Freshteam vs IBM Kenexa comparison

Freshworks and IBM are both solutions in the Applicant Tracking and Recruiting Software category. Freshworks is ranked #16, while IBM is ranked #8. Freshworks holds a 1.6% mindshare in ATRS, compared to IBM’s 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Freshworks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Freshteam

Read 2 Freshteam reviews

670 Views
670 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Kenexa

Read 30 IBM Kenexa reviews

3,751 Views
1,050 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Freshteam

IBM Kenexa

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Freshteam and IBM Kenexa based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Applicant Tracking and Recruiting Software solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Freshteam vs. IBM Kenexa Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Freshteam vs. IBM Kenexa

August 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 909,725 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Freshteam

Ranking in Applicant Tracking and Recruiting Software

16th

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM Kenexa

Ranking in Applicant Tracking and Recruiting Software

8th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Benefits Administration (13th), Talent Management (18th)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Applicant Tracking and Recruiting Software category, the mindshare of Freshteam is 1.6%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Kenexa is 2.2%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Applicant Tracking and Recruiting Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
IBM Kenexa	2.2%
Freshteam	1.6%
Other	96.2%

Applicant Tracking and Recruiting Software

Featured Reviews

JoseQuintero1

Senior Services Manager at a tech services company with self employed

Comprehensive HR solution that centralises the management of all staff information

The solution could be improved if it included a payroll system, to be a completely 360 degrees HR solution. Besides payroll, everything else HR related is handled in Freshworks. It would also be great to centralize all the data for potential candidates who are in our talent tool and to be able to search this pool by specific criteria such as skills and experience. We evaluate our personnel in order to consider them for promotions and salary raises. However, this process is completely manual and requires us to dig into their entire history to consider when their last raise and promotion was, for example. It would be really valuable if this process could be made simpler using this solution, especially for large teams and to include reporting functionality related to this data.

Read full review

Karan Grover

Senior Manager at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

Suitable for larger-scale companies aiming to streamline and automate their processes digitally

The deployment of the solution took between six to eight months. When we introduced BrassRing at my company, we encountered several challenges. First, moving data from our old system to BrassRing was tough because it needed reformatting. Second, connecting BrassRing with our HR data was tricky due to manual processes for roles and departments. Third, setting up the workflow in BrassRing was complex. Fourth, configuring user access and approval levels was a detailed task. We also had to manage the change process, including running both old and new systems in parallel, communicating changes, and training users. Lastly, monitoring and reporting were needed to ensure data accuracy and proper system usage once everything was in place. We had a team of six to eight people managing the project from our side during the BrassRing deployment. I'm not sure about the size of the BrassRing team, and we also had our own technical team, which had three to four members. The solution required maintenance, particularly from my side as the administrator. Maintenance responsibilities were divided into two parts: some tasks we, as end-users, could control, while others were the responsibility of the BrassRing team. Payment-related tasks were a regular part of our responsibilities. I wasn't the only person maintaining the solution. There were three power users from Infosys, each responsible for a specific geography. My counterpart managed it in the US, and I, along with my colleague in India, managed it for other geographies.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"If you want growth in your professional life, then you should go with Freshteam because it's a nice applicant tracking system and it works on a real-time basis."

"Freshteam has allowed us to leverage all HR-related tasks and processes in a single, cloud-based solution, enormously increasing the speed of candidate acquisition and control of administrative employees schedules such as time-offs and holidays."

"Our entire employee base is supported by Freshteam. We register all our employees and their candidates inside the system and use it to handle all interviews, feedback, personal information and budgets."

"There are a few reasons why I like Freshteam, including how easily you can get connected with candidates, and how easily candidates can get connected with you as the employer. One of the best features is its scheduling system, which gives both parties the opportunity to schedule different parts of the recruitment process. So if a candidate wants to know my schedule or when I will be available, that information is easy to find."

"I think one of the biggest benefits that Kenexa brings is the scalability."

"From everything I’ve seen and heard, I would think Kenxea is probably one of the top three, if not the best, in the business that they do and the things that we use them for."

"Without this solution, we would have more administrative functions and would need to hire more HR employees."

"It is extremely user friendly. It is very flexible in managing recruitment, especially when you have thousands of applicants as we did. We easily had over 20,000 applicants within a year for some of our positions, so it made it very easy to manage a large application pool. It was very easy to customize by recruiter preference. When you open up someone's profile to see their experience, education, or other things, you can customize that for yourself. It was flexible in that, and each recruiter could set up their preferences. It didn't have to be set up so that everyone had to have the same landing platform, which was very helpful. As someone who trained other HR people on how to use the system, it was very easy to pick up and learn."

"The ability now to be able to take data, load it yourself, ask the business questions and get the answers on your own process with the business just made it a lot faster, and the cognitive solution gives us some insights for us to think about."

"We acquired a pharmacy retailer three years ago, and Kenexa enabled us to actually standardize our employee engagement across both of those organizations, helping us understand at an enterprise level what was going on and, most importantly, how people were starting to feel about being acquired and joining the broader company space."

"Now, having provided this, amongst many other things, we have a much closer relationship to the business."

"Kenexa’s scalability has been great, as we can grow and expand our use no matter what and seamlessly incorporate our business process for new launches."

More IBM Kenexa pros

Cons

"Covid took a toll on the support we have received from the Freshworks team with most of their support teams based in India."

"In the beginning, I was having a hard time learning the software because I was using it on a remote basis. Of course, I used some YouTube videos and other online resources to get by, but for me personally, I learn a bit more easily when the training is done in-person. I had to work double time just on the learning part of it, so I would say that Freshteam could do with better training resources."

"In the beginning, I was having a hard time learning the software because I was using it on a remote basis."

"The solution could be improved if it included a payroll system, to be a completely 360 degrees HR solution."

"We have about 50 requests for enhancements in the system right now."

"Improvements can be made from the back end, with the workbench."

"The reporting tool is helpful, but it is not the easiest to train on or is not as understandable for other HR pros. Their Workbench site, which is the administrator site that you use to update your website, is not user-friendly. When updates are required, it is not that easy to manage because Workbench is not user friendly. It required more work from the admins. They have Workbench training, which actually was very unhelpful. It took eight hours to complete, and it was not very helpful. Their customer service when it comes specifically to their Workbench site is not helpful."

"It was a little rocky, as they always are, but we went live on time and that's all that matters."

"I would not recommend IBM Kenexa to others."

"The team didn't find the reporting tool that easy to use, in terms of pulling their own data, slicing and dicing it, combining groups."

"The downside is it's a system that was created many, many years ago and so it just evolves."

"The reason I’m not rating it with five stars is because of its sheer size."

More IBM Kenexa cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"For our training period, we were simply given a user ID and password by the company, with which we could log in and do our work on the platform. The licensing was someone else's responsibility."

"Freshteam has a free tier as well as a 14 day free trial. The free tier is suitable for a small or home office. If this tier is not suitable, an organization could sign up for the 14 day trial for a higher tier to try all the features and decide if it suits their needs."

"Kenexa was fairly priced. However, in 2019, before I left my previous organization, they significantly increased their pricing. It can be affordable, but their pricing is going up. It is not just licensing; it is how many applicants you have in your system on the database side."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Construction Company

17%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	28

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Applicant Tracking and Recruiting Software

August 2026

Download Freshteam product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Kenexa

August 2026

Download IBM Kenexa product report

Also Known As

No data available

IBM Smarter Workforce, Outstart

Overview

Freshteam is a versatile HR software designed for efficient recruitment, employee onboarding, time tracking, and more, streamlining HR tasks for businesses.

Freshteam offers an intuitive platform tailored for HR operations, allowing teams to manage hiring, onboarding, employee data, and leave requests seamlessly. Its efficient design helps in maintaining transparency and accuracy in HR processes, enabling HR professionals to save time and resources by automating repetitive tasks and making data-driven decisions.

What are Freshteam's most valuable features?

Applicant Tracking: Manage applications, schedule interviews, and track candidate progress.
Onboarding: Streamline the onboarding process with customizable checklists and digital document signatures.
Time-off Management: Track and manage employee leave with ease using a consolidated calendar view.
Employee Information System: Centralized storage of employee data for easy access and updates.
Integration Capabilities: Connect with popular third-party tools for enhanced workflow.

What benefits and ROI should users evaluate?

Improved Efficiency: Automate routine HR tasks to focus on strategic initiatives.
Enhanced Productivity: Streamlined processes lead to quicker task completion and decision-making.
Cost Reduction: Minimize operational costs through automation and better resource allocation.
Scalability: Supports business growth with robust features that scale as the business expands.

Freshteam is well-suited for technology companies, startups, and medium-sized enterprises, as it helps manage talent acquisition and employee records with ease. In industries like healthcare and financial services, where compliance and detailed record-keeping are crucial, Freshteam's secure and organized platform enables companies to meet these critical demands efficiently, ensuring business operations remain smooth and compliant.

Freshworks

IBM Kenexa offers comprehensive talent management solutions designed for businesses to streamline and enhance hiring processes.

It is a robust platform facilitating talent acquisition and workforce management. With powerful analytics and recruitment tools, IBM Kenexa aids organizations in matching skilled professionals to job roles efficiently, optimizing recruitment strategies, and improving employee engagement.

What are the prominent features of IBM Kenexa?

Recruitment: Simplifies the hiring process with customized workflows and efficient applicant tracking.
Talent Management: Enhances workforce performance through strategic talent development programs.
Analytics: Provides in-depth data insights for better decision-making in hiring and employee management.
Onboarding: Streamlines new hire integration with comprehensive orientation and training tools.

What benefits and ROI can IBM Kenexa users expect?

Improved Hiring Efficiency: Reduces time-to-fill by automating and redefining recruitment workflows.
Enhanced Employee Engagement: Increases retention rates through targeted engagement initiatives.
Data-Driven Decisions: Empowers companies with actionable insights for strategic planning.
Cost Savings: Minimizes hiring costs by optimizing human resources functions.

IBM Kenexa finds applications in healthcare, finance, retail, and tech industries where effective recruitment and engagement are crucial for success. Businesses gain a competitive advantage by leveraging its comprehensive tools for attracting and retaining top talent in these sectors.

IBM

Sample Customers

moneycorp, DSP, SAP, DAIMLER, ocado, Chargebee, ninjacart, TIGER ANALYTICS, NISSAN

Sweet Spot International (SSI), Leo Burnett Worldwide (LBW), Sika AG, Legacy Health, Apollo Group Inc., Regeneron, Transurban Group, National Health Service, New Zealand Police, Overland Footwear, Yealands, Johnson Controls, Allscripts, Kerry Foods, Masterpet, AMD, Balfour Beatty

Buyer's Guide

Freshteam vs. IBM Kenexa

August 2026

Free Report: Freshteam vs. IBM Kenexa

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