Complete Chameleon-i Review—Is It the Right Choice for Recruitment Agencies?

Chameleon-i is a recruitment client relationship management (CRM) platform that provides a better way to organize the workflow of a recruitment agency. This helps recruiters retain quick access to the data they need at any moment. 

To do this, Chameleon-i offers tailor-made databases specifically designed for recruitment agencies; in-house recruiters from individual companies should look elsewhere.

Chameleon-i nevertheless offers various automation features to streamline a recruiter’s work. Our review will examine how well Chamelon-i does this, cover its recruitment-related features and downsides, and compare it to potentially better hiring software. 

Key Features of Chameleon-i

The developers behind Chameleon-i are eager to highlight their platform’s web-based nature. Unlike many other applicant tracking systems (ATSs), you run Chamelon-i in your browser; no additional downloads, hardware, or server infrastructure is required. 

The platform consists of four core segments:

1. ATS—helps recruitment agencies process candidates and organize their data into one database
2. Temps recruitment—lets agencies create and manage shifts for temporary bookings
3. Contract recruitment—replaces paper-based timesheet systems for contract placements
4. Recruitment portals—allows agencies to create branded recruitment portals for larger clients

This review will mainly cover the most crucial feature from a recruitment perspective—Chameleon-i’s ATS. Most of its other features focus on managing clients and candidate placements. 

The Chameleon-i ATS

When individual employers use recruitment software, they process a much lower number of candidates than a recruitment agency would typically do. That’s why recruitment platforms and ATSs for agencies have to be better at organizing vast amounts of candidate data—something that Chameleon-i excels at.

The platform’s database consists of the following elements:

1. Baskets
2. Tear sheets
3. Lists
4. Tags

Baskets are in-app folders where you can put data such as candidate profiles, contracts, and documents. The lists are self-explanatory, while the awkwardly named “tear sheets” are notes that can be attached to lists or baskets. Tags function like social media hashtags; you can tag anything with a word or two to make it easier to find via the system’s search bar. Tags can also indicate ownership of tasks between different users and teams. 

This system is highly customizable and flexible. It helps recruitment agencies store and process:

• Candidate resumes and cover letters
• Candidate histories
• Client meetings and other communication

Other parts of the Chameleon-i platform also process information from other entities and tie it all into one easily manageable database, including data from:

• Affiliates
• Vendors
• Business partners

As recruiters deal with hundreds (or even thousands) of candidates, employers, job boards, and other entities, having this type of well-organized database speeds up collaboration and makes everything more accessible.

The database also supports trigger-based email automation. You can create email templates for candidate communication and set specific triggers for sending them automatically. For example, when you place a candidate in the “Interview” basket, the system can automatically send them a pre-written email invite to an interview. 

Downsides of Chameleon-i 

Chameleon-i provides one of the most meticulously designed databases for recruitment agencies. However, it also comes with a few significant issues that potential users should know about. 

First, the platform doesn’t have features that support practical candidate assessments. You can pre-screen candidates based on their resumes, but you can’t create questionnaires or skill tests. This makes candidate evaluations less reliable for recruitment agencies and their clients. 

The other problem is the lack of transparency with the Chameleon-i pricing scheme; many support features require additional payments, as shown in our prices breakdown below. Also, the prices advertised on the website are pre-VAT—meaning they’re higher in practice, at least for UK-based companies. 

Chameleon-i’s interface is also visually dated. While visual styles are a matter of taste, it’s hard to escape the feeling that it’s reminiscent of software developed for Windows XP in the early 2000s. 

Chameleon-i Pricing

Depending on which Chameleon-i features you want for your recruitment agency, you can choose between three licenses:

1. Core User—£40 per user per month
2. Core+Temp—£75 per user per month
3. Core+Contract License—£75 per user per month

Depending on whether your agency manages temp or contractor placements, you can choose between the two latter licenses. And if you only need applicant tracking features, the Chamaleon-i database, and the CV processing—you can opt for the Core license. 

There’s a 30-day free trial for all modules too, and you’re billed monthly for your chosen license after that.

However, our issue with pricing arises when you realize you need to “purchase additional modules” for features like:

• Google Integration
• Inbound Email
• Website Integration
• MS Exchange Integration
• Downloadable backups
• GDPR Compliance
• RSS job feeds

Downloadable backups are particularly essential for a web-based platform because you keep all your data in the cloud, especially when the whole point of the platform is to centralize the data. This feature alone costs another £20 per month—half as much as the basic license. All the other additional modules also cost between £10 and £50 per month. 

Chameleon-i Customers

Chameleon-i is a UK-based company that primarily serves recruitment agencies, such as:

• Vantage Auto Recruitment
• TR3 Recruitment
• Gem Partnership 
• Automotive Recruitment Solutions
• Hamilton Barnes

Chameleon-i Integrations

Chameleon-i supports third-party API integrations with the following platforms:

• G Suite
• Gmail
• Facebook
• Google Calendar
• Google Analytics
• LinkedIn
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Office 365
• SpotaJob
• Sage
• Twitter
• QuickBooks
• WordPress

Chameleon-i Alternatives

Despite all of their strong points, Chameleon-i’s database and ATS are saddled with an untransparent price scheme and a lack of candidate assessment features. If you want to consider alternative recruitment platforms, we’ve reviewed some of the biggest ones to help you choose wisely:

Workello vs. Chameleon-i 

Chameleon-i’s provides recruitment agencies with a decent database, but its actual recruitment features are sparse. To use email automation properly, you have to master their proprietary database structure. 

Unfortunately, its outdated interface might also be a tough pill to swallow for recruiters who aren’t particularly tech-savvy. The steep and non-transparent pricing doesn’t make it the perfect choice for smaller businesses that are careful about every dime they spend.

If you want an ATS platform designed for high-volume recruiting, you’ll find that Workello is:

• Recruitment-oriented 
• Easy to use
• Cost-effective

Workello’s email automation features are much easier to access—everything is found in one simple dashboard, and you can quickly customize its email templates to suit your hiring funnel. 

The platform also provides pre-made skill assessments for various types of candidates, from writers and virtual assistants to sales staff and programmers. You can gauge the merit of your applicants through tests that were carefully designed by industry experts.

Workello is also not just more affordable than Chameleon-i but also fully transparent with its prices—no hidden costs or “additional modules” here. You get all the features regardless of which subscription you choose; their only difference is the number of available candidate assessments. 

Chameleon-i vs. Workello—Pricing and Features

Here’s a comparison of both platforms:

Bottom Line

Chameleon-i is a great database system for recruitment agencies. However, its automation features are hard to use, it doesn’t provide practical candidate tests, and its price scheme comes with hidden costs and additional expenses. 

Workello provides better candidate testing at a lower and more transparent price and is much easier to use. If you want to skyrocket your growth by hiring top talent without paying a fortune, sign up for a free trial with Workello today!