Lever

Lever used to be a market leader.  I recall demoing in 2016 and being blown away by the sleek design, functionality, the one-click UI, and the general ease of use.  It seems the day after my demo, they were so happy with what they had built that they fired the entire product team and cut all product investment.  It’s now 2025, and the product appears to be identical to the one from 2016.  Unfortunately for Lever, the rest of the market has continued to innovate!

To be fair, Lever is a low-cost option.  As a low-cost ATS, it offers the core features a tech-phobic recruiter needs to advertise and fill roles.  So it’s not all bad, don’t expect the latest AI, candidate ranking, matching, interview intelligence or sourcing tools.

Founded in 2012 by Nate Smith, Sarah Nahm, Randal Truong, and Brian Noguchi, Lever is headquartered in San Francisco, with additional offices in Toronto. The company has raised over $80 million in funding from notable investors like Y Combinator, SV Angel, and Matrix Partners. In 2022, Lever was acquired by Employ Inc., further expanding its reach in the talent acquisition space. Today, Lever serves over 8,000 companies worldwide, including Netflix, Atlassian, and KPMG, helping them hire nearly a million candidates annually.

Pros:

  • Combines ATS and CRM for a seamless hiring experience
  • User-friendly interface with robust automation features
  • Over 300 integrations with popular HR tools
  • Trusted by leading companies like Netflix and KPMG
  • Low cost if happy with the low support option

Cons:

  • Limited AI or modern TA tools as standard
  • Horrible support and CS
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