How Lever Is Raising the Bar for Recruiting Technology: Results from The Hackett Group® 2026 Talent Acquisition Vendor Assessment

“My recruiting tech does the job.”

But does it actually do a GOOD job?

Now that’s a question worth examining. And exactly what The Hackett Group® took a look at in their 2026 Talent Acquisition Vendor Assessment. They put the tech to the test and the results are in.

So who stands out? What does a good recruiting platform look like? What are other TA pros prioritizing?

In this blog, we’ll get into it all: what separates good tech from great tech, and how Lever is helping recruiting teams tackle more of the work without taking on more of the workload.

A Quick Look at What The Hackett Group Found

• 10 Top Performer badges, including Analytics, Platform Flexibility and Candidate Assessment
• Leading rating—4 out of 5—for AI & Emerging Technologies
• 73% improvement in recruiting automation
• 60% improvement in recruiter efficiency
• "Leading" rating for technical platform structure and flexibility
• Accelerated Pace of Innovation

Recruiting Technology Has a Bigger Job to Do

Remember when even having an ATS felt like one giant technological leap for mankind?

We've come a long way.

Today, posting jobs, tracking candidates, and moving people through the hiring process are pretty much the price of admission. Recruiting teams need their technology to do a whole lot more than keep everything organized.

Why? Simple. Because the job of a recruiter encompasses so much more now, too.

So yes, recruiting technology has a pretty packed job description these days.

Platforms need to help teams move faster, find the right candidates (not just more of them), spend less time on manual work, keep everyone on the same page, and make it easier to show the impact TA is having on the business.

That's also why simply having a long list of features doesn't tell you all that much anymore.

Your recruiting technology can have every feature under the sun, but if your recruiters are still wasting half their day clicking through platforms and copying and pasting between systems...

What's the point, right?

The better question is: What is all that technology actually doing for your team?

Because that's where the difference between technology that does the job and technology that actually does a good job starts to show.

What The Hackett Group® Found About Today’s Recruiting Technology

There’s a lot to dig into in The Hackett Group® research, but the big takeaway? Recruiting technology is doing more than keeping the hiring process organized. It’s helping teams get better at the work itself.

Across the vendors studied, teams reported improvements in everything from recruiter efficiency and automation to hiring speed and quality.

But the research also gives us a pretty good look at what’s driving those improvements and where recruiting technology is headed next.

A few things stood out:

• The basics are the basics for a reason. Teams still need the fundamentals to work really well. But those capabilities alone aren’t enough to set a platform apart anymore. The Hackett Group® found that more of the difference is coming down to things like automation, AI, and how well all the pieces work together.
• The AI conversation is expanding. Generative AI capabilities are familiar territory by now (hello, ChatGPT). But The Hackett Group® found that teams are starting to use AI in new ways, including advanced analytics that can help with bigger-picture needs.
• You can’t tech your way out of a bad process. The right platform can make a big difference, but it can’t do all the work for you. The Hackett Group® found that teams get more value when their technology is paired with the right processes and policies.

So, where does Lever land in all of this?

Lever's Results: 10 Top Performer Badges and a Leading Rating for AI

Lever is a talent acquisition platform built for mid-market and scaling companies. The platform combines applicant tracking and candidate relationship management in one system.

And according to The Hackett Group®, that combination is delivering some pretty strong results for recruiting teams.

The numbers tell a pretty clear story: Lever is helping recruiting teams get more work done without adding more work to their plates.

Lever customers reported a 73% improvement in recruiting automation and a 60% improvement in recruiter efficiency.

And those two numbers really go hand-in-hand.

Because every manual task you can take off a recruiter’s plate creates more room for the work you actually hired them to do: building relationships, partnering with hiring managers, talking to candidates, and ultimately making great hires.

But Lever’s results don’t stop at efficiency.

Lever also earned a Leading 4 out of 5 rating for AI & Emerging Technologies and 10 Top Performer badges, including recognition for Analytics, Platform Flexibility, and Candidate Assessment.

Beyond the Scores: The Seven Capabilities Behind Lever's Ratings

Of course, the real test comes when recruiters actually have to use the technology.

Because their days aren’t spent thinking about ratings and percentages. They’re spent juggling packed calendars and overflowing pipelines and hundreds of applications and a whole lot of tabs.

So, what does it actually look like to log into Lever?

• A better way to find that needle in the haystack. When hundreds of people apply for one role, finding the qualified candidates can feel a little like finding a needle in a haystack. Talent Fit helps make that search a little easier, using intelligent matching to show recruiters how candidates align with what they’re looking for.
• A better way to stay connected with great candidates. Just because a candidate wasn't the right fit this time, doesn't mean they won't be the perfect hire next time. Lever’s built-in CRM helps teams stay connected through talent pools, personalized outreach, campaigns, and more, so when the right opportunity does come along, you already have great people to turn to.
• More interviewing. Less frantic note-taking. It's hard to have a great conversation when you're also trying to capture every word of it. Lever's AI-powered interview transcripts and summaries can take care of that work, capturing conversations and pulling together key insights afterward. So recruiters and hiring managers can spend a little less time staring at their keyboards and a little more time connecting with the candidate.
• A heads-up when something doesn't quite add up. Candidate fraud isn't always going to announce itself with a giant red flag. Sometimes it's a small inconsistency or something in an interview that deserves a second look. Fraud Signals can help surface those potential warning signs along the way—keeping your pipeline and your organization safe.
• AI that lends a hand, but never takes the wheel. AI can do a lot. But what it should never do? Make the decisions. The Hackett Group® highlighted Lever’s human-in-the-loop approach across its AI capabilities, designed to keep recruiters in charge of the decisions while giving them more intelligence to work with.
• More visibility into what’s working and what’s not (and why). Recruiting teams aren't exactly hurting for data. The harder part is figuring out what it all means. Lever's dashboards, customizable reports, and analytics help teams spot where things are getting stuck, understand how recruiting is performing, and show the impact TA is having on the business.
• Room to grow without outgrowing your recruiting tech. What works for your recruiting team today might not be what works a year from now. The Hackett Group® specifically called out Lever’s flexibility and scalability, giving its technical platform a “Leading” rating. So as your team, hiring needs, or business goals change, you have a platform designed to change right along with them.

The TL; DR? Great recruiting tech shouldn’t make recruiting harder. Or give your team one more thing to manage.

It should give your hiring teams more room to do what they do best: finding the perfect candidate for the perfect role.

And that's really what Lever was built to do.

Download The Hackett Group® 2026 Talent Acquisition Vendor Assessment: Lever Edition to learn more about how Lever helps teams tackle their toughest hiring hurdles.

Ready to see how Lever can help your hiring team level up? Schedule a demo 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Hackett Group® 2026 Talent Acquisition Vendor Assessment?

The Hackett Group® is a research and consulting firm that helps organizations evaluate performance, technology, and business strategy. For its 2026 Talent Acquisition Vendor Assessment, analysts assessed 12 talent acquisition software providers across 28 criteria. The evaluation included vendor questionnaires, product demonstrations, analyst validation, and customer feedback to assess both platform capabilities and customer outcomes.

Is Lever a good fit for mid-market and scaling companies?

Yes. Lever is a strong fit for mid-market and scaling companies that need to manage recruiting efficiently as hiring needs grow. It combines applicant tracking and candidate relationship management in one system, with automation, AI, analytics, and other capabilities designed to help teams work smarter. Lever also continues to invest in new technology and capabilities, giving growing teams a platform that can evolve alongside the way they recruit.

How did Lever perform in the assessment?

Lever performed strongly in The Hackett Group®’s 2026 assessment, earning 10 Top Performer badges across areas including Analytics, Platform Flexibility, and Candidate Assessment. Lever also received Leading ratings in areas such as AI & Emerging Technologies and technical platform flexibility and scalability.

What is a Top Performer badge?

A Top Performer badge recognizes a vendor that demonstrated strong performance in a specific area evaluated as part of The Hackett Group® Talent Acquisition Vendor Assessment.

How did Lever score on AI capabilities?

Lever received a Leading rating of 4 out of 5 for AI & Emerging Technologies in The Hackett Group®’s 2026 Talent Acquisition Vendor Assessment.

What size company should use Lever for the ATS?

Lever can support companies of any size, from growing businesses building out their recruiting processes to larger organizations managing more complex hiring needs. Its flexibility and scalability allow teams to adapt the platform as their hiring volume, processes, and recruiting needs evolve.