This is a valuable read for recruitment leaders who want to grow their business through systems and data, as well as their people. (And want to avoid saying "Doh!")
Recruitment leaders investing in technology aren’t simply buying a handy tool. They’re investing in the sales pipelines and the future of their staffing companies too!
But how can you ensure that your CRM and /or automation tools deliver and don't just become data-comfort-blankets supported by expensive third-party systems like LinkedIn and job boards?
(And how do you not succumb to Homer Simpson's "dig up stupid" model...?)
CRM = Too Much Data = Sales Prevention
Traditionally recruitment CRMs have been datadumps with vast collections of candidates, contacts, jobs. They make it so easy to collect data, and hide it! They often turn well-meaning recruiters into administrators! (Doh!)
It's never been easier to collect data. But you don't get good boy/girl stickers for data - you get judged on your profit.
With the "too much data, not enough information" model, recruiters often have to wade through reams of data every day. It's paralysing and ironically prevents sales! (Doh!)
Hence, your CRM adoption, and how you automate your processes and create time for real recruitment has never been more critical.
But with the Bullhorn ROI and automation projects my team deliver, we often see a disconnect between data, people, and processes. It's almost like they all act independently of each other. (Doh!)
For example (Doh! x 3):
76% of the marketers we polled admitted not having viable access to their CRM.
Recruiters we spoke to revealed that 80% of the placements they made were on their CRM all along (but sourced from a third-party system).
Too many leaders I speak to want their recruiters to "get on the phone", but the volumes of data the recruiters have, and the systems they are not trained on makes this a chore.
This is definitely not the CRM1st approach we advocate. We advise monetising your data, automating your processes, and freeing up and training your recruiters to recruit and sell.
Alternatively, you can keep paying for LinkedIn premium licences and Job Boards. (Doh!)
Data - Dig Up Stupid!
Do you suffer from too much data, not enough candidates (or clients)? Try this simple data segmentation trick, or data layers “hack”. (I call it my "dig up stupid" model. Thanks Homer Simpson.)

CRM + Data + Automation = Sales-Enabled Recruiters
Look at your business - your systems - your data - your people. As yourself:
How many candidates does your average recruiter need?
How many contacts does your average recruiter need?
How much data does your marketing / automation function need to nurture so your recruiters can focus on speedily converting / reconverting candidates and clients?
Which processes can you automate to free up your recruiters to recruit?
What training do your recruiters need to help them drive a sustainable pipeline?
Then flash forward 6 months. What do you want to see in your recruitment business?
Ideally:
Your "way" - your process, running on clean data...
Being driven by smart systems (and ideally automation)...
Being operated by trained humans.
Then flashback to today - what do you need to start doing now, so in 6 months you're not saying "Doh!"?
Bullhorn ROI + Trained Happy Recruiters = More Sales
We pride ourselves on helping recruitment leaders achieve Bullhorn ROI. We create a Bullhorn1st vision, reduce the need for other tech, optimise Bullhorn, automate their sales-prevention processes and data, and train recruiters to trust it and use it.
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Before You Jump on the AI Bandwagon: How Recruitment Leaders Get Tech Right
I recently had an inspiring chat with a recruitment leader, and it struck me how many recruitment businesses are currently throwing themselves into tech pilots - especially AI - just because they don't want to get left behind.The pressure is real, but if you aren't careful, you’ll end up with a business full of "shiny new things" that don't actually fix your biggest recruitment problems.Here are 5 ways I believe recruitment leaders can cut through the noise and ensure they are getting the right tech for their recruitment businesses.1️⃣You Aren't Testing Tech; You’re Fixing a Business IssueThe biggest mistake I see is recruitment businesses testing a system rather than the thing they are trying to fix. Before you even look at a new tool, ask yourself:What is the actual problem? Is it data health? Recruiter productivity? Speed to market? Sales? Stronger client and candidate relationships?Does this process even need to exist? Sometimes we buy tech to "fix" a process that we should have just deleted in the first place.2️⃣Beware of "Frankenstein" Processes and DataOver the years, many recruitment firms have built what I call "Frankenstein tech" - those extra bits and pieces plugged in that create more complexity than they solve. (Expensive luxuries...)Frankenstein Data: Are you spending money to enrich data that you then do nothing with? Frankenstein Processes: Are your recruiters multitasking to the point of exhaustion because the tech doesn't serve a clear purpose? AI / Automation / Analytics should be the surgeon that cuts away the "Frankenstein" parts, not another bolt-on limb.3️⃣Tackle the "Admin Tax" and "Integration Debt" (and Myths)Every time a recruiter has to manually format a CV or move between non-integrated systems, they are paying a "tax" with their time.The Win: One leader I spoke with successfully rolled out a CV formatter that turned a half-day wait into a minutes-long task. This solved a genuine business problem: time to submit.The Debt: If your tech doesn't talk to each other, your recruiter becomes the "integrator," stuck in the middle of chaos. Be sure of what that means and how you manage that.The "Fully Integrated" Myth? I'm often told by leaders that they want a fully integrated tech stack. They want everything joined up... But, you may still need humans to be part of the integration. I'm ok with that - just be sure which parts of the recruitment lifecycle you genuinely need them to do and when... But please, please aim for as much integration as you can.4️⃣Solve the "What’s In It For Me?" (WIIFM)Your recruiters might be scared of AI, Automation, and Analytics. They think it’s coming for their jobs.To get buy-in, you have to move past "this will make the company more money". Would you believe that there is an ever increasing strata in recruitment that are not motivated by earning more?Find their motivation: Is it a shorter lunch break? More time at the gym? Getting home to their kids? The Enabler: Position tech as the tool that lets them go faster and stay human.5️⃣Remember the "DAD" ModelWhen analysing your current processes, run them through this filter that I often use with my clients when conducting a Bullhorn RoI Vision program:Delete: Do you really need this process? Automate/AI/Analytics: Can these tool do this better and faster? Delegate: If you can’t automate / Ai / analyse it, can you give it to someone else? (in-source / outsource?Final Thought: Slow Down to Go FasterDo what Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee advocate: Slow down to go faster. (Thanks for the insight, Jo!)Don't be afraid to take stock, briefly pause your pilots, and ensure your tech is truly moving the needle on your bottom line - not just adding to the noise and cost.Are you ready to audit your "Frankenstein" processes? Let’s chat about how we can get your humans and tech working in harmony. BOOK A FREE BULLHORN ROI CONSULTATIONBullhorn ATS / Analytics / Automation / AI RoIWe are Bullhorn experts set on helping ambitious recruitment businesses to increase speed and sales.We help you weaponise your people, data, time, and tech, so you can recruit and sell!Our Bullhorn Vision and Buddy service helps generate best-in-class processes, adoption, head space, and ROI.Can't wait for the webinar?BOOK A FREE BULLHORN ROI CONSULTATION
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Bullhorn Power Series ~ Stop Missing Out on Sales: 5 Tips to Use Your ATS, Automation, and Analytics to Drive BD
For many of my clients, Recruitment is now officially in a BD-first market.For recruitment leaders, the challenge isn’t just finding new business; it’s finding the right business and winning it before the competition even wakes up. If your recruiters are still manually scouring the database or "spraying and praying" cold emails, and paying external systems like LinkedIn, Indeed, and job boards for leads, you are losing revenue to firms that have turned their Bullhorn stack into a high-precision sales machine.🔢The Maths of Modern Business DevelopmentRecent data from Bullhorn Grid shows a staggering divide between "traditional" recruitment firms and "automated" ones:The Speed Gap: High-growth firms are 3.5x more likely to use automation to beat competitors to the first CV send.The Admin Tax: The average recruiter loses 12+ hours a week to manual data entry. That’s two full days of lost selling time.The Gold Mine: 76% of placements come from people already in your database, yet most BD teams ignore their own "warm" data in favour of cold outreach.⁉️Are You Paying for a Recruitment Database or a Graveyard?Most ATS/CRM platforms are graveyard-like: full of data, but nothing is moving.But the true RoI from Bullhorn comes when you combine Bullhorn’s core power with Automation, AI, and Analytics. You empower your humans to turn that graveyard into a "Predictive Sales Engine."Instead of asking your team to "hit the phones harder," imagine a world where:Analytics tells you exactly which clients are worth your time (and which ones to fire).Automation nurtures prospects in the background while your recruiters are closing deals.The ATS surfaces the perfect candidate for a "spec call" before the client even posts the job.🚨Join Our Upcoming Webinar: The BD Power HourI see too many recruitment leaders struggling with "activity for the sake of activity." It’s time to move from "busy" to "profitable."I’m hosting a live webinar specifically for recruitment leaders who want to power up their Bullhorn tech stack for new business sales. I’ll be diving into the stats above and sharing at least 5 actionable tips across your Bullhorn ATS/CRM, Analytics, and Automation systems which you can implement immediately to:Identify high-probability prospects.Automate your processes to land more deals.Reduce your team's "admin tax" to free up hours of crucial sales time per week.📅 Weds 10 June, 15:00 BSTREGISTER NOWBullhorn ATS / Analytics / Automation / AI RoIWe are Bullhorn experts set on helping ambitious recruitment businesses to increase speed and sales.We help you weaponise your people, data, time, and tech, so you can recruit and sell!Our Bullhorn Vision and Buddy service helps generate best-in-class processes, adoption, head space, and ROI.Can't wait for the webinar?BOOK A FREE BULLHORN ROI CONSULTATION