Hiring at a startup isn’t easy. You’re short on time, juggling 10 roles, and probably managing job posts in a mix of spreadsheets, email, and job boards. That’s how I did it, too, until I realized I was spending hours every week just keeping track of who applied where. If you’re a founder trying to simplify your hiring process, this post is for you. I’ve tested everything from scrappy Notion setups to full-blown applicant tracking systems. Here's a breakdown of the best tools to help you post and manage startup job openings, all in one place.
1. BuiltForStartups
🔗 https://builtforstartups.com
💡 Best for solo founders or small teams who want everything in one place.
I built this tool after getting tired of switching between Google Sheets, AngelList, Notion, and my inbox. BuiltForStartups lets you manage job posts from the same place you send invoices and track clients.
You can:
Create and publish job openings in minutes
Track applicants without leaving your back-office dashboard
Keep everything centralized, no extra logins or messy spreadsheets
It’s not a traditional HR platform, and that’s the point. It’s designed for lean teams that just need to hire smart without adding complexity.
2. Wellfound (AngelList Talent)
🔗 https://angel.co/talent
🌱 Great for startups hiring developers, designers, and marketers.
Wellfound (formerly AngelList Talent) remains one of the best free platforms to reach high-quality startup talent. If you're a tech startup, this is probably where your future hires are already looking.
Pros:
✅ Startup-savvy candidate pool
✅ Free job postings
✅ Direct access to applicants
Cons:
❌ Not ideal for managing multiple roles at once
❌ Limited tracking features — needs another system alongside it
3. Workable
🏢 Best if you’re scaling up fast and need a full hiring pipeline.
Workable is a professional ATS (applicant tracking system) with built-in sourcing, screening, and evaluation tools. It’s a solid option if you’re hiring across multiple teams or looking for detailed process automation.
Pros:
✅ Full-featured hiring pipeline
✅ Scorecards, collaboration, and resume parsing
✅ Easy to scale with growth
Cons:
❌ Pricey for smaller teams
❌ May feel heavy if you're only hiring 1–2 roles
4. Notion + Tally (DIY Stack)
✏️ A good zero-cost option for early validation and single roles.
Many founders (myself included) have hacked together a hiring workflow in Notion. You build a career page, plug in a form (like Tally or Google Forms), and collect responses manually.
Pros:
✅ Totally free
✅ Easy to customize
✅ Fast to set up
Cons:
❌ No applicant tracking or automations
❌ Hard to manage if you're hiring for more than 1–2 roles
❌ No real integration with the rest of your business
Why All-in-One Beats All-the-Tabs
Hiring isn't just about job descriptions and resumes, it's about keeping track of your growing team. When you post jobs in one place but manage resumes in another, you create friction that leads to missed applicants and duplicated work.
The best tools aren’t always the most powerful. They’re the ones that fit your current stage.
If you’re early-stage and juggling job posts, payments, and client work in different tools, you’ll move faster with a system that connects it all.
That’s why I built BuiltForStartups, to simplify my own mess and save time every week.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need an enterprise hiring suite to grow your team. You just need clarity, consistency, and tools that grow with you.
Whether you choose a focused tool like Wellfound, an enterprise-grade ATS like Workable, or an all-in-one back office like BuiltForStartups, the goal is the same: spend less time managing hiring, and more time building your team.
Ready to simplify your startup hiring?
Try BuiltForStartups free: https://builtforstartups.com