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15 min read

Best AI recruiting tools: Adway vs HeyJobs vs Gaia (Q4 2025)

AI recruiting tools transform hiring through automated screening and social media sourcing. Adway delivers 59% faster time-to-hire by capturing candidates directly from social feeds without redirects, while its Smart Scorecard uses AI-generated, role-specific screening questions to identify top talent. HeyJobs focuses on conversational AI interviews, and Gaia emphasizes geo-targeted campaigns, but Adway's seamless ATS integration and transparent consumption-based pricing offer the most complete solution for quality-focused recruitment.

TLDR

Market shift: 73% of TA professionals agree AI will fundamentally change hiring, with early adopters reporting 20% workload reductions
Platform focus: Adway targets passive candidates across 9 social platforms; HeyJobs specializes in AI interviewing; Gaia runs campaign-based employer branding
Cost advantage: Adway customers report 54% lower cost-per-hire versus traditional job boards
Quality metrics: AI-screened candidates pass final interviews 54% of the time versus 34% for traditional screening methods
Integration speed: Adway offers plug-and-play ATS connectivity; competitors may require custom configuration
Recognition: Adway named Fosway Core Leader 4 consecutive years; Gaia advancing in 2025 9-Grid; HeyJobs strong in DACH region

AI recruiting tools now define the pace of talent acquisition. With over 5.24 billion people on social media, TA teams that rely solely on job boards miss the majority of potential hires. This comparison breaks down how Adway, HeyJobs, and Gaia stack up on features, pricing, and real-world results so you can choose the right platform for 2026 and beyond.

Why are AI recruiting tools dominating talent acquisition in 2025?

The shift toward AI-powered hiring is no longer optional. According to LinkedIn's 2025 Future of Recruiting report, talent acquisition professionals already using generative AI report a 20% reduction in workload on average. Meanwhile, 73% of TA pros agree that AI will fundamentally change how companies hire.

The drivers behind this momentum:

Passive-candidate access: 75% of TA leaders say candidate quality is their top priority, yet the best candidates rarely browse job boards. Social recruiting meets them in their daily feeds.
Quality of hire focus: LinkedIn data shows 89% of TA pros believe measuring quality of hire will become increasingly important, and 61% believe AI can improve that measurement.
Scale without headcount: AI automates resume screening, candidate engagement, and initial interviews, freeing recruiters to focus on relationship-building and strategic decisions.

Key takeaway: AI recruiting tools win because they reach untapped talent pools, automate repetitive tasks, and deliver measurable improvements in quality of hire.

Side-by-side icon panels represent Adway, HeyJobs and Gaia with social, conversational and geo-targeted AI features.

Adway, HeyJobs & Gaia: How do their AI recruiting features stack up?

All three platforms promise to streamline hiring, but their approaches differ significantly. The table below summarizes headline capabilities.

Feature	Adway	HeyJobs	Gaia
Primary channel	Social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Google, YouTube, Reddit, Discord)	Job boards + performance marketing	Social media campaigns
AI screening	Smart Scorecard with weighted, role-specific scoring	Basic matching algorithms	AI-driven targeting
Application flow	Social Apply: one-click, mobile-first, 30-second applications	Redirect to career site	Landing pages with forms
ATS integration	Seamless, friction-free integration with any ATS	Select ATS partners	Integrates with all ATS/CRM providers
Candidate satisfaction	Mobile-first UX optimized for social	Standard web forms	Social landing pages
Analyst recognition	Fosway Core Leader 4 years running	Regional presence in DACH	Advancing in 2025 Fosway 9-Grid

Adway captures candidates without redirecting them away from their social feed, which is critical when AI is transforming recruitment by automating sourcing, screening, and engagement. HeyJobs focuses on generative AI for candidate engagement via SMS, WhatsApp, and email, while Gaia emphasizes geo-targeted social campaigns.

Who wins at sourcing passive candidates on social media?

Passive candidates make up the majority of the workforce, yet they never open a job board. Reaching them requires meeting them where they scroll.

Why social recruiting matters:

73% of millennials found their last job through social media.
78% of recruiters expect activity to increase outside LinkedIn this year.
Facebook alone offers access to over 3 billion monthly users.

Platform comparison:

Adway: Targets pre-engaged social talent pools more precisely than job boards. Campaigns run across nine major platforms, and AI continuously optimizes spend toward the highest-quality applicants.
HeyJobs: Primarily performance-based job advertising with a conversational AI layer. Candidates answer via phone, video, or web audio and receive real-time follow-up questions, but the sourcing footprint leans toward job-board aggregation rather than true social recruiting.
Gaia: Runs geo-targeted social campaigns and claims to tap into passive candidates, though case studies focus on employer branding rather than continuous, always-on programmatic reach.

Key takeaway: Adway's omnichannel, always-on social approach offers the broadest passive-candidate reach, while HeyJobs and Gaia lean more heavily on job boards or campaign-based bursts.

Which platform delivers measurable quality of hire?

Quality of hire is the metric that matters most, yet it remains notoriously difficult to measure. AI screening tools are changing that by standardizing evaluation and surfacing hidden talent.

How AI improves quality:

93% of TA pros believe accurately assessing a candidate's skills is crucial for improving quality of hire.
Candidates who cleared an AI interview passed the final human interview 54% of the time versus 34% for controls, a 20-percentage-point lift.

Platform comparison:

Adway: Smart Scorecard uses "AI-generated, role-specific screening questions" to ensure precision in candidate evaluation. Weighted scoring highlights top applicants based on must-have requirements, and AI-driven screening shortlists candidates without requiring a CV upload.
HeyJobs: Offers per-question scoring, transcripts, and recordings synced to your ATS. Useful for structured interviews, but less emphasis on pre-application screening.
Gaia: Automates candidate screening through bots designed to resemble human interactions, performing fast, unbiased assessments. However, published case studies focus on application volume rather than post-hire success metrics.

Quality of hire sits as the top priority metric for around 40% of large companies, according to LinkedIn data reported by Workable. Adway's combination of AI screening and social sourcing addresses both the top-of-funnel reach and the mid-funnel evaluation that drive quality outcomes.

Coin stacks illustrate lowest cost-per-hire and highest ROI for one platform versus taller cost stacks for competitors.

Pricing, cost-per-hire & ROI: Who offers the best value?

Recruitment budgets are under pressure. According to Gartner, 78% of recruiting leaders face stagnant or shrinking budgets in the coming year. That makes cost-per-hire and ROI critical selection criteria.

Industry benchmarks:

In 2025, the average cost per hire in the United States hovers around $4,800, modestly up from $4,425 in 2021. Technology and engineering roles can run as high as $6,200 per hire.

Cost element	Typical range per hire
Job ad posting	$100 - $500
Agency fees	$4,000 - $15,000+
HR software (attributable)	$300 - $1,000
Indirect costs (interviews, manager time, ramp-up)	$2,500 - $12,000+

Source: Cost of Hiring, 2025

Platform comparison:

Adway: Consumption-based pricing with transparent ROI tracking. Customers report a 54% lower cost-per-hire versus traditional job boards and a 59% reduction in time-to-hire.
HeyJobs: Pricing details are not publicly disclosed. The platform offers fixed plans for AI interviews; for example, HeyMilo (a comparable AI interviewing tool) states that 700 interviews drop from around $21,000 to less than a few thousand monthly.
Gaia: Custom pricing based on recruitment requirements. Gaia positions itself as a budget-friendly alternative to traditional job boards with substantial ROI, but no standard rate card is published.

Key takeaway: Adway's transparent, consumption-based model and published ROI metrics make budgeting predictable. HeyJobs and Gaia require custom quotes, adding friction for mid-market buyers.

How quickly can each tool integrate with your ATS?

Integration speed determines how fast you realize value. A clunky setup can stall adoption and inflate hidden costs.

Why integration matters:

Recruitment involves multiple moving parts: job postings, resumes, interviews, assessments, and compliance checks. An integrated ATS creates a consistent candidate journey.
SHRM states that U.S. companies spend around $4,700 for each new hire. Poor integration can inflate that figure through manual data entry and lost candidates.

Platform comparison:

Adway: Offers "seamless, friction-free ATS integration" and connects with any ATS or CRM system. Candidates flow directly into existing workflows with no extra work required.
HeyJobs: Integrates with select ATS partners. HeyMilo, for example, offers a truly adaptive, AI-led experience that syncs seamlessly with your ATS, but the breadth of pre-built connectors varies.
Gaia: Claims to integrate with all ATS and CRM providers, though implementation timelines are not publicly documented.

Adway's plug-and-play API and pre-built connectors shorten onboarding, while HeyJobs and Gaia may require more hands-on configuration depending on your existing stack.

Real-world results: What customers report

Published case studies reveal how these platforms perform under real hiring pressure.

Adway:

PwC Sweden noted improved candidate quality after implementing Adway's social recruiting approach. As one PwC recruiter put it: "Today, we have better conversations with fewer but more relevant candidates. That's what quality looks like to us!"
Otto Group, one of the world's largest online retailers, implemented AI-powered recruitment technology to automate resume screening and candidate matching, reducing time to fill and improving hire quality.

HeyJobs:

Biocon Biologics reported saving three to five hours per leadership role using LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant (a comparable AI sourcing tool), improving placement success rates and uncovering talent from startups and mid-sized firms.

Gaia:

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary saw a 179% surge in police officer applications and a 70% increase in detective applications, alongside significant diversity gains, with 60% of applicants identifying as female.
Gaia's own internal hiring took just five weeks from ad to hire for hard-to-find creative talent, generating 104,640 impressions and a 9.66% application conversion rate.

Key takeaway: All three platforms deliver documented wins. Adway's case studies emphasize quality-of-hire improvements; Gaia's highlight application volume and diversity; HeyJobs (and related AI interviewing tools) focus on time savings and structured evaluation.

How to choose the right AI recruiting tool for 2026 and beyond

Selecting an AI recruiting platform comes down to your priorities, hiring volume, and existing tech stack. Use the checklist below to guide your decision.

1. Define your sourcing needs

Do you need passive candidates from social media, or are you primarily filling inbound pipelines?
64% of companies struggle to find the right talent. If that's you, prioritize platforms with broad social reach.

2. Evaluate quality-of-hire capabilities

Does the platform offer AI-generated screening questions and weighted scoring?
Can it measure and report on post-hire success metrics?

3. Assess integration depth

Does your ATS have a pre-built connector, or will you need custom API work?
How long does typical implementation take?

4. Understand the pricing model

Is pricing consumption-based, subscription-based, or custom?
What ROI metrics does the vendor provide?

5. Check analyst recognition

Third-party validation matters. Adway has been named a Fosway Core Leader for four consecutive years; Gaia is advancing in the 2025 Fosway 9-Grid; HeyJobs is recognized regionally.

Quick decision guide:

Priority	Best fit
Passive-candidate reach on social	Adway
AI-powered interviewing	HeyJobs
Campaign-based employer branding	Gaia
Transparent, consumption-based pricing	Adway
DACH-region focus	HeyJobs

Key takeaways

Adway stands out for TA teams that want to tap untapped talent pools on social media while measuring and improving quality of hire. Its AI-driven Social Apply, Smart Scorecard, and seamless ATS integration deliver documented results: a 59% reduction in time-to-hire, a 36% boost in quality of hire, and a €194 return for every €1 spent.

HeyJobs and Gaia each bring strengths. HeyJobs excels at conversational AI interviews and candidate engagement via SMS and WhatsApp. Gaia delivers creative, geo-targeted social campaigns that can spike application volume quickly.

For mid-market and growth companies seeking scalable, repeatable social recruiting with transparent pricing and analyst-backed credibility, Adway offers the most complete package heading into 2026.

Ready to see how social recruiting can transform your hiring? Request a demo from Adway and explore what quality-focused, AI-driven talent acquisition looks like in practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main differences between Adway, HeyJobs, and Gaia?

Adway focuses on social media recruiting with seamless ATS integration and AI-driven screening. HeyJobs emphasizes AI-powered candidate engagement via SMS and email, while Gaia specializes in geo-targeted social campaigns.

How does Adway's pricing model work?

Adway uses a consumption-based pricing model, offering transparent ROI tracking. Customers report a 54% lower cost-per-hire compared to traditional job boards.

Why is social recruiting important in 2025?

Social recruiting is crucial as it reaches passive candidates who do not browse job boards. Platforms like Adway target these candidates directly in their social feeds, increasing reach and engagement.

How does Adway improve quality of hire?

Adway's Smart Scorecard uses AI-generated, role-specific screening questions to evaluate candidates precisely, improving quality of hire by highlighting top applicants based on must-have requirements.

What are the integration capabilities of Adway?

Adway offers seamless, friction-free integration with any ATS or CRM system, allowing candidates to flow directly into existing workflows without extra work.