Yena vs Clockwork.
Autonomous extraction vs competency generation
Clockwork is excellent for retained firms needing competency frameworks. Yena is the high-velocity alternative—describe a role to the Sourcer, get a shortlist of relevant, switch-ready candidates in minutes, then calibrate it yourself. Contact reveal comes standard, not the headline.
Why we're credible to write this
Clockwork Recruiting is a specialist in retained executive search. Clockwork wins on AI-generated competency frameworks and relationship mapping. Yena wins on the Sourcer's plain-language search and calibration loop, signal-first surfacing of switch-ready candidates, and publicly listed plans.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Characteristic | Yena | Clockwork Recruiting |
|---|---|---|
| Primary AI Focus | The Sourcer: describe a role, get a ranked shortlist with a "why this candidate" note | Competency Generation (Role frameworks) |
| Target Market | Volume SearchExecutive search agencies, high-volume sourcing | Retained SearchRetained firms, strategic buying |
| LinkedIn Integration | Sourcer-MatchedSourcer surfaces relevant LinkedIn profiles, contact info included on the record | Network ImportImport from network search (manual details) |
| Calibration | Yes/Maybe/NoLabel results, refine the prompt in chat — re-ranks in seconds | Manual FiltersManual clicking & copying required |
| Time to Add Candidate | 15 secondsOne click import + contact info | 2-3 minutesImport + manual contact info work |
| AI Candidate Matching | Signal-FirstSurfaces likely-to-move candidates before the role is even posted | CompetencyGenerate role competencies |
| Pricing Model | Public plansCurrent plans and limits are published on /pricing; a 10-day free trial is available | Per-User$149/user/month (annual commit) |
| Human Role | Human orchestrates — the Sourcer does the legwork, you decide who gets a call | Recruiter reviews and edits the generated framework |
| Relationship Mapping | Candidate CRMOwn your candidate pool: relationship tracking & history | AdvancedVisual candidate relationship mapping |
| Evaluation | Guided trialTest Yena with your own recruiting workflow | ImmediateCloud-based, immediate start |
| Best For | High-volume sourcing, cost efficiency, speed | Retained search, competency frameworks, strategy |
| Product Maturity | Shipped and in daily use by recruiting teams, not a beta | Strong reviews for support |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yena's Sourcer takes a plain-language role description and returns a ranked shortlist of relevant, switch-ready candidates, each with a "why this candidate" explanation — you calibrate it with Yes/Maybe/No and it re-ranks in seconds. Clockwork uses AI to generate competency frameworks for roles. Yena simplifies candidate finding; Clockwork simplifies role definition.
Yena's Sourcer surfaces matching LinkedIn profiles automatically and includes available contact details for recruiter review as part of the candidate record. Clockwork allows importing networks but requires manual work to extract contact details.
Yena publishes its current plans and limits on /pricing and offers a 10-day free trial, so you can run it against a real search before committing. Clockwork costs $149/user/month on an annual commitment.
Yena. The Sourcer surfaces likely-to-move candidates before a role is even posted, and a 15-second import means less manual list-building on high-volume searches (50-100 profiles/week).
Yes, Yena supports retained search workflows, confidential projects, a shareable client portal for explainable shortlists, and multi-client management, similar to Clockwork.