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PanelynxRun a 60-day pilot

COMPARISON

Panelynx vs
Spreadsheets

When hiring outgrows tabs, notes and shared docs.

Spreadsheets are flexible, familiar and cheap. Panelynx becomes valuable when the hiring process needs structure, consistency, accountability and shared evidence, so you can make better decisions, faster.

Run a 60-day pilotSee Panelynx in action
  • No credit card required
  • One open role, 60 days
  • Onboarding support

Quick comparison

Best forSmall, simple hiring needsStructured, consistent, collaborative hiringBoth can work. It depends on your stage.
Candidate trackingSpreadsheets work for small volumes.
Interview planningPanelynx provides structured interview plans.
Standardized questionsEnsures consistency across interviewers.
Independent scorecardsCollect independent feedback from every interviewer.
Panel comparison & debriefSide-by-side comparison, gap badges and a consensus view.
Reporting & analyticsTrack hiring data, calibration and outcomes.
Collaboration & permissionsRole-based access, a hiring team per vacancy, secure sharing.
Data securityEncryption in transit and at rest, tenant isolation, SSO on Enterprise.
ScalabilityBuilt for growing teams.

Where spreadsheets still work well

Very small teams or early-stage hiringSimple hiring needs with low volumeQuick and flexible to set upFamiliar tools that everyone knowsLow cost (often free)

Where spreadsheets start breaking down

Hard to maintain as hiring volume growsInconsistent questions and evaluation criteriaFeedback scattered across tabs, notes and emailsNo easy way to compare candidates side-by-sideLimited visibility and accountabilityNo real analytics or calibrationVersion control and permission issuesTime-consuming manual coordination

The differences in detail

Candidate tracking

Spreadsheets can track basic candidate details. Panelynx gives you a structured pipeline with statuses, a hiring team per vacancy and full history.

Interview planning

Spreadsheets require manual coordination. Panelynx helps you create interviews with role-based questions and rubrics.

Scorecards

Spreadsheets rely on free-form notes. Panelynx provides standardized, independent scorecards with clear rating scales.

Panel comparison

Spreadsheets make it hard to compare feedback. Panelynx gives you side-by-side comparison and a badge on every question where the panel is split.

Debriefs

Spreadsheets lack structure for decision-making. Panelynx helps you see where the panel agrees, where it does not, and record the decision with its evidence.

Reporting & calibration

Spreadsheets can't easily show hiring insights. Panelynx offers analytics, interviewer calibration and hiring outcome tracking.

Security & permissions

Spreadsheets are easy to share but hard to control. Panelynx provides role-based access, tenant isolation and encryption in transit and at rest.

Collaboration

Spreadsheets often lead to confusion and duplicate work. Panelynx keeps everyone aligned in one place.

Cost of manual coordination

Spreadsheets may be free, but manual coordination costs time. Panelynx replaces that coordination with a structured workflow.

Scalability

Spreadsheets become unwieldy as you grow. Panelynx holds one shape as you add roles: vacancies, plans, scorecards, a decision.

Choose spreadsheets if...
You're a very small team with occasional hiringYou have simple roles and a low volume of candidatesYou're comfortable managing data manuallyYou don't need standardized interviews or detailed analyticsCost is the main priority
Choose Panelynx if...
You want a structured, end-to-end hiring processYou need consistent interviews and fairer evaluationYou want independent scorecards and panel decisionsYou value data, insights and accountabilityYou're a growing team that wants to hire better, faster
Move from spreadsheets to Panelynx
  1. 1Export your data as a CSV file
  2. 2Clean and map your fields (we'll help)
  3. 3Import into Panelynx
  4. 4Set up interview plans and invite your team
  5. 5Start hiring with structure and confidence

Frequently asked questions

Is Panelynx more expensive than using spreadsheets?

Yes, in cash. A sheet is free. What changes the arithmetic is that only recruiters need a paid seat: hiring managers, interviewers and team members join at no cost, so a wide panel does not raise the bill.

Can I import my existing spreadsheet data?

Yes. Export your sheet as a CSV, import the file and map your columns to Panelynx fields. Import is available from the Growth rung, which is what the pilot runs on, so your data can come across before you decide.

How long does it take to get started?

The pilot runs 60 days on one open role with founder-led onboarding. A sheet is running in ten minutes; Panelynx wants an interview plan and a question bank first. That is the point of it, and it is still work.

What if I only hire a few people a year?

Then a spreadsheet is probably the right tool, and this page says so. Panelynx starts paying for itself when several people interview the same candidate and nobody can tell whether they were judged on the same thing.

Can I try Panelynx before committing?

Yes. The pilot runs for 60 days on one open role, founder-led, with no card. Onboarding is part of the pilot rather than something you do alone.

READY TO HIRE BETTER?

Run a 60-day pilot of Panelynx

Experience a complete, interview-led hiring platform. No credit card required.

Start your 60-day pilot
  • One open role, 60 days
  • Onboarding support
  • Bring your candidates by CSV