Applied

Applied is a recruiting platform for employers that want to structure hiring around skills and assess their recruiting practices. Its broad set of assessment and AI-assisted tasks is useful, but custom pricing and a team-led buying process make it a weaker fit for buyers who need clear costs or integration details before taking a meeting.

Overview

Applied is designed to reduce bias in recruiting, combining pre-built skills assessments with data across the hiring process. Its DEI metrics dashboard and inclusive recruiting capabilities give it a role beyond screening candidates: teams can also use it to examine how they hire.

Applied says it has been acquired by Phenom. Its homepage features testimonials from SSAFA, HarperCollins and Comic Relief. The platform supports API-based access, with further information available on request.

Key features

Skills assessments and AI assistance

Hiring teams can use AI to generate skills, questions, assessments, interviews and scoring rubrics. It can also parse CVs, assist with response scoring and flag text that appears AI-generated. That range can help teams build more consistent assessment materials and account for AI-generated candidate responses, but it does not make hiring decisions: Applied’s AI policy calls for meaningful human judgment and prohibits relying solely on automated AI for those decisions.

Job descriptions and hiring data

The Job Description Analysis Tool can assess and update job descriptions and generate consistent descriptions. Combined with pre-built skills assessments and hiring-process data, this makes Applied more useful to teams trying to standardize several stages of recruitment than to buyers seeking only a standalone assessment tool.

Security and support

Applied says it complies with UK data security requirements, including GDPR and the EU AI Act, and holds Cyber Essentials Plus certification. Its separate security policy describes 128-bit SSL for browser traffic and AES-256 for sensitive stored data; that policy is dated June 2018. Payments are processed by Stripe, and Applied says it does not collect or process card details. Prospective customers can book a demo or contact the team for product information and help.

Pricing

Applied is paid software with custom pricing. There are no published plan prices to compare, so teams should request a quote before deciding whether the platform fits their budget. Some features have free trials; others are presented in an interactive tour with the team. Buyers should confirm which features can be trialed and whether the tour meets their evaluation needs.

Platforms

Applied supports web access and an API. The API policy says more information is available on request, so teams planning an integration should discuss their requirements with Applied before committing.

Who it's for

Applied is a stronger fit for recruiting teams that want skills-based assessments, job-description tools and hiring data in one platform, particularly those seeking inclusive recruiting capabilities and a DEI metrics dashboard. Its human-oversight requirement is important for employers that want AI to assist assessment without making final hiring decisions. Teams that need upfront pricing or named integration options should compare alternatives before engaging.

Pros and cons

Pros: Skills assessments, AI-supported assessment tasks and job-description analysis cover multiple parts of the hiring process.

Pros: A DEI metrics dashboard and inclusive recruiting capabilities suit teams looking to examine how they hire.

Pros: Applied’s stated human-oversight rules keep hiring outcomes with hiring managers rather than automated AI alone.

Cons: Custom pricing makes budget comparisons difficult before a sales conversation.

Cons: Applied says it integrates with many products but does not name them on its page, leaving buyers to verify specific connections.

Cons: Trial access varies by feature, with some evaluation routed through an interactive tour with the team.

Alternatives

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Software is a useful category starting point for comparing options aimed at inclusion and DEI.

Chezie is another paid web product with a free trial; consider it if you want to evaluate an alternative before buying.

Diverst is a paid option for Android and web, with pricing requiring contact with sales; consider it if Android access matters.

Mitratech CaseCloud is a paid Android, iOS and web product with no free plan and a personalized-demo buying process; consider it if mobile platform coverage is important.

Teleskope Affinities is a paid Android, iOS and web product focused on enterprise ERG management, with demo-based pricing; choose it when that focus better matches your needs.

Paradigm is a paid web alternative with a free trial and no free plan. Its Surface Expert plan includes unlimited administrators, contributors and data sources, plus segments, SSO, a security and compliance suite, custom insights and benchmarking; consider it if those capabilities matter more to your decision.

Fair HQ is another paid web option.

Mathison is a paid web product with pricing on request; consider it as another option to compare through a sales conversation.

Diversio is a paid web alternative with no free plan. Its Optimo plan costs what you agree with the maker and includes employee risk insights, manager recommendations, daily Slack or Teams check-ins and HRIS data import; consider it if those workplace insights and check-ins are a closer fit.

Verdict

Applied is worth considering for recruiting teams that want skills-based assessment, AI assistance and inclusive hiring tools within one platform. Its strongest reason to choose it is the breadth of hiring support, paired with a clear requirement for human oversight. Look elsewhere if you need prices or named integrations before speaking with a vendor, or if a team-led, feature-dependent evaluation process is a poor fit.