The US long-term care sector is facing a staffing crisis that is not going away. PHI's 2025 Direct Care Workforce report projects 9.7 million total job openings in direct care between 2024 and 2034. Meanwhile, CNA turnover in nursing homes still sits around 42%, according to the AHCA's 2025–2026 Nursing Home Salary & Benefits Report.
Hiring managers at assisted living communities, skilled nursing facilities, and residential care homes are not competing on wages alone anymore. They are competing on speed. The first facility to move on a strong candidate wins.
Here are the five best platforms for LTC operators right now.
1. HigherMe
Best Overall for Hourly LTC Hiring
HigherMe is a purpose-built ATS and hourly hiring platform for high-volume, shift-based environments. It was not adapted from a corporate recruiting tool. It was designed from the ground up for operations where turnover is constant, roles are shift-based, and candidates apply from their phones between shifts. That is exactly the reality of hiring CNAs, HHAs, dietary staff, and housekeeping roles in LTC.
The platform's biggest differentiator is NextMatch AI, which conducts automated voice-based first-round pre-screening interviews. Candidates answer structured, role-specific questions over a call. You receive a summary, transcript, and audio recording without a manager picking up the phone. No other platform on this list does this. Alongside NextMatch AI, HigherMe's Predictive Candidate Score ranks every applicant based on your criteria, so managers open a ranked list, not a pile of unreviewed applications.
On the sourcing side, HigherMe holds a Platinum Indeed Partnership, which gives your job posts better reach and visibility than standard platforms. Text-to-Apply lets candidates apply in under 60 seconds from a poster or QR code in your facility, with a four-minute mobile application that requires no resume upload.
Once hired, paperless onboarding completes before day one, and built-in WOTC tax credit capture and E-Verify run automatically. The direct Netchex payroll integration means a hire flows straight into payroll with no manual data entry. For multi-location operators, the Hiring Hub dashboard gives a single view of open roles and candidate activity across all sites.
Verified operator results: 1-day average time-to-hire, 67% reduction in no-shows, $3,600 average annual savings per location, 80% of new hires retained in month one.
Best for: Residential care, assisted living, and LTC operators hiring CNAs, HHAs, and hourly staff who need speed, automation, and a direct line to payroll.
2. Apploi
The Platform for Credential-Centric SNF Recruiting
Apploi is a niche recruiting platform that caters particularly to long term care and post-acute care recruiting. The platform targets skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and home healthcare providers. Apploi provides a full-fledged service right from distributing the job postings till onboarding process digitally.
The platform includes automated job board distribution, bulk candidate texting, digital onboarding, and credential management that tracks license and certification expiry for active staff. That last feature is genuinely useful for LTC facilities where a lapsed CNA license creates real regulatory exposure. Capterra reviewers from healthcare settings rate it positively for ease of use.
Where it falls short: there is no AI-conducted pre-screening interview, no predictive ranking of applicants, no WOTC capture, no E-Verify, and no direct payroll integration. Time-to-hire benchmarks are not published. Some reviewers flag limited workflow customization and a steep learning curve for advanced features.
Best for: Skilled nursing and post-acute providers that need to ensure candidates' license compliance.
3. Hireology
Good for Recruiting for Multiple Locations
Hireology is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) created specifically for businesses with several locations. One of the industries where Hireology plays a crucial role is the healthcare sector, and Hireology is used by businesses like homecare networks and big LTC providers that need standardization of the process at multiple locations.
The core feature of Hireology is its ability to standardize. When you have an LTC chain operating at 10 or 20 sites with different recruiting processes at each one, Hireology comes as a good solution. Analytics at a location level allow understanding where applicants leave throughout your network. Reviews on G2 highlight the centralized dashboards and multi-location capabilities.
However, the cons include that there are no AI interviewing functions, no ranking candidates based on predictions, unable to capture WOTC, and not compatible with the payroll system. The application is not available for mobiles, and the implementation might be tough for multi-facility organizations.
Best for: LTC chains with several branches.
4. OnShift Employ
Good for Senior Care Scheduling Integration
OnShift is built exclusively for senior care and long-term care workforce management. OnShift Employ is its hiring product, and its biggest selling point is the direct connection to OnShift's scheduling platform. A new hire flows straight into your schedule without any manual data entry, which removes a real administrative step for facilities already running OnShift.
The platform covers job board posting, a branded candidate-facing career portal, behavioral assessments designed for the LTC workforce, automated background screening, and digital offer letters for e-signature. G2 reviewers highlight clear staffing visibility and ease of use for multi-unit management.
Comparative shortcomings include: no AI-driven interviews, no Worker of the Cycle, and payroll integration is limited to OnShift solutions only. The mobile app for scheduler use receives negative feedback on both G2 and Capterra review sites, while some users mention experiencing slowness when the system gets busy. Metrics like time-to-hire have yet to be made public. Full value from OnShift Employ is achieved through OnShift Schedule.
Best for: Senior living operators already on OnShift for scheduling who want hiring connected to their existing workforce management stack.
5. Activated Insights Recruit
Good for Home Care Caregiver Pipelines
Activated Insights comes from a retention and benchmarking background in home care and senior living. Their Recruit product automates candidate outreach and engagement to move applicants from initial contact to interview faster. It plugs directly into their training and retention tools, which is the clearest use case for the platform.
It does what it promises: keep candidates warm and move them toward a first interview faster than a manual process would. Users have reported jumping from two interviews a week to fifteen in the first week after implementation.
The limitations are significant for any operator looking for a full hiring platform. There is no AI pre-screening, no candidate ranking, no onboarding tools, no WOTC capture, no E-Verify, and no payroll integration. It is not an ATS. Time-to-hire benchmarks are not published. For a small home care agency that wants a faster pipeline and already has other tools in place for compliance and payroll, it works. For a multi-location LTC operator, it does not cover enough ground on its own.
Best for: Smaller home care agencies focused on caregiver pipeline speed and connecting hiring to early retention outcomes.
Quick Comparison Table
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The Bottom Line
Most hiring tools give you a place to collect applications. HigherMe is the only platform on this list that screens candidates before you look at a single name, ranks them so you know where to start, conducts the first interview automatically, and connects the hire directly to payroll through Netchex (also ADP and Paychex, optionally) without any manual work in between.
For LTC operators dealing with 42% CNA turnover and candidates who accept the first offer they receive, that is the difference between filling the role and losing it.
To know more, visit higherme.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the best hiring software for long-term care facilities in the US?
HigherMe. It is the only platform that combines voice AI pre-screening, predictive candidate ranking, Text-to-Apply, paperless onboarding, WOTC capture, and a direct payroll integration in one platform built for hourly, high-volume hiring.
2. Will recruitment software decrease CNA turnover rates in LTC?
Improved screening will minimize early turnover due to poor candidate-job fits. With HigherMe’s Candidate Score, you identify candidates who match your shift needs from the very beginning. Ninety percent of your new hires will be retained within month one.
3. Do I need to create an HR department to utilize the software?
No. It is not necessary to form an HR department. The process begins with the NextMatch AI pre-screening, automation handles interview scheduling, and notifications ensure that people do not miss appointments. The manager will intervene if there is a qualified candidate.
4. How does Text-to-Apply work in a care facility?
Post a Text-to-Apply poster in your break room or lobby. Candidates text a keyword and receive a four-minute mobile application with no resume required. Paired with HigherMe's Candidate Score and NextMatch AI, strong candidates are screened and ranked before a manager opens the dashboard.
5. Is hiring software worth it for a single residential care location?
Yes. HigherMe operators report average annual savings of $3,600 per location from faster hiring and reduced no-shows alone.
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