HubSpot is one of the best CRM platforms ever built. Some recruitment agencies use it, and with enough customisation it can work. But for Australian recruiters, a purpose-built tool eliminates the customisation tax and adds AU data sources HubSpot simply does not have.
Where HubSpot Excels
HubSpot's free CRM tier is one of the best in the industry. Its workflow automation can model almost any business process. The integration ecosystem (1,500+ apps) connects to virtually everything. And its marketing automation is sophisticated and battle-tested at scale.
The Customisation Tax for Recruiters
To use HubSpot for recruiting, you need to create custom objects for candidates, placements and jobs. Build custom pipelines for recruitment stages. Configure custom properties for recruitment data. Set up workflow automations. And integrate external tools for everything HubSpot lacks — job board scraping, contact enrichment, AU data sources.
This takes weeks to months, often requires a consultant, and still leaves gaps. You will never get ASIC company data, SEEK scraping or AU phone validation in HubSpot.
Cost Reality
Professional CRM starts at US$90/seat/mo — for a 3-person agency, US$270/mo for CRM alone. Add Marketing Hub and onboarding fees, and a fully functional HubSpot setup for recruiting can exceed US$1,000/mo. Kolvera Pro at A$119/mo includes 3 seats, CRM, enrichment, AI campaigns, SEEK scraping and ASIC data.
When to Use Both
If your agency already runs HubSpot, Kolvera integrates via OAuth. Use Kolvera for BD and enrichment while keeping HubSpot as your system of record. They complement each other well.