Terry 'The Tool' Shepard
Terry delivers no-BS reviews of ATS platforms, recruiting tools, and HR technology. If a tool claims to revolutionize hiring, Terry puts it to the test. Expect honest assessments, real-world testing, and zero vendor bias in every review.
Articles by Terry (29)
AltHire TalentBoost Claims 60% Faster Time-to-Hire—I Tested It and Here's the Truth
AltHire TalentBoost Claims 60% Faster Time-to-Hire—I Tested It and Here's the Truth
AltHire is marketing TalentBoost as the solution to slow hiring processes, promising 60% faster time-to-hire. Does it deliver, or is this another overpromised recruiting tool that underdelivers?
HireBuddy QuickScreen Claims to Cut 95% of Screening Time—Does It Actually Work?
HireBuddy QuickScreen Claims to Cut 95% of Screening Time—Does It Actually Work?
HireBuddy QuickScreen promises to eliminate 95% of resume screening time and cost. I put it through real-world testing to see if it lives up to the hype or if this is just another AI screening tool that overpromises.
PageUp's AI Skills Matching with Paige: Revolutionary or Just Rebranded Resume Parsing?
PageUp's AI Skills Matching with Paige: Revolutionary or Just Rebranded Resume Parsing?
PageUp is marketing their new AI assistant "Paige" as next-gen skills matching technology. I tested it for a month to see if it actually delivers or if this is just another overhyped AI rebrand.
AR/VR Onboarding Platforms: Future of Remote Hiring or Expensive Gimmick?
AR/VR Onboarding Platforms: Future of Remote Hiring or Expensive Gimmick?
Meta, Talespin, and others are betting big on virtual reality onboarding for remote hires. But is strapping a headset on new employees actually better than Zoom calls, or is this just tech hype?
Blockchain Credential Verification: Solving Resume Fraud or Overhyped Tech?
Blockchain Credential Verification: Solving Resume Fraud or Overhyped Tech?
Blockchain platforms promise to end resume lies and fake degrees forever. But do recruiters actually need distributed ledgers to verify credentials, or is this just crypto bros invading HR?
Nova AI Recruiter from Peoplebox: The Anti-LinkedIn Hiring Assistant?
Nova AI Recruiter from Peoplebox: The Anti-LinkedIn Hiring Assistant?
Peoplebox just launched Nova, an AI recruiting agent that claims to do everything LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant does—but cheaper and without locking you into LinkedIn's ecosystem. Is it legit or just riding the AI agent hype wave?
Predictive Analytics for Recruiting: Which Platforms Actually Work?
Predictive Analytics for Recruiting: Which Platforms Actually Work?
Everyone's talking about predicting quality of hire, retention, and performance before making offers. But do these platforms deliver, or is it just expensive snake oil? Let's cut through the hype.
AI Scheduling Assistants: I Tested 6 Tools So You Don't Have To
AI Scheduling Assistants: I Tested 6 Tools So You Don't Have To
Interview scheduling shouldn't require 12 emails. I tested every major AI scheduling assistant to find out which ones actually save time and which ones create more work.
LinkedIn Recruiter Lite vs. Full: Stop Overpaying for Features You Don't Use
LinkedIn Recruiter Lite vs. Full: Stop Overpaying for Features You Don't Use
One costs $170/month, the other costs $800+/month. I tested both for 90 days to figure out who actually needs the expensive version and who's just burning budget.
Mobile Recruiting Apps: Which Ones Actually Let You Recruit From Your Phone
Mobile Recruiting Apps: Which Ones Actually Let You Recruit From Your Phone
Candidates apply from their phones. Your hiring managers are never at desks. So why is your recruiting software still built for desktop? I tested 8 mobile recruiting apps to find the ones that actually work.
Eightfold vs. Beamery vs. Loxo: The Talent Intelligence Platform Showdown
Eightfold vs. Beamery vs. Loxo: The Talent Intelligence Platform Showdown
Everyone's pivoting to talent intelligence, but which platform actually delivers? I tested the big three to find out which one is worth the enterprise price tag.
Candidate Texting Platforms: Because Nobody Answers Their Phone Anymore
Candidate Texting Platforms: Because Nobody Answers Their Phone Anymore
Email response rates are tanking. Phone screens are dying. Text messaging is how candidates actually want to communicate. But most texting platforms are spam machines in disguise.
Recruiting Analytics Dashboards: Pretty Charts That Tell You Nothing
Recruiting Analytics Dashboards: Pretty Charts That Tell You Nothing
Your ATS has recruiting dashboards. So does your HRIS. And your sourcing tool. But which numbers actually matter? I tested 7 analytics platforms to find out.
Recruiting CRMs: The Tool You Don't Know You Need (Until You Do)
Recruiting CRMs: The Tool You Don't Know You Need (Until You Do)
Most companies don't think they need a recruiting CRM until their talent pipeline is a disaster. Here's when a CRM actually makes sense and when it's just extra software bloat.
Reference Checking Software: Automating The Part Nobody Actually Wants to Do
Reference Checking Software: Automating The Part Nobody Actually Wants to Do
Reference checks are tedious, time-consuming, and candidates always give you references who will say nice things. Can software make this less painful? I tested 5 platforms to find out.
AI Resume Screening Tools in 2025: Which Ones Don't Suck?
AI Resume Screening Tools in 2025: Which Ones Don't Suck?
Everyone's selling AI screening, but most of it is garbage. Here's what actually works and what's just expensive snake oil.
Boolean Search in 2025: Still Useful or Totally Outdated?
Boolean Search in 2025: Still Useful or Totally Outdated?
AI sourcing tools promise to make Boolean search obsolete. But the recruiters finding the best candidates are still using these techniques. Here's why.
The Only Chrome Extensions Recruiters Actually Need in 2025
The Only Chrome Extensions Recruiters Actually Need in 2025
Your browser has 47 extensions and you use 3 of them. Here are the Chrome extensions that actually make recruiting easier, not just clutter.
Video Interview Platforms: HireVue vs Zoom vs Everything Else
Video Interview Platforms: HireVue vs Zoom vs Everything Else
Everyone's doing video interviews now, but which platform doesn't make you want to throw your laptop out the window? Let's compare.
Checkr vs. Traditional Background Check Companies: The Speed vs. Accuracy Debate
Checkr vs. Traditional Background Check Companies: The Speed vs. Accuracy Debate
Checkr promises faster, cheaper background checks through technology. But are they actually reliable, or are you sacrificing accuracy for speed?
Ashby: The ATS for Data Nerds Who Actually Know What They're Doing
Ashby: The ATS for Data Nerds Who Actually Know What They're Doing
Most ATS platforms have basic reporting. Ashby has analytics that would make a data scientist happy. But is it overkill, or is this the future of recruiting?
Your ATS is Trash: 10 Features That Actually Matter in 2025
Your ATS is Trash: 10 Features That Actually Matter in 2025
If your recruiting software doesn't have these features, it's time to break up with it. No shade, just facts.
Textio: Does AI-Powered Job Description Writing Actually Work?
Textio: Does AI-Powered Job Description Writing Actually Work?
Textio claims their AI can make your job postings more effective and less biased. But does it actually improve your hiring results, or is it just expensive word processing?
Spark Hire: The Video Interview Tool That Doesn't Make Candidates Hate You
Spark Hire: The Video Interview Tool That Doesn't Make Candidates Hate You
Most video interview platforms are terrible for candidate experience. Spark Hire is actually decent. Let's talk about why—and where it still falls short.
SeekOut vs. hireEZ: Which AI Sourcing Tool Doesn't Suck?
SeekOut vs. hireEZ: Which AI Sourcing Tool Doesn't Suck?
Both platforms promise to revolutionize candidate sourcing with AI. But which one actually delivers, and which is just burning your budget?
Is LinkedIn Recruiter Worth $10K/Year? Let's Do the Math
Is LinkedIn Recruiter Worth $10K/Year? Let's Do the Math
LinkedIn Recruiter costs more than some people's cars. But is it actually worth it, or can you get by with the free version and some creativity?
Workable vs. Lever: Which ATS Actually Deserves Your Money?
Workable vs. Lever: Which ATS Actually Deserves Your Money?
Both are popular, both are pricey, and both claim to be the best ATS on the market. Let's settle this with actual facts instead of marketing fluff.
HireVue's AI Interview Platform: Game-Changer or Creepy Dystopia?
HireVue's AI Interview Platform: Game-Changer or Creepy Dystopia?
HireVue promises to revolutionize hiring with AI-powered video interviews. But is it actually effective, or are we just making candidates uncomfortable for no good reason?
Is Greenhouse Actually Worth the Hype? A Brutally Honest Review
Is Greenhouse Actually Worth the Hype? A Brutally Honest Review
Everyone and their recruiter raves about Greenhouse. But is it really that good, or just expensive marketing? Let's talk real talk about whether this ATS lives up to the price tag.