I Got Tired of Paying for “Upgrades”: Why I Built My Own Recruitment CRM

If you are a freelance recruiter, you know the struggle.
For the last eight years, I have been on a quest. I was looking for that perfect piece of software—a Recruitment CRM that actually felt like it was working for me, not just looking for ways to charge me more.

I tried them all. Every single one.
But nothing on the market ticked all the boxes. Either the automation was clunky, the pricing tiers were ridiculous (pay extra for email? pay extra for parsing?), or it just didn’t fit the way a solo operator actually works.

So, about two months ago, I decided to stop searching. I decided to build my own.

The “Easy” AI Myth

I’ll be honest: I am a recruiter, not a developer. I thought that with the power of AI these days, this would be a walk in the park. Spoiler alert: it is not easy. It has been two months of late nights, testing, failing, and tweaking.

But today, I am finally in Phase 1 testing. I’m currently putting all the settings and modules through their paces.

In this video, I show you how simple it is to set up your core profile. This is the foundation everything else is built on.

I’m happy to report that most of the heavy lifting is done. I’m just wrapping up the API settings for the Market Intelligence module (hopefully finished today—fingers crossed!), and then I’ll be recording some explanatory videos to show how it all works.

So, what have I actually built?

I wanted a system that runs itself as much as possible, so I can focus on what I do best: talking to people and closing deals. Here is what my new Recruitment CRM does:

⚡ Full Automation & Interconnectivity

• CV Parsing: It automatically parses CVs, creates candidate profiles, adds them to the pipeline, and even matches them to existing job openings instantly.

• Job & Client Creation: It parses job description documents to create job profiles, and scans recruitment contracts to build client profiles automatically.

• Communication Hub: It has its own native email system (sending and reading), connects to WhatsApp Desktop, and integrates with my desktop phone app.

  See exactly how the native email system is configured and how it handles sending and receiving—no extra costs for premium features.

• Smart Assistance: It automatically creates tasks, notes, and reminders based on activity, and has a built-in booking system connected to my calendar.

  A quick look at how I fine-tune the calendar, booking links, and working hours to automate appointment scheduling.

📈 Marketing & Intelligence

• Email Marketing: There is a fully automated email marketing system for building potential client pipelines.

• Market Intelligence: This is the module I’m finishing today. It will provide on-demand market analysis to help me advise my clients better.

• Content Ready: I’ve loaded over 25 email templates for various recruitment situations.

🛠️ The “Gripes” I Solved

• Database Cleanup: It has an automated system to clean up the database (no more duplicate or stale contacts!).

• Invoicing: Automated invoice generation so I actually get paid faster.

• LinkedIn: A custom browser extension to add candidates directly from LinkedIn with one click.

The Best Part? Manual Overrides and Customization.

The biggest issue I had with big CRM platforms was the lack of flexibility. If the automation got it wrong, you were stuck.
In this system, while everything is interconnected and automated, every single feature also has a manual mode. You are always in control. And if you want to make it feel like your own brand?

This is probably the easiest setting in the whole program. Watch how quickly you can upload your logo and colors to make the CRM feel like your own professional space.

What’s Next?

I’m currently stress-testing every setting. As soon as I finish these final API connections for the Market Intelligence module, I’ll be putting together some more videos to show this beast in action.

If you’re a solo recruiter who is also tired of being nickle-and-dimed by enterprise software, stay tuned. This one is for us.

Have a feature you’d love to see in a CRM? Drop a comment below!