Toggl Hire has announced it’s retiring from recruitment. The team shared that they’re sunsetting the product to focus on other Toggl tools that help businesses stay productive and grow. Existing users can still log in for now, but new signups are closed.
For many startups and small businesses, Toggl Hire was the go-to way to replace traditional candidate screening with quick, skills-based tests. Its approach was refreshingly simple: short tasks, instant insights, and faster hiring. But as AI reshapes how we evaluate talent, Toggl Hire’s decision makes sense. The future of hiring is shifting from what people know to how they think, collaborate, and communicate.
Why Toggl Hire’s model reached its limits
Toggl Hire made technical hiring faster, but it was built for an era where hard skills were the main differentiator. That era is ending.
AI now writes code, summarizes research, and drafts campaigns. Skills alone no longer tell the full story. What teams need today are people with sound judgment, adaptability, and strong communication skills.
That’s not something a multiple-choice test can measure. Which is why hiring tools are moving away from candidate assessment software and toward deeper candidate understanding.
The rise of soft-skill intelligence
In 2025, hiring teams aren’t just asking “Can they do the job?” but “How do they approach challenges, and will they add to our culture?” That’s where AI interviewing platforms like Truffle are picking up the thread Toggl Hire left behind.
Truffle helps small businesses screen candidates through short audio or video interviews that reveal real communication ability, motivation, and cultural alignment. Our AI summarizes each candidate, highlights strengths and potential gaps, and helps you rank applicants based on fit. The goal isn’t automation for its own sake or for AI to make hiring decisions, but to go beyond the limitations of paper resumes and skills assessment.
From skill tests to conversation intelligence
If Toggl Hire was the rise of skill-based testing, Truffle represents the next stage: conversation-based screening. Instead of filtering out candidates with quizzes, it lets them express their reasoning, tone, and personality. We know these are qualities that define success in client-facing and team-oriented roles.
The takeaway on Toggl Hire's shutdown
Toggl Hire’s retirement marks the end of one chapter in recruitment tech—and the start of another. The future belongs to tools that combine automation with empathy, helping employers understand not just what candidates can do, but who they are.
If you’re looking for Toggl Hire alternatives, explore Truffle. It’s built for lean teams who care about fit as much as skills—and want smarter, faster ways to find it.
