Bullhorn Engage has come and gone and there were very strong themes.
Recruiter Productivity.
Sustainability.
Profitability.
For this to happen Bullhorn1st needs to be a goal – aka using Bullhornfirst in your recruitment workflow. Reducing reliance on data and external systems will decrease costs, speed up placements, and create a more robust recruitment business.
And the way to Bullhorn1st?
Recruitment Automation and Recruitment Training, of course!
Recruitment Automation is So Yesterday!
I started using the phrase CRM1st back in the early 2000s. It was borne out of working with 150 busy recruiters who were rapidly being exposed to huge data sets - LinkedIn, job boards, candidates who wielded the Apply button like a Scud missile. But they didn't have the discipline or process to strategically manage the massive increase in data volume or change in candidate behaviour.
I used CRM1st (it was Adapt then) to help recruiters new to the recruitment sector to battle their FOMO (fear of missing out). I used CRM1st with experienced recruiters and resourcers to help them not get dragged under by rapidly increasing candidate pools.
Have things changed in recent years?
Have recruiters gotten better at managing their data, recruitment technology, candidate and client experience?
Has the colleague experience improved now we have so much data and rec tech that should theoretically make recruitment easier....?
Unfortunately, I'm not sure things have changed (enough).
Recruiters have been running to catch up. But the faster they run, the bigger the data set becomes, the more competition they have (even from their own clients), and the more tech they feel they need just to stand still.
Recruiter Frustration – Ready, Fire, Aim
I'm frustrated with the sector that can't seem to grasp what it's good at...
Niche specialisms +
Nurtured communities of candidates and clients reliant on great recruiters +
Colleagues delivering best practice and making a difference, changing lives.
But that "goodness" can't happen without focus.
And how can a recruiter focus with huge data sets, too much tech and not enough process?
Whether you have Bullhorn or another recruitment CRM, it needs to be first on your list to source, engage, nurture, and place from - if it’s not 1st, everyone loses. (Apart from the software company you buy comfort from!)
Automation – The Re-Humanisation of Recruitment!
Automation for my clients has become the missing link. It’s been around for years, but now automation is really being used to take away the pain, and the admin.
Recruitment Automation is being used to drive the best of behaviours.
It's enabling CRM1st (aka Bullhorn1st).
It’s creating time for training – for all, not just new recruiters!
And it’s creating time for trained recruiters empowered to get on the phone and do some good.
Once you automate what you can, you can train what’s left – and what should be left is the gold in the recruitment process – humans!
More effective sourcing
Speedier screening designed to prevent counter offers
Interviews with clients who move to placement uninterrupted
Placements and onboarding designed to generate referrals
Recruiters need training on their systems and process so that they can deliver what their clients pay for. Automation creates space and time for this training to happen.
Automate What You Can - Train What's Left
If you can automate what you can, and train what's left, then your data, your database, and your 3Cs (candidates, clients, colleagues) will be in a really good place, perhaps even 1st place, for the rest of this year and beyond.
What are you going to automate?
What training is needed to deliver sustainable recruitment business?
My team can help with both of these key goals.
Paul Robson, The Crew Hunter. We have managed to restructure our business, with more recruiters and more time to recruit. And the ROI from our Bullhorn Automation training?
Time Saved. Admin Removed. Staff Efficiency.
We've saved 45 hours with 1,345 automated actions in just 8 weeks.
Plus, we built 3 automations at the beginning of the project which allowed us to remove an old core process which freed up space for another recruiter.
Talking of Recruiters Getting More Automated!...
Using recruitment automation to improve data, process, candidates and client experience - that's a great goal! But you also need to free up your recruiters to be exceptional And they need training for this.
Our high intensity interval training - Recruitment HIIT - helps recruiters source, convert quicker, and develop healthy pipelines. We aim to save every recruiter and resourcer at least 1 hour per day (6 working weeks a year) - more billing time, more fees!
TRY RECRUITMENT HIIT
READ ABOUT OUR BULLHORN AUTOMATION BUDDY
BOOK A CALL TO DISCUSS RECRUITMENT TRAINING
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Blog
3 Ways to Automate Away the Counter Offer and Drop Out
Recruiters who want to prevent counter offers and drop outs have several choices.They sit and do nothing, assuming the candidate remained loyal to them and was not flattered or hood winked into accepting a counter-offer.They know that prevention is better than cure, and set manual reminders engage the candidate as and when they think it’s best.They use automation to engage and manage the candidate, whilst controlling the narrative and the process.💡Every successful recruiter knows that the key to eliminating dropouts lies in consistent, timely intervention.🪄This is where automation transforms a good process into a great one.In our previous blog "Stop Losing Placements: Your 3-Step Plan to Pre-empt the Counter Offer or Drop Out" we offered a straightforward guide to preventing counter offers, armed with the data you need to make the case.Try Our 3️⃣ Powerful Ways to Use Automation to Prevent Counter Offers and Drop Outs1️⃣️ Automated "Reality Check" Content DripYou need to proactively arm candidates with the necessary data before they even receive an offer. This content drip focuses on education, addressing the emotional allure of a counter offer with cold, hard facts.How to Automate: Set up an email automation sequence that triggers immediately after a candidate successfully completes a key interview stage (e.g., after the screening or first stage interview, or when a final offer is imminent).The Content: The sequence should deliver the statistics we discussed (e.g., 9 out of 10 people leave anyway, the cost to the employer, etc.) and explore the non-monetary reasons for leaving. Use short, sharp emails with a professional, advisory tone.Goal: To normalise the counter offer as a business tactic and pre-frame it as a short-term distraction from their long-term career goals. This makes the eventual counter offer less of a surprise or a compelling "olive branch."2️⃣ 📝 Automated Counter Offer Acknowledgment FormThis tool formalises the discussion you have with the candidate, ensuring they have verbally and electronically confirmed their awareness of the risks.How to Automate: Integrate a simple form into your candidate management system or send it via an automated link after the final offer is extended.The Requirement: The form should ask the candidate to confirm that they have:Discussed the likelihood of a counter offer with their recruiter.Reviewed the long-term career statistics associated with accepting a counter offer.Understood that the underlying reasons for their resignation (e.g., culture, progression) are unlikely to be resolved by a temporary pay bump.Goal: The act of filling out this form forces one last moment of reflection, significantly reducing the chances of an impulsive, emotional decision, and provides a documented record of the candidate's commitment.3️⃣ 📅 Automated "Resignation Prep" ResourceThe most dangerous time is the moment of resignation, often delivered in a high-pressure, emotional meeting. Automation can deliver a just-in-time resource to guide the candidate through this moment.How to Automate: Set up a final email to be delivered the day before the candidate plans to hand in their notice.The Content: This resource is a concise, step-by-step guide on how to resign professionally. Crucially, it includes:Scripted Responses: Suggested brief, professional phrases to use when a counter offer is made (e.g., "I appreciate the offer, but my decision is final and based on long-term career factors, not just compensation.").Focus Points: A checklist of their original motivations for leaving (e.g., "Remember why you started this search: lack of flexible working, no clear path to management.").Goal: To help the candidate manage the conversation gracefully, stick to their pre-agreed decision, and resist emotional manipulation in the moment.🔐The Automation Advantage: Protecting Your Fee and Their FutureThe counter offer is a recruitment industry reality, but a drop-out is not an inevitability.By combining pre-emptive, data-driven candidate coaching with a strategic approach to automation, you move beyond simply hoping a candidate will decline a counter offer.Instead, you build a robust, repeatable recruitment process that manages risk, documents commitment, and ensures your candidate resigns fully prepared and focused on their long-term career move.💡Embracing automation isn't about replacing the human element; it's about making the human element.Your invaluable advice and counsel is more impactful. It guarantees the right advice is delivered at the right time, securing your placement and protecting your candidate from a decision they would almost certainly regret down the line.Be sure to not run your recruitment process on good intentions - back it up with the tech you need to boost your process and pipeline!Automation Buddy / Bullhorn RoIWe are Automation Buddies set on helping ambitious recruitment businesses who want to increase speed and sales.We coach to inspire, and build your automations so you can recruit and sell!Plus, through our Bullhorn Vision service we help generate serious ROI from your Bullhorn, data, and people.READ MORE ABOUT OUR BULLHORN VISION SERVICEREAD ABOUT OUR AUTOMATION BUDDY SERVICEBOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATION
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Blog
Bullhorn Tip - Place More Jobs
We've got a simple 1-minute Bullhorn tip to help you place more jobs. It's time to filter, work and place (and earn!)Having too many jobs and not enough placements can be beyond frustrating. But we have a Bullhorn tip for you to help you focus on the jobs you can (and should) place! There's plenty Bullhorn can do to help you manage your jobs pipeline and recruitment workflow. It's Time to Place Your Jobs!Here's a quick bullhorn tip about why you should regularly update your job statuses in Bullhorn.Get focussed on the most profitable opportunities.Prioritise your efforts.Boost your earnings. Watch this 1-minute Bullhorn tip - then spend a few easy minutes creating focus and an easy path to placing more jobs. Watch Our 1-Minute Bullhorn Tip on How to Place Jobs QuickerNeed more Bullhorn / Automation Tips? Try our 1-minute tips.Be sure to sign up for (or watch the recordings of) our regular free Bullhorn and Automation webinars.CHECK OUT OUR WEBINARSAutomation Buddy / Bullhorn RoIWe are Automation and Bullhorn Buddies set on helping ambitious recruitment businesses who want to increase speed and sales.We coach to inspire, and build your automations so you can recruit and sell!Plus, through our Bullhorn Vision service we help generate serious ROI from your Bullhorn, data, and people.READ MORE ABOUT OUR BULLHORN VISION SERVICEREAD ABOUT OUR AUTOMATION BUDDY SERVICEBOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATION