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Buying Recruitment AI might not fix a broken recruitment process — it may just help you break it faster.
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 Issue
The 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 Data
Over 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" Model
When 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 Faster
Do 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 CONSULTATION
Bullhorn ATS / Analytics / Automation / AI RoI
We 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.
BOOK A FREE BULLHORN ROI CONSULTATION
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While you've moved on from that lost job, your competitor hasn't and it's costing you £$€thousands.Here's the Bullhorn follow-up BD process most recruitment leaders are missing...In a recent Bullhorn 4 BD webinar Lisa said that this is what she often sees in happening on recruitment desks across the industry:Lost a job, hung up the phone, and thought "right, next." Never gave it another thought. I see this too:Lost that job?Placed somewhere else?Move on.Exit stage right, never to speak to that client again. It's the most natural reaction in the world. Nobody wants to dwell on a loss. But if you're leading a recruitment business, this reflex is likely costing you money you don't even know you're missing.Are your recruiters tenacious enough to be in the wings for an inevitable rekindling of that sale? 🤔The recruitment stat that stopped me in my tracks One in five candidates are unhappy in their new role within a few months of starting. Think about your own rebate numbers. 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What do you have set up currently, and:Is it fit for purpose?Is it actually being used?Do you have full visibility over what it's reporting on and whether or not your team are actually adopting this process and delivering on it? Ask yourself: how watertight is this sales process for your business. Is it delivering results?😇 The relationship didn't end - the job did That's the mindset shift for anyone leading a recruitment team.Losing a job isn't the end of a relationship. It's a trigger telling you exactly when to check back in. 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