Introduction

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Gem gathers data from tools that recruitment teams use on a day-to-day basis, such as LinkedIn InMail, ATS, and email, and combines it into a single talent management hub that automates candidate sourcing and engagement while providing detailed insights to support and optimize your recruiting strategy.
Ratings
Ease of Use
Best For
Key Differentiator
Price
Free Trial
PROS
- Gem helps you discover qualified candidates across multiple channels, send personalized messages, visualize your recruitment pipeline, and stay on top of crucial hiring metrics
- Gem's integration with LinkedIn and various ATS means that all candidate data is stored in a centralized location. Users find this feature extremely useful.
- According to users, one of Gem's finest features is the ability to create automated drip campaigns to engage with both active and passive candidates
CONS
- Some users have experienced slow load times and lags while using the application
- In rare cases, the contact information, such as the email address or phone number of a sourced candidate, might be wrong
- While Gem currently integrates with LinkedIn, it does not provide the option to automate messages via LinkedIn InMail

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Used by over 1200 teams, Gem is a talent engagement platform that helps you with talent sourcing, outreach and recruitment pipeline management.
Best-suited for large enterprises and staffing firms, Gem gathers data from various recruitment tools and sources like ATS, LinkedIn, past applications, and email to create a single source of truth called a candidate relationship management (CRM) hub. The CRM hub has a record of every candidate interaction as well as up-to-date information about them, including career developments and recent milestones.

Gem's talent sourcing and outreach tool help recruitment teams connect with active and passive talent and engage them through multi-stage email sequences. For instance, through this feature, you can automate interview reminders and schedule follow-ups with candidates currently in the pipeline. On the other hand, passive candidates can be engaged through curated content and interesting updates about your organization sent to them weekly or bi-weekly.
Customers especially like Gem's pipeline management feature that provides a visual snapshot of your entire recruitment pipeline. You can sort candidates based on which stage of the hiring process they're currently in, move them further along based on interviews and assignments, or send them a rejection email using a pre-existing template.

The reporting dashboard, called Talent Compass, provides valuable insights into the performance of your recruitment team, pipeline health, diversity hiring efforts, and email engagement rate. You can also use the stats to project the number of hires you expect to make in the coming weeks and months and tweak your recruitment strategy to meet your hiring goals.

I used Gem daily. Our organization used it to reach out to potential candidates via email. We saw a higher response rate through email compared to LinkedIn. We also used it to store candidates for future positions. Gem allows you to organize candidates by attribute, making it easier to find them later.
I liked how efficient working with Gem was. Once I identified a candidate I liked, it took only a click to reach out to them. I appreciated the ability to track responses, which made it easier to monitor our response rate. I liked the option to organize candidates based on different attributes for future use, helping me build a pipeline for our most common roles. I also liked that Gem operated as a Chrome extension, making it easy to use alongside LinkedIn.
My organization purchased Gem to better reach out to candidates for our open positions. Gem allowed us to contact potential candidates via email rather than messaging them on LinkedIn. This could be done with the click of a button.
Gem even provided us with multiple email addresses for certain candidates. It reduced our time contacting candidates from about one minute to as little as ten seconds, which adds up over time. We also found that we received a better response rate when reaching out to candidates through email compared to LinkedIn.
I disliked how glitchy the software was at times. Sometimes, I would click on the application, and it would take a few tries to open. I disliked the user interface, as it took some time to get used to navigating around Gem. I think Gem has room for improvement in the AI space. It would be helpful to have additional customization options for messaging based on a candidate's profile.
I have not used other tools similar to Gem.
People should focus on their employee population and what communication method they respond to best. I find that different populations respond differently to email compared to LinkedIn.
Gem hasn't made many changes over time to adapt to user needs. It has become less glitchy over time.
Gem works great for recruiting organizations.
Gem would not be a good fit for organizations that recruit employees who do not have an online presence.
I use Gem for my entire sourcing workflow. First, I create a project for an open position. Next, I craft a sequence - commonly copying a sequence I have previously made. When I am browsing LinkedIn for candidates, I add potential candidates to the project and send them a message through Gem. When a candidate responds, I will mark the candidate as "Interested" or "Not Interested" and provide additional notes in the provided field.

The ability to create and schedule sequences is very intuitive and perfect for my use case. I also appreciate the ability to segment candidates into projects to find similar candidates I may have previously connected with. Lastly, I appreciate being able to add Reminders to follow up with a candidate on a certain date.
I bought Gem for my small business primarily because I used it at the Agency I was with previously and had familiarity with the product. I needed a solution that could provide scheduled sequences, projects, and notes in a user-friendly format. I was solving the pain of tracking candidates I had reached out to and keeping projects organized. I appreciate the customer service provided by Gem, though I do think there is at least one key component missing that would make it perfect for my use cases. I have used Gem for more than 2 years.
There is no way to export a CSV including the "Notes" field, which is extremely detrimental. In fact, the ability to review "Notes" for individual candidates or to bucket these does not exist, thus I am unable to see large data points such as why candidates respond as "Not Interested". I have spoken with Customer Service numerous times and have been told exporting the "Notes" field or being able to view it in a holistic way is not possible. In my opinion, the software would be perfect if it solved this problem. I do not have any additional cons regarding Gem.
I found Gem to be more intuitive, more user friendly, and easier to sequence messages. I have not used other competitors more than demoing their product and decided to stay with Gem.
First should be how they are setting up their workflows. Do they already have a solution that provides projects? Do they have a solution that provides emails within the LinkedIn page, or does this require an additional software tool? I would evaluate each step of their workflow, what could be better or done more easily by using one tool instead of two, and evaluate if Gem is right for them.
No, for 2 years I have requested the ability to export a CSV with "Notes" and this change has not been made.
Good for both individual recruiters as well as an Agency. As an Agency, you are able to view colleagues' sequences, the success rates, and clone the most effective outreaches to your own sequence. As an Individual, you have insight into metrics to make changes in order to increase success.
I have only used it in a recruiter setting. I cannot think of a recruiter organization this would not be good for.
I have used Gem as a sourcing tool to contact candidates. Gem allows you to create automated email cadences and allows you to reach out to candidates through various stages until a response is met. In the recruitment world, it can be difficult to set follow ups manually and Gem allows just that.
- Ability to fetch email addresses of prospects
- Ability to automate an email sequence
- Reporting of open emails and response rates
I’ve used Gem for over a year. Company had purchased Gem as another sourcing tool to reach out to both active and passive candidates in the market. The key benefit is the ability to email candidates and receive email access that otherwise would be difficult to find. There is also an automation component where you can bulk email a plethora of candidates at once which can be effective in high growth environments.
- Sometimes emails are not effective ways to reach candidates
- Does not have a cadence feature for LinkedIn messages. Only emails
- Would be nice to integrate with more ATS systems
It’s the first tool that I’ve personally used that can fetch email addresses of passive candidates
- Understand what their current sourcing strategy is and how effective it is today
- Understand that Gem is a sourcing method via email cadences. Sometimes emails are not as effective for candidates.
It hasn’t grown too much on me given that I have only used it for email sourcing and email cadences
High growth environments either small or enterprise companies.
This tool would not be good for employees outside of sales and recruitment. Only suitable for roles that require heavy sourcing or outreach.
The Recruiting Team used Gem daily to source. Our RecOps team used it to observe reports and pull key data points out for presentations. This was especially important when there were board meetings or quarterly presentations to the company. It also synced really nicely with our ATS (Greenhouse) which made it a great tool.
- Sourcing functionality is top-notch and helped increase the diversity of the candidate pool
- Reporting functionality helped bridge gaps in reporting that Greenhouse couldn't provide
- Gem's CSM team was a pleasure to work with.
My previous company used Gem because it provided a combination of sourcing and analytic functionality for the recruiting funnel. This was needed in order to report on goals and metrics that the Recruiting team needed to hit as well as improve DEIB initiatives. Gem did a great job of solving for helping us make data-driven decisions. Additionally, our Customer Success Manager helped us design reports and leverage Gem to its fullest capacity.
- Originality - It seemed like Gem would release similar features to their competitors in response to what the competitors were doing. This meant that the functionality wasn't always fully baked.
- Ease of use - The analytics aspects of the platform required a longer than anticipated ramp time to fully understand.
- System integration - When the integrations broke because of updates, it could take a bit of time to get back online.
Gem definitely innovates very quickly based on what they see. Because of this, some features can feel half-baked relative to their competitors (on the analytics side TalentWall, on the sourcing side, SeekOut). Generally, it is nice that Gem consolidated the specialty of those tools into one platform but SeekOut/TalentWall are more straightforward to use while requiring a lower ramp time to use.
I would consider the following bullets:
- Ease of Use
- Integration capability
- Purpose (does sourcing or analytics carry more weight?)
- Maintenance (which team is going to own this tool so that they have a strong partnership with the CSM team)
Gem is incredibly fast to build new functionality to meet changes that the users need. That ability to listen to their customers and users is fantastic.
Users: Sourcers, Recruiters, RecOps Team, Hiring Managers
It all depends on how each team is leveraging the tool. If it is primarily for sourcing, then it is incredibly nifty for Sourcers/Recruiters/Hiring Managers to build projects together and do paired sourcing.
Users: Interviewers, Non-recruiting members
Because they are not part of the recruiting process from a hands-on perspective, it can be a waste of a user seat to give them access.
We use Gem daily for our sourcing and when replying to candidate responses. The responses will go to the connected email and allow our coordinators to access candidate data and move toward the next steps easily. We also use the reporting features to inform clients of the effectiveness of outreach. The data we are able to see allows us to better our email campaigns as well.

- I enjoy the data collection/reporting features.
- I enjoy the Chrome extension which automatically triggers when an email communication or linkedin email for example belongs to a sourced candidate we've sent outreach to.
- I also enjoy the simple and clean layout of the software.
We wanted a more robust solution for talent searching/sourcing and outreach. I have used the tool for 5 months since we switched from Teamable. Gem allows us to automate candidate nurturing campaigns. It also allows us to easily view candidate data such as Linkedin profiles, contact info, etc in one place. Another great use for us has been the tracking data/analytics where we can view when candidates have opened messages, the links they clicked, how many times they viewed it, and more which helps us better our email campaigns.
- The price is high compared to others.
- Although the Chrome extension is useful the pop-ups can be disruptive.
- The sensitivity of the AI- at times will mark non-interested replies as interested and vice versa which throws off our stats.
Compared to others such as Teamable or Loxo, I would say Gem is much more intuitive when it comes to its integrations and design.
The size of your company and pricing-this may not be suitable for smaller organizations due to the cost. Also, the reporting/analytical data you can capture is extremely useful but not necessary for all recruiting agencies.
I have not used it long enough to say.
High Volume Recruiting
A small business/startup
As a recruiter, I use Gem on a daily basis to manage all aspects of the candidate lifecycle. One of the key workflows that I use it for is candidate sourcing, where I can easily import and organize candidate data from various sources, such as job boards, LinkedIn, and our website. I can also use the platform's advanced search and filtering features to quickly find relevant candidates that match specific job requirements.
Once I have identified potential candidates, I use Gem to manage the screening and interviewing process. This involves tracking each candidate's progress through various stages of the hiring process, scheduling interviews, and collaborating with hiring managers and team members. I also use the platform's integrations with other tools, such as Zoom and Google Calendar, to streamline the interview process and ensure a smooth candidate experience.
In addition to these core workflows, I also use Gem for candidate relationship management and communication. This includes keeping candidates engaged throughout the hiring process, providing personalized feedback, and answering any questions they may have. I also use Gem to analyze and track recruitment metrics, such as time-to-hire and source of hire, which helps me to optimize and improve our recruitment processes over time.
Overall, Gem has become an essential tool in my daily workflow as a recruiter, allowing me to streamline and automate many aspects of the recruitment process and provide a better candidate experience.

have found Gem to be an incredibly useful tool for managing candidates throughout the recruitment process. Here are three key reasons why I like Gem:
User-friendly interface: The platform's interface is easy to use and intuitive, which makes it simple to navigate through the candidate management process.
Advanced search capabilities: Gem's advanced search capabilities are a huge asset, allowing me to quickly and easily find candidates that meet specific job requirements.
Collaborative capabilities: Gem's collaborative features are another standout feature. The platform allows me to easily communicate and collaborate with other members of my team, streamlining the hiring process and ensuring that everyone is on the same page.
Our organization purchased Gem ATS as a solution to some of the challenges we were facing in managing our recruitment processes. Before using Gem, we had been relying on manual processes and spreadsheets, which made it difficult to efficiently track and manage candidates throughout the hiring process. We also found it challenging to collaborate effectively as a team and communicate with candidates in a timely and personalized way.
Since implementing Gem, we have experienced a number of benefits. One of the key benefits has been the ability to automate many of our recruiting processes, such as resume screening and interview scheduling, which has saved us a significant amount of time and resources. Additionally, the platform has enabled us to collaborate more effectively as a team, with features such as centralized candidate profiles, real-time communication, and shared feedback.
Personally, I have been using Gem for over a year and have found it to be an essential tool for my work as a recruiter. It has enabled me to streamline my workflow, track candidates more effectively, and provide a more personalized experience for both candidates and my team. Overall, Gem has been an incredibly valuable addition to our recruitment toolkit, and we plan to continue using it to support our hiring efforts going forward.
While I find Gem to be a highly effective tool for candidate management, there are a few areas where I think it could be improved. Here are three potential drawbacks to using Gem:
Limited customization: While Gem offers a range of useful features, the platform doesn't allow for a great deal of customization. I wish that there were more options for tailoring the tool to my specific needs.
Slow loading times: At times, I have found that Gem can be slow to load, which can be frustrating when trying to quickly access candidate information.
Price point: While I believe that Gem is a valuable tool, it is on the pricier side compared to some other ATS options. For smaller organizations or those with tighter budgets, this could be a potential drawback.
I can say that Gem stands out from its competitors in a few ways. First, its user interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy to navigate and use. Second, Gem's AI-powered features, such as automated sourcing and candidate engagement, help save time and increase efficiency. Third, Gem integrates seamlessly with other tools in the recruiting tech stack, such as LinkedIn and Slack, which streamlines the recruitment process.
Compared to other similar tools I've used, I prefer Gem because of its user-friendly interface and AI-powered features. The automated sourcing and candidate engagement have helped me save a lot of time and increased the number of qualified candidates in my pipeline. Additionally, the ability to integrate with other tools has made my workflow much more streamlined. Overall, I highly recommend Gem ATS for any recruiter looking to increase their efficiency and productivity.
I would recommend that when considering a candidate management tool like this, there are a few key criteria to keep in mind.
First, it's important to evaluate the user interface and ease of use. A tool with a clean, intuitive interface will save time and reduce frustration. Consider the integrations offered by the tool, as seamless integration with other recruitment tech tools can streamline the hiring process. Also, the level of automation and AI features should be assessed, as these can greatly improve productivity and increase efficiency.
In addition, it's important to look at the pricing structure and understand any additional costs associated with add-ons or upgrades. Finally, take advantage of free trials to test out the tool and see if it meets your specific recruitment needs. Overall, by considering these key criteria, you can make an informed decision on which candidate management tool is right for your recruiting needs.
- I can attest that Gem has evolved significantly over time to meet users' needs. Since its launch, Gem has consistently released updates and new features based on user feedback, making it a much more powerful and efficient tool for candidate management.
- One of the key ways Gem has evolved is through the addition of AI-powered automation features. For example, the "Sequences" feature allows recruiters to automate personalized outreach and follow-ups to candidates, reducing the amount of manual work needed for candidate engagement.
- Gem has also expanded its integrations with other tools in the recruitment tech stack, such as LinkedIn and Slack, which has helped to streamline the recruitment process even further.
- Gem has continued to innovate and evolve over time to meet the ever-changing needs of its users. As a result, it has become a go-to tool for many recruiters looking to increase their efficiency and productivity.
I believe that Gem is very good for a variety of users and organizations. Gem is an excellent tool for companies of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises, and for recruiters who handle high-volume hiring needs.
In particular, Gem is well-suited for recruiters who prioritize efficiency and productivity in their hiring process. The tool's AI-powered automation features, such as the ability to automate outreach and follow-up, save recruiters a significant amount of time and increase their productivity. Additionally, Gem's ability to integrate with other recruitment tech tools, such as LinkedIn and Slack, makes it an ideal tool for those who use these tools in their daily work.
Furthermore, Gem's easy-to-use interface and seamless user experience make it an excellent tool for all levels of experience, from seasoned recruiters to those who are new to the profession. Overall, Gem is a great tool for any recruiter or organization looking to increase their efficiency, productivity, and success in candidate management.
For instance, companies that have unique or complex hiring processes may find that Gem's more streamlined and automated approach may not be well-suited to their specific needs. Similarly, recruiters who prioritize a more personal touch in their candidate management, rather than relying heavily on automation, may not find Gem to be the best fit for their work style.
Also, companies that have strict data security or compliance requirements may need to carefully evaluate Gem's data protection policies and procedures to ensure they align with their specific requirements.
While Gem is a highly effective candidate management tool for many recruiters and organizations, it's important to carefully evaluate your specific needs and requirements to determine whether it's the right fit for your recruitment needs.
If you’re a small or mid-sized business that doesn’t hire more than 10 employees a year, you won’t be using Gem to its full potential.
Coinbase, Slack, Asana, Dropbox, Lyft, Indeed, Pinterest, and Doordash
- Talent CRM: Gem's Candidate Relationship Management platform gathers candidate data across recruiting systems, LinkedIn InMails, and emails and stores it in a centralized location.
- Automated Outreach: Send multi-stage sequences via email to active and passive candidates, in turn, boosting candidate engagement.
- Pipeline Management: Get a bird's-eye view of your entire recruiting pipeline, sync it with your ATS, add notes to individual profiles, move candidates to the next stage, or send them a rejection email with a ready-to-use template.
- Talent Compass: Gather data and analytics across Gem and your ATS to evaluate your hiring efficiency, team performance, and projections for the future.
Gem integrates with over 20+ third-party applications, including Greenhouse, Workday, LinkedIn, Indeed and more. We recommend contacting their sales team to learn about the custom integrations they offer.
The cost of Gem's services is based on the size of your recruitment team, the number of hires, and other factors like custom ATS integrations. You can reach out to their sales team for a quote.
Gem is best suited for large enterprises and staffing agencies that need to hire more employees in a short time period.
To get started with Gem, you can visit their website and click the 'Get Started For Free’ button on the homepage. This will take you to a page where you can enter your business email and sign up for a free trial. You can also go through the 'Getting Started With Gem' guide available in their help center for information on how to set up your account, integrate it with your ATS, and more.
Gem has a help center accessible 24/7 for self-serve. They also provide developer documentation and frequent product updates, so you're always in the know. Apart from this, they conduct events and webinars to help you connect with your peers from the TA community. Should you need further help, you can contact their support team.
The co-founders of Gem, Steve Bartel and Nick Bushak, were working as engineering managers at Dropbox and Facebook when their companies decided to scale at speed. However, finding the best talent, a.k.a the 'gems', wasn't easy, given that the best people were already taken. And that's when they realized that tracking and managing relationships with passive candidates is crucial. And with no existing system that effectively did this, they set out to build one of their own. That's when Gem was born.
Since then, Gem has grown leaps and bounds, with funding from investors like Greylock, ICONIQ, and Accel. It is now a Unicorn and one of the fastest-growing SaaS businesses with a $1.2B valuation.
Company HQ
San Francisco, California, United States
Number of Employees
150+
Year Founded
2017
Amount Raised
Gem has raised $148M in funding over 4 rounds. Their latest was a Series C round in September 2021.