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Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2012
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, USA
Web AppAPIAITemplates
Overview
Lever is a talent acquisition suite combining an applicant tracking system and candidate relationship management CRM, founded in San Francisco in 2012 by Nate Smith, Sarah Nahm, Brian Noguchi and Randal Truong through Y Combinator.
In August 2022, Lever was acquired by Employ Inc., a recruiting software holding company backed by K1 Investment Management, joining Employ's portfolio alongside Jobvite and JazzHR. Together the combined company reported serving more than 18,000 customers at the time of the merger.
Key Features
Lever's core product combines a visual ATS pipeline with a talent CRM for sourcing and nurturing passive candidates, along with AI-powered resume screening, unlimited interview transcription, and fraud and identity-verification detection.
Additional capabilities include customizable hiring funnel and diversity reporting, career site and job distribution tools, and add-on modules for Candidate Insights, VONQ-powered AI screening, and onboarding workflows.
Pricing
Lever does not publish pricing publicly and uses a fully custom quoting model that scales with company size, hiring volume and selected add-on modules, requested through a demo or quote form on Lever's site.
The company frames its pricing philosophy as paying only for the features a customer actually needs rather than a fixed bundle, differentiating it from flatter per-seat pricing used by some competitors.
Key Features
ATS pipeline — Visual, customizable applicant tracking pipeline for managing candidates through the hiring process.
Talent CRM — Sourcing and nurturing tools for building relationships with passive candidates ahead of open roles.
AI-powered resume screening — AI-assisted screening and candidate matching against job requirements.
Unlimited interview transcription — Automatic transcription and note-taking for interviews at no additional volume limit.
Fraud and identity detection — Tools to flag candidate fraud and verify identity during the hiring process.
Customizable reporting — Analytics on hiring funnels, time-to-hire and diversity metrics.
Career site and job distribution — Tools for building career pages and distributing job postings across boards.
Add-on modules — Optional Candidate Insights, VONQ AI screening, and onboarding workflow add-ons.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Combines ATS and CRM sourcing tools in a single platform
Unlimited interview transcription included in the core platform
Strong reputation for pipeline visibility and sourcing workflows
Custom, modular pricing avoids paying for unused features
Backed by Employ's broader recruiting technology portfolio and resources
Cons
No public pricing, requiring a sales conversation for cost estimates
Now one of several overlapping ATS brands under Employ, alongside Jobvite and JazzHR
Can be more complex to configure than SMB-focused tools like JazzHR
Competes closely with Greenhouse and Ashby, both frequently cited as comparable or preferred by some buyers
Long-term product direction is shaped by Employ's multi-brand portfolio strategy
Pricing
Custom Custom pricing Annual, contact sales
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lever used for
Lever is used as an applicant tracking system and talent CRM, helping companies manage hiring pipelines and source and nurture passive candidates.
Who owns Lever now
Lever is owned by Employ Inc., which acquired it in August 2022 and also owns Jobvite and JazzHR.
How much does Lever cost
Lever does not publish pricing publicly; it uses a custom quoting model based on company size, hiring volume and selected add-on modules.
Who founded Lever
Lever was founded in 2012 by Nate Smith, Sarah Nahm, Brian Noguchi and Randal Truong through Y Combinator.
What is the difference between Lever, Jobvite and JazzHR
All three are ATS products owned by Employ Inc., generally positioned for different company sizes, with JazzHR for SMB, Jobvite for mid-market, and Lever for mid-market to enterprise.
Does Lever include a candidate CRM
Yes, Lever's core differentiation is combining a standard ATS pipeline with a talent CRM for sourcing and nurturing passive candidates.