexa in 2012.

Like Lever, IBM Talent Management is a cloud-based HR software solution that has features dedicated not just for applicant tracking, but for assessment, skills development, retraining, and other HR needs. This HR software solution can even transition candidates through the onboarding process.

Comparing the Key Features of Lever and IBM Talent Management

Sourcing talent 

Both Lever and IBM Talent Management are considered best of breed software products, so you can trust that each HR software has its very own approach when it comes to finding the finest candidates out there.

Lever makes use of powerful sourcing strategies to find the best candidates for your company. The Chrome sourcing browser extension is one of the sourcing features from Lever. It lets companies find and contact candidates across the web. Lever also uses social referrals when  searching for candidates for a business.

Read also: ADP vs. Paychex: For Payroll and Beyond

Talent sourcing with IBM Talent Management can involve different strategies such as social recruiting, recruitment marketing, and proactive sourcing. Therefore, you can expect that potential candidates will be scouted even before you have a job opening for them.

Career site 

Lever lets its users create a customizable job site to source and attract more candidates. Applicants can also share job links from the custom career site via Facebook and Twitter and get referrals directly on the site.

IBM Talent Management lets companies build a career site to acquire more job candidates, too. This career site includes realistic job previews that help the candidates self-select for the right position. Candidates may access the career site through a web browser and by using a mobile device.

Personalized email communications 

Both Lever and IBM Talent Management let companies develop better relationships with candidates by nurturing them using personalized email campaigns. IBM Talent management also include customized communications for enhanced candidate relationships.

Customer support 

Lever’s customer support may be reached by submitting a ticket. Other modes of online support include video tutorials, knowledge base, help center, and resource center.

The customer support for IBM Talent Management may be reached through phone, via chat, or by submitting a ticket request. Support forums are also accessible to all users.

Integrations

There are numerous software and apps that can be integrated with Lever; Google, G Suite, LinkedIn, Zoom, Office 36, and DocuSign are just some of them.

Applications and software may be integrated with IBM Talent Management through a third-party software.

Differences 

Keep in mind that even though Lever and IBM Talent Management are both HR software products, there are differences between them. This is especially true when it comes to the extent of HR software capabilities.

The focal point of Lever is to gain more candidates by improving the recruitment performance of your business. Naturally, its functions and features will be related mostly to recruitment. Lever has a reporting feature that analyzes the efficacy of your recruitment strategies, giving you the chance to make adjustments to your approach, if necessary.

IBM Talent Management is a total talent management suite with functions that go beyond recruitment and talent acquisition. It can facilitate transition from being a candidate to becoming an employee. This software can even take care of job offers and background checks for candidates.

The HR software solution for your business

The answer as to which HR software is right for your business will be contingent on your company’s current needs.

Just because IBM Talent Management has a broader list of capabilities doesn’t automatically mean it’s the better choice. Lever can be used together with other HR software products to complete the every need of your human resources department.

Before choosing, take a closer look at the approach of each HR software vendor and ask yourself which option can truly give your company what it needs for it to get the best employees and thrive.

If you want more HR software options, use our HR Software Buyers Guide.