A widely used, accessible ATS for more than 35,000 teams, with posting to 200+ job boards, a large sourcing database, interview kits and core HR features on every plan.
Workable makes hiring accessible. October connects it to the whole employee lifecycle.
Workable is a widely used ATS that also includes core HR features such as an HRIS, onboarding and time off. October Recruitment is part of October People, an AI-first HCM spanning recruitment, performance, learning, reward and planning. Here is a fair comparison.
October RecruitmentSourcing · evaluation · ATSWorkable
Applicant tracking systemsIndependent comparisonSeveral capabilities depend on plan or add-on, including one-way video interviews, assessments and most AI agents. Background checks run through partner integrations.
Cara sourcing and conversations, live AI or recorded interviews, Cara-built assessments and October Verified sit in the pipeline, which connects to October People across performance, learning, reward, compliance and planning.
What your hiring team
actually gets.
Workable pairs a widely used ATS with core HR features. October Recruitment brings Cara sourcing and conversations, AI interviews, assessments and October Verified into one pipeline, connected to the full October People suite.
Offered See detailsAvailability depends on the plan, add-ons and integrations you choose, for both providers.
Swipe across the table to compare both providers.
| Feature or service | October RecruitmentWhat you get — and why it matters | Workable |
|---|---|---|
| Find candidatesSourcing, job distribution and the first read of every application. | ||
| AI sourcing and outreach | Cara finds and engages candidatesCara builds candidate profiles, finds people for the role, manages personalised email conversations and books interviews. Why it mattersRecruiters start with interested, high-scoring candidates instead of a cold list. | 400m+ profiles; AI Sourcing Agent add-on |
| Job distribution and referrals | Every source in the same process13 job boards in one click, referrals and reusable talent pools. Why it mattersKnow where each candidate came from and which channels produce hires. | 200+ job boards, careers page builder, referrals |
| Application screening | A ranked shortlist with the reasoning attachedAI matching against role requirements, with explained scores and side-by-side comparison. Why it mattersHiring teams see strengths, gaps and questions to ask, and make the final decision. | AI-assisted screening; Screening Agent add-on |
| Evaluate fairlyInterviews, assessments and the evidence behind a decision. | ||
| Interviews | Choose how the conversation happensLive AI conversation, recorded video or audio responses, or interviewer-led with AI scoring of the transcript. Why it mattersRun consistent first-round interviews without losing the option of a person leading. | Self-scheduling; one-way video add-on on Standard |
| Take-home and technical assessments | See how candidates really workCara-drafted exercises and rubrics, blind team scoring and technical assessments with comprehension checks. Why it mattersReviewers score blind against a weighted rubric; technical work ends with a spoken follow-up. | Assessments add-on on Standard; in Premier |
| Scorecards and collaboration | One shared view for the hiring teamShared shortlists, candidate comparisons and structured team scorecards. Why it mattersInterviewers assess candidates against the same criteria. | Interview kits and scorecards |
| Verification and references | Look behind the CVOctober Verified cross-checks, structured reference requests and background-check workflows. Why it mattersKeep findings, gaps and consent-based checks with the hiring decision. | Via background check provider integrations |
| Run the processAutomation, offers, reporting and what happens after the offer. | ||
| Stage automation | The next step, already taken care ofStage-entry actions email the candidate, assign a task or notify a team member. Why it mattersCandidates hear back and the right person knows what to do next. | Automated tasks, outreach and custom pipelines |
| Offers and approvals | Close the loop on the final stepsOffer templates and approval workflows inside the pipeline. Why it mattersOffers follow an agreed template and approval route. | Offer letters and approval workflows |
| Hiring analytics | See where your hiring gets betterTime to hire, funnel conversion and source-to-hire reporting. Why it mattersConnect channels, assessments and activity to the hires they produce. | Pre-built and custom reports, dashboards |
| Onboarding and the employee record | The hire becomes the employee recordRecruitment is part of October People and connects to onboarding and the employee lifecycle. Why it mattersHiring and offer information carries into onboarding without re-keying. | Native onboarding and HRIS on all plans |
Based on public provider descriptions reviewed 31 October 2026. “Confirm” means the scope is not established by the linked sources.
Small and mid-sized teams that want an accessible, widely used ATS with core HR basics, and that are comfortable choosing features by plan and add-on.
Organisations that want AI sourcing, interviews and verification native to recruitment, and a single People platform that continues through performance, learning, reward, compliance and workforce planning.
See October in contextQuestions,
answered.
Is October Recruitment an alternative to Workable?
Yes. Both cover job distribution, sourcing, structured interviews, offers and reporting, and both connect hiring to an employee record. October Recruitment is part of October People, which continues into performance, learning, reward, compliance and planning.
Workable includes HR features. How does October People compare?
Workable includes an HRIS, onboarding, time off and time tracking on every plan, with performance and engagement on some plans. October People covers core HR, onboarding and offboarding, time and leave, performance, learning, careers, compensation, compliance, surveys and workforce planning on one record.
Can we bring our candidates across from Workable?
October Recruitment supports candidate imports, talent pools and recruiting importers. The source system and the records you want to bring across are scoped during setup.
Does October support South African compliance?
Yes. October People includes B-BBEE, Employment Equity, SETA and CCMA tooling in its compliance module. If you operate in South Africa, confirm how any platform you evaluate handles these submissions.
Who makes the hiring decision?
Your team. October’s match scores, interview scoring and Cara’s assessment reviews come with the evidence attached, and the hiring team makes the final decision.
Switching providers
Switching from Workable?
Moving recruitment software is about keeping open roles moving while your history comes across. Here is what a move to October looks like.
- 01
Bring your candidates
October Recruitment supports candidate imports, talent pools and recruiting importers. The source system and records to bring across are scoped during setup.
- 02
Time the move
Getting started covers data preparation, migration, integrations, testing and training, scoped up front so you can plan around your current contract.
- 03
Connect to the employee record
Recruitment is part of October People, so hires carry into onboarding. October connects with 40+ HR and workplace systems.
- 04
Support after go-live
Ongoing administration and adoption support is agreed as part of the scope.
In a 30-minute conversation we look at what you use today, what moves and in what order. A scoping conversation then sets out the package, delivery responsibilities and rollout plan.