Blogs by tag - Data · Barclay Jones

Recruiters! 10 Reasons Why Candidate Engagement is Critical

Recruiters and their leaders who want to spend less time and money sourcing, and more time placing, need to read this blog and think about why they need to create a virtuous circle of talent.On our recent Bullhorn Tips webinar, where we focused on candidate management tips, we asked the attendees about their current candidate management strategy.The results were unsurprising, but also disappointing.They told us that their candidate database was...And that their candidate management strategy was...In other words, not future proof or focussed on creating a robust, easy to deliver pipeline. It's mainly focussed on live, active candidates who are imminently placeable... and Linkedin / Job Boards continue to win at the expense of the recruiter and their profits.Recruitment Data Wealth💵💶💷If we've learned anything (at least since 2008) we need a clean, warm databases to see us through easy and tough times.We need engaged, loyal, happy candidates who are easy to find, happy to recommend, refer, and show up!Some recruiters call this "Data Health" - I call it "Data Wealth".I've seen a lot of tech and data hitting the recruitment market, but still do not see enough process improvements to capitalise on it. We just keep buying more, rather than exploring how we actually need less, but need to work it better.It's Time to Move from Vicious to Virtuous!Recruiters still waste crazy amounts of time sourcing and advertising, but not enough time engaging and managing.And ironically, by not engaging, and letting hot data cool off, the industry creates silos of "cold" data. Hence sourcing is key and reliance on external systems is high, costs increase, placements take longer... Vicious cycle!What if, though, we take a moment? Let the stats below sink in, and engage with our systems and data in a proactive way. Could recruiters create a virtuous circle of engaged candidates staying loyal and placeable, meaning less need for job adverts, Linkedin, sourcing, and insanity?Yes!🔢Candidate Management Stats Every Recruiter Should Know78% of placed candidates are already in your CRM. – Yet many recruiters go straight to LinkedIn or job boards before checking their own database.Only 30% of CRM records are typically up to date. – That means 70% of your candidate data might be incomplete, inaccurate, or out of date.60% of recruiters admit to rarely revisiting past candidates. – This leads to missed opportunities and duplicated effort.It costs 6x more to source a new candidate than to re-engage an existing one. – Save budget and time by starting with your CRM.43% of recruiters say poor data quality negatively impacts their ability to place quickly. – Dirty data slows down sourcing, shortlisting, and matching.48% of candidates who apply to a role never hear back. – Proper candidate management helps ensure consistent communication and better candidate experience.80% of candidates say they’d reapply to a company with a good hiring experience. – Engagement doesn’t stop at “not selected”—it builds your future pipeline.Recruiters spend up to 1/3 of their time on admin. – Automation and smart candidate management free up time for relationship-building and placements.Re-engaged candidates are 2x more likely to be placed than cold-sourced ones. – Prior placements and silver medalists are often your hottest leads.Companies that nurture candidates improve quality of hire by 20%. – Keeping in touch with passive talent builds a stronger, more prepared pipeline.The stats above are from a variety of sources, including IBM, TalentBoard, Bullhorn, and LinkedIn.Even just one of the stats above should be enough to make you stop and think "how can I create a virtuous circle of happy, engaged, and placed candidates?"And then ask - "I wonder how Barclay Jones can help with me Bullhorn RoI, Training, and Automation to help me engage my candidates more, and reduce reliance and time/money wasted on Linkedin and Job Boards?"Then arrange a chat with us😇ARRANGE A CALL BACK Watch Our Candidate Engagement WebinarRecruitment and Bullhorn TrainingWe deliver the best live Bullhorn ROI webinar training, and you'll find other tips and tricks in Recruitment HIIT, our online recruitment training platform.Plus, through our Bullhorn Vision service we help generate serious ROI from your Bullhorn, data, and people.TRY HIIT FREE HERECONTACT US ABOUT BULLHORN ROI
Automation RoI Webinar Series: Unlock Bullhorn Part 2 ~ Create a Virtuous Circle of Candidates

Recruiters and leaders — ready to do less admin and make more placements?Do you need to be less reliant on LinkedIn and Job Boards, and have a more engaged, valuable database of candidates?Then Part 2 of our "Unlock Bullhorn with Automation" webinar series is for you. We'll fixate on candidate management and engagement.REGISTER NOW💡 Why Candidate Management and Engagement MattersIn our recent Bullhorn Tips Webinar, we asked recruiters about their candidate management strategies.The results?🙈Most recruiters said their CRM was out of date.🙉Even more admitted their candidate engagement was reactive at best.🙊And LinkedIn and job boards still dominate, draining time and budget.AKA vicious cycle. You source externally, internal data gets colder and becomes irrelevant, sourcing becomes slower and costlier. And the cycle repeats.📊 Candidate Management by the Numbers:70%+ of placed candidates already exist in your CRM.It costs 6x more to source a new candidate than to re-engage.Recruiters spend up to 1/3 of their time on admin.Re-engaged candidates are 2x more likely to be placed.Now ask yourself: What if that cycle could be flipped?💥 From Vicious to Virtuous: Using Automation to Flip the Recruitment ScriptInstead, imagine a virtuous circle where:✅ Your CRM is rich with warm, engaged talent.✅ Your pipeline is always ready, without needing a new job ad.✅ Candidates actually reply to your emails.✅ Admin drops, and placements rise.That’s the power of Bullhorn Automation.Join us for this free webinar and learn how to use Bullhorn Automation and smart workflows to build—and sustain—a thriving talent pipeline.This is part of our "Unlock Bullhorn" Automation webinar series.📅 Webinar Highlights🛠️ Real-Life Automation Tips to Drive Recruitment Workflows:Automate outreach to dormant candidates (without sounding robotic).Keep silver medalists engaged for future roles.Trigger real-time updates when candidates change jobs or locations.Build loyalty with consistent communication at every stage of the journey.Drastically reduce sourcing times and costs.💸 Turn Data Health into Data WealthThis Webinar is for you if:You’re tired of LinkedIn / Job Board over-reliance.You want to scale your placements—not your sourcing costs.You want a Bullhorn CRM to be a database and not simply be a data dump.📍 Save Your Spot!When? 21 May 2025: 15:00 BSTREGISTER NOWPS. Want to go even further? Check out our "Unlock Bullhorn with Automation" series.🔍 24 April 2025: Automate sourcing to find qualified candidates faster and with less effort.Watch the recording💬 21 May 2025: Engage with candidates on autopilot and nurture relationships effectively.Register Now📈 Date TBC: Boost lead generation using automation to improve conversion rates.💡 Date TBC: Streamline your recruitment processes for maximum efficiency and profitability.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 ABOUT OUR AUTOMATION BUDDY SERVICECONTACT US ABOUT BULLHORN ROI
Recruiter Productivity Series: Optimise Bullhorn Part 1 ~ Engage, Nurture, Place, and Re-Place

Recruiters and leaders — ready to do less admin, less sourcing, and make more placements?Do you need to be less reliant on LinkedIn and Job Boards, and have a more engaged, valuable database of candidates?Then Part 1 of our "Optimise Bullhorn" webinar series is for you. We'll fixate on candidate management and engagement.Let's show you some tips to engage with candidates effortlessly. Let's build stronger relationships using Bullhorn’s nurturing features: communicate, optimise, protect, PLACE! (And repeat!)💡 Why Candidate Management and Engagement MattersWe asked recruiters about their candidate management strategies. The results?🙈Most recruiters said their CRM was out of date.🙉Even more admitted their candidate engagement was reactive at best.🙊And LinkedIn and job boards still dominate, draining time and budget.AKA vicious cycle. You source externally, load even more data into Bullhorn, and don't have time to code it. Then your Bullhorn data gets colder and becomes irrelevant, and sourcing becomes slower and costlier. This vicious cycle repeats.📊 But these candidate management stats tell a different story!70%+ of placed candidates already exist in your CRM.It costs 6x more to source a new candidate than to re-engage.Recruiters spend up to1/3 of their time on admin.Re-engaged candidates are 2x more likely to be placed.Now ask yourself: What if that vicious cycle could be flipped into a virtuous circle?💥 From Vicious to Virtuous: Using Automation to Flip the Recruitment ScriptImagine a virtuous circle where your CRM is rich with warm, engaged talent, that's ready to refer and / or be placed. Oh, what joy to have a robust talent pipeline, and time to effectively manage it! Join us for this free webinar and learn how to use Bullhorn and smart workflows to build—and sustain—a thriving talent pipeline.📅 Webinar Highlights🛠️ Real-Life Bullhorn Tips to Drive Recruitment Workflows:Communicate en masse!Advanced searching - the smart way!Using lists of hot candidates to drive speedy recruitment cycles.Get organised with some cool Bullhorn features which free you up to do "the good stuff"!Recruitment leaders! Don’t invest in Bullhorn only to underutilise it and then wonder why you’re not getting results.Recruiters! Don’t create unnecessary "busyness" with messy data, inefficient workflows, and poor adoption, leading to a lack of return on effort (RoE).Whether you're new to Bullhorn or looking to refine your ATS/CRM strategy, this webinar series will provide you with actionable tips and real-world insights to immediately benefit your recruitment team.Watch Part 1 of our Optimise Bullhorn Webinar SeriesPS. Want to go even further? Check out our "Optimise Bullhorn" webinar series.🔍 23 April 2025: Engage, nurture, place, and re-place. Watch the recording above.💬 14 May 2025: Source faster and easier. Register Now📈 Date TBC: Boost lead generation and improve conversion rates.💡 Date TBC: Streamline your recruitment processes for maximum efficiency and profitability.Recruitment and Bullhorn TrainingWe deliver the best live Bullhorn ROI webinar training, and you'll find other tips and tricks in Recruitment HIIT, our online recruitment training platform.Plus, through our Bullhorn Vision service we help generate serious ROI from your Bullhorn, data, and people.TRY HIIT FREE HERECONTACT US ABOUT BULLHORN ROI
Protect Your Pipeline with this Antidote to Backdoor Placements

Backdoor placements are often an "invisible" pipeline killer. Yet they are also a great opportunity to recover lost revenue. Silver linings! Are you missing out on smashing target by not actively managing backdoor placements? 20 Years Ago, in a Land Far Away...In Lisa and my younger days (20 years ago), we created a report to track theoretical backdoors, and had a team calling candidates at the employer they'd recently had an interview with. If they answered, they were put through to the recruiter to begin recouping the lost fee.Surely time has moved on and there are more effective and tech-driven ways of doing this? Plus, surely recruiters are better at sales admin and relationship management now, so back doors are less common? I'm not so sure... If anything more data and tech has actually created a less robust process in many firms.Let’s explore why tracking backdoor placements is critical and how to implement best practices and technology for spotting and reducing them.The Financial Impact of Backdoor PlacementsWhen a candidate you’ve introduced to a client is hired without your knowledge or agreement on fees, you lose the fee. This often happens when terms of business aren’t adhered to, or when a client chooses to go behind your back. Consider this: one recruiter we’ve worked with reported uncovering at least one lost fee per consultant annually. For a team of 30 recruiters, that’s a staggering £150,000 in potential net revenue. In one instance, a single backdoor placement resulted in a recovered fee of £32,000. These numbers are too significant to ignore.Additionally, recruiters often spend resources sourcing candidates from external platforms instead of leveraging their databases. Tracking and addressing backdoor placements encourages better use of internal resources while ensuring you recapture fees rightfully owed to your business.Building Trust and Strengthening Your Recruitment ProcessClients: Actively managing backdoor placements helps you optimise your client relationships. Clients who circumvent your terms of business do not value your partnership. Using Bullhorn to flag these incidents creates transparency and helps you spend time on clients who value you.Candidates: Additionally, having a proactive backdoor placement management process complements your silver medalist strategy. Silver medalists are candidates who reached advanced stages of the recruitment process but were not placed. By regularly engaging these high-potential candidates through your tracking systems, you keep them warm for future opportunities while minimising your reliance on external sourcing.Best Practices for Managing Backdoor PlacementsTrack Every Interaction: Ensure your CRM system captures interview stages and outcomes, even for candidates rejected at early stages. Use detailed note types like “Rejected at Interview” or “Rejected at CV Send” to maintain a clear record.Standardise Your Terms: Attach your terms and conditions to every client communication. This ensures clients can’t dispute fees later and provides you with a reliable audit trail.Monitor Data Ownership: Many lost placements are tied to inactive users or former consultants. Assign ownership of these candidates to managers to maintain visibility and accountability.Automate to Remove Human Error: Implement automation to consistently track candidate progress and flag potential backdoor placements. This minimises manual errors and improves data integrity.Automation - The Antidote to Backdoor PlacementsDuring a recent Bullhorn Automation User Group, I was asked about my top 3 ways to use automation. Backdoor placement management is one of those 3 ways. These 2 automations are a must of you are set on prevention and pipeline maximisation:Interview Confirmation automation: If you already use these automations, add a notification step, x months after the interview date. Choose a timeframe which suits your sector the best.Check Past Interviews (Backdoor): If you don't use Interview Confirmation automation, create a stand alone automation that tracks the interview date and does not have placement. Add a wait step x months later to send a notification to your recruiter to check-in with the candidate and check they don't have a new job. You could even do what Lisa and I set up in a previous life and call the employer and ask to speak to the candidate. If they answer... bingo!Process and Tech Is KeyUse tech to prevent them.Use tech to spot them.The bottom line is that backdoor placements aren’t just about recovering lost revenue; they’re an opportunity to refine your recruitment strategy, strengthen client and candidate relationships, and ensure your systems are robust enough to thrive in a competitive market. Take control, and turn these challenges into wins for your recruitment / staffing agency.And if you need help on your processes, your data, and your Bullhorn adoption / ROI - call us - we can help.Automation and Bullhorn1stWe are Automation Buddies and Bullhorn Experts set on helping ambitious recruitment businesses who want to increase speed and sales.Automation: We coach to inspire, and build your automations so you can recruit and sell!Bullhorn: We optimise, train, and improve RoI from your key recruitment system.READ ABOUT OUR AUTOMATION BUDDY SERVICERead about our Bullhorn 1st Service
Automation ROI Webinar Series: Data = Clean and Monetised! Part 2

Is your recruitment data trusted, and worth something? Or are you struggling with dirty, outdated CRM data?Is admin a drag, sourcing time consuming, and you're having to pay LinkedIn and Job Boards for the privilege of accessing data you already have in your Bullhorn system? Then this 2-part webinar series is for you!In part 1 of our Clean Data Series we discussed the "WIIFM" of recruitment data hygiene and the challenges dirty data brings. What should your standards be, and where do you start? Next? Part 2 will explore some great automation ideas to help you clean and monetise your recruitment data.Click to watch part 1Scroll down to watch Part 2...Your Most Valuable Recruitment AssetYour recruitment database is your most valuable asset—but only if it’s clean, accurate, and up to date. Too often, recruiters can’t trust their own data, leading them to waste time, money, and energy sourcing rather than closing deals. Opportunities are missed and lost and pipelines are riskyBut... Did you know? Two recruiters generated £1.2M in perm revenue simply by using clean, automated data workflows! Imagine what you and your team could achieve with a Bullhorn they trust and use effectively!Part 2: Automation Ideas to Help Your Clean and MonetiseThis power-packed recruitment automation webinar will cover:✅How to Automate Data Cleansing– Keep candidate and client records fresh without lifting a finger.✅Building Transparent and Accurate Job Pipelines– No more ghost jobs clogging your system.✅Automating Data Enrichment– Keep placements and contact details updated automatically.✅Spotting Dirty Data– We’ll share 4-5 pre-built lists to identify old, incomplete, and duplicate records.✅Keeping Recruiters Focused on Live Jobs– Say goodbye to old, inactive roles distracting your team.✅Updating Placement Data Effortlessly– Automate updates to current company, job title, salary, and employment preferences.By the end of this webinar, you’ll have a clear, actionable strategy for keeping your Bullhorn data in tip top shape—without adding more work to your recruiters' desks.🚀 Who Should Watch Our Automation RoI Webinar?This webinar is designed for:✔️ Recruitment Leaders and Owners – Maximise Bullhorn value and increase revenue.✔️ Recruiters – Reduce admin, find candidates faster and make more placements.✔️ Ops and Tech Teams – Improve CRM efficiency and automation.🎯 Watch Our Automation RoI Webinar... Take Control of Your DataDon’t let bad data hold your recruitment business back. Watch and learn how to turn your Bullhorn CRM into a revenue-driving machine!Let's get clean, monetised and ready to "thrive in 2025!"Automation BuddyWe 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!READ ABOUT OUR AUTOMATION BUDDY SERVICE
How Can You Revolutionise Your Recruitment Business with Data?

Recruitment leaders and their recruiters who want to explore how data can transform their desks, pipelines, and recruitment businesses need to listen to / watch this video about data in recruitment.The innovative SourceFlow invited me to chat with my long-time Star Wars buddy, Matt Comber.Watch / listen for ideas on the impact data can have on recruitment processes and how staffing firms can leverage it for greater success. Here are the key takeaways from our discussion.Why Data is Crucial for Recruitment and Staffing FirmsData is the backbone of modern recruitment. By embracing data, recruitment and staffing firms can:Boost Efficiency: Automate time-consuming tasks to focus on strategic efforts.Strengthen Relationships: Enhance connections with both candidates and clients.Make Informed Decisions: Use data to guide smarter, more effective choices.Data - Driving RoE (RoI is So Yesterday!)We chatted about the concept of Return on Effort (ROE), a more meaningful metric than ROI, and...Getting started with data, by understanding your market, and your niche and tapping into industry's data to uncover new opportunities and trends.Leverage existing tools before diving into new data sources. Make the most of the tools already available to you, like Bullhorn, and use automation intelligently to create opportunities - more time and deals!Managing data effectively. Declutter your database and avoid hoarding disorganised data. Prioritise quality over quantity to ensure your data is useful and actionable, and keep data healthy with regular cleans and meaningful workflows driving hygiene and monetisation. Stay connected!Nurturing relationships by using meaningful data points, such as interests or milestones, and personalising interactions.Monetise your recruitment website. Treat it like a goldmine, not just a digital brochure.5 Key Takeaways to Use Data to Revolutionise Your Recruitment BusinessClean, organised data is far more valuable than a vast quantity of it.Focus on building relationships through personalised engagement.Use tech to enhance human interactions, not replace them.Develop scalable, long-term data strategies to support your growth.Use your recruitment website to gather actionable insights and drive engagement, not just clicks!Dive deeper! Watch the full episode of Matt (Jedi-Master!) and my conversation for actionable insights on leveraging data for a strong (and exciting) year!Automation and Bullhorn1stWe are Automation Buddies and Bullhorn Experts set on helping ambitious recruitment businesses who want to increase speed and sales.Automation: We coach to inspire, and build your automations so you can recruit and sell!Bullhorn: We optimise, train, and improve RoI from your key recruitment system.READ ABOUT OUR AUTOMATION BUDDY SERVICERead about our Bullhorn 1st Service
5 Reasons Why Recruitment Leaders Need to Monetise Their Data

In today’s competitive recruitment landscape, data is your most valuable asset — yet many recruitment leaders fail to leverage it effectively.Instead, recruiters hoard data, struggle to find it, and then pay LinkedIn and job boards to gather more.Sound familiar?It’s time to break the cycle and start monetising your recruitment data.Watch our Automation RoI webinar, where we dive into data health and monetisation—and why it’s critical for your business. WATCH IT HERE 5 Reasons to Prioritise Monetising Your Recruitment DataReduced Costs - Less Need for Linkedin and Job BoardsRecruitment leaders collect vast amounts of data—candidate applications, interview feedback, calls, emails, CVs - but too often, it remains uncoded, unquantifiable, and unused. And then more job adverts are written and more data is collected... What a vicious cycle!Increased EfficiencyInefficiencies in recruitment waste time and money. Get your data cleaned and valuable. Shorten sourcing and placement times. Keep active candidates and clients focused on you. Stop missing opportunities with protracted sourcing and recruitment times.Stronger 3Cs (Candidate / Client / Colleague) ExperienceCandidates expect transparency and efficiency. Clients expect intel, speed, solutions. Colleagues need easy processes and barriers removed. New Revenue Streams - Old to Gold?Weaponise your old data - turn it into gold! Which juniors from years back are sat in your Bullhorn database waiting to be contacted now that they are more senior? Which placements are now viable contacts you can sell to?Protect Your Process, Brand, and BusinessSimply mining data that everyone else (clients and competitors) have access to isn't a great strategy for protecting your business. Let them waste time, money, and tears on dirty data. Build your brand on the USP of "I have what you want, desire, and need". Be known for your people, process and communities. Old to Gold...Your data is a goldmine—if you clean and use it properly. Whether through automation, better insights, or revenue-generating analytics, monetising your data gives your recruitment business a competitive edge.🤖 Watch data webinar and learn how to monetise your recruitment data.WATCH IT HereAutomation Buddy and Bullhorn1stWe are Automation Buddies and Bullhorn Experts 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!READ ABOUT OUR AUTOMATION BUDDY SERVICERead about our Bullhorn 1st Service
Automation ROI Webinar Series: Data = Clean and Monetised! Part 1

Attention Recruitment Leaders and Recruiters! Are you struggling with dirty, outdated CRM data? Tired of wasting time on manual admin and spending too long sourcing instead of making placements? Then this 2-part webinar series is for you!Join us for the next 2 webinars in our Automation RoI Webinar Series and learn how automation can clean and enrich your Bullhorn data, ensuring you and your team works smarter, not harder.Scroll down to watch Part 1...Part 1: Why Does Data Health Matter?Your recruitment database is your most valuable asset—but only if it’s clean, accurate, and up to date. Too often, recruiters can’t trust their own data, leading them to:❌ Spend unnecessary time sourcing instead of closing deals.❌ Miss out on placements because candidate and client records are outdated.❌ Struggle with inaccurate job pipelines and revenue forecasting.❌ Lose money on bad data instead of monetising what’s already in their Bullhorn system.Did you know? Two recruiters generated £1.2M in perm revenue simply by using clean, automated data workflows! Imagine what you and your team could achieve with a Bullhorn they trust and use effectively!📅 What You’ll Learn in This WebinarThis informative recruitment automation webinar will cover:✅ Monetised Data: WIIFM?✅ Common challenges to data quality ✅ Where could/should you start? ✅ Standards - what are the ideal data standards for your recruitment business? ✅ Automation suggestions to help you clean your data By the end of this webinar series, you’ll have a clear, actionable strategy for keeping your Bullhorn data in tip top shape—without adding more work to your recruiters' desks.🚀 Who Should Watch this Webinar Recording?This webinar is designed for:✔️ Recruitment Leaders and Owners – Maximise Bullhorn value and increase revenue.✔️ Recruiters – Reduce admin, find candidates faster and make more placements.✔️ Ops and Tech Teams – Improve CRM efficiency and automation.Next? Part 2: Automation Ideas to Help Your Clean and MonetiseClick to Watch Part 2Automation BuddyWe are Automation experts and 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!READ ABOUT OUR AUTOMATION BUDDY SERVICE
Automation for Recruitment Managers: WIIFM?

Automation can be about data health, email marketing, candidate and client care, and "de-administration" of recruitment. But often, the focus is on individual processes, or people (candidates, clients, colleagues), and not on the recruitment business itself.Hence, I want to explore things from a recruitment leaders "selfish" perspective - the "WIIFM" - what's in it for me?Or rather, what's in it for managers?Automation ROIAs part of the over 400 automation projects we've delivered, where we train, coach, and do hands-on automation building, we're often asked about ROI - return on investment. There's focus on leads, sales, re-generating candidates, increasing website visits, reduced costs elsewhere (eg. LinkedIn / Job boards). We're also asked about how automation can "do more" and give our clients the edge over their competition and help them get ready for AI, and how it can help them run their businesses.3 Ways Automation Can Help Recruitment Leaders1. Create Focus on Revenue-Generative TasksWith so much data, and countless systems and processes, you'll often need to rely on the organisational capabilities, will, and skill, of your recruiters and resourcers. On a crazy-busy day, or a tough market, and with perhaps inexperienced recruiters, that may be too much to ask.Hence leaders - use automation to focus your recruiters and resourcers on the things that matter. For example:Who to call and when.Proactively managing accounts before they become "at risk".Lead conversion.Driving the job management process and not leaving it to the candidate and client to "mess it up".Generating referrals from newly placed candidates, and newly invoiced clients.2. Tracking / Managing / Escalating Poor Performance / ActivitySometimes, recruiters can focus on the wrong activities, drown in "admin", or waste time on external systems, and recruitment process becomes too busy to be effective. Or perhaps they just lack experience to proactively manage their pipelines.Also, with WFH and hybrid, activity can be difficult to see / measure.Hence, leaders ask us to help build automations to track activity, drive performance. For example:Ensuring jobs are being proactively managed and notify management of the ones that are being forgotten.Tracking who is engaging with your brand, visiting your website and opening your emails.Understanding loyalty of your candidates and sales contacts.Removing irrelevant data that you no longer work with, which can slow your recruiters sourcing process.3. Navigating / Mitigating LeaversRecruiters leaving can often be distracting, time consuming, and risky - and it can often be a sucker punch!Hence leaders can use automation to "shift" data, clients, candidates, relationships, and pipeline to other recruiters. Data and pipelines are managed and current relationships are secured. For example:Reassigning placements to another recruiter or desk to continue nurturing.Identifying and re-assigning high value, active and engaged sales contacts to a new or existing team member.Closing old and inactive jobs to ensure you have an accurate view of your current pipeline.Automation - What's in it for Managers?For those of you with automation - how are you using it to drive your business?For those of you without automation, take a moment to consider how the 3 use cases above could help you navigate the next 30/60/90 days and beyond, and help you strengthen your data, people, pipelines, and business.Automation BuddyWe are Bullhorn and Automation experts set on helping ambitious recruitment businesses who want to increase speed and sales.READ ABOUT OUR BULLHORN VISION SERVICEREAD ABOUT OUR AUTOMATION BUDDY SERVICE
How Many Candidates (and Clients) Do Recruiters Really Need?

Recruitment leaders and their resourcers / recruiters need to read this blog for insights on how much data they really need, and how much data they can realistically manage, to run a successful desk and recruitment business.We’re all human (even recruiters) and we all have limits. In the recruiting world, our limits can be how many jobs we can work, how many calls we can make, how many temps we can manage. One significant human limit is our ability to nurture relationships. Data = Relationships = SalesRecruitment is a relationship business. A recruiter’s job is to build and maintain relationships. Candidates need managing, clients need managing, colleagues need managing. Dunbar tells us that humans have relationship limits – we have “a number” we can manage. Robin Dunbar is a Professor Emeritus of Evolutionary Psychology of the Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group at Oxford Uni he knows a few things about human behaviour. Think of your relationships a bit like a layered onion with you in the middle. 5 loved ones 15 good friends 50 friends 150 meaningful relationships 500 acquaintances 1500 people you can recognise People can move in and out of these layers. What is Dunbar’s Number? And What’s It Got to Do with Recruitment? Where does a “typical” recruiter sit in their ideal candidate / contact’s layer? And where do their candidates and contacts sit? Recruitment Leaders! What should you be considering if you want to maximise the value of your database, and the relationships you want to maximise, optimise, monetise? How should you focus on and nurture the right relationships? What’s the Number of Candidates and Contacts a Recruiter Can Actively Manage? Dunbar suggests that humans are capable of building, nurturing and maintaining 150 good meaningful and trusted relationships. Of course, there are variations to this, such as extroverts vs introverts and social networks – for example women tend to have more contacts in the closest layers. Dunbar v Recruitment Dunbar’s study isn’t focused on recruitment or recruiters, but it’s definitely food for thought. 150 meaningful relations is not that many people when you consider the average recruiter has a database in the 1000s. But could you really market your recruitment business on a database of “acquaintances” or “people you recognise”? Where do your candidates and clients fall within these categories? Have you got any in the magic 150 “meaningful contacts”? Is your database segmented in such a way, or do you have a “data dump” which needs a good clean?[link to clean webinar]. Recruitment in the Good Old Days Before tech and data began paralysing recruitment (too much / never enough), recruitment was much more of a relationship business. You knew your candidates, their dog’s names, their kid’s ages. Relationships were easier to sustain, they were more valuable, and we charged more for our services. It’s likely that Dunbar would say a recruiter pre-social media had 150 meaningful relationships with candidate and clients, and perhaps even some friends? Now with infinite data and technology allowing for massively increased reach and volume, relationships, ironically, are a harder to start and sustain. Are you / your recruitment teams engaging with the right people, or just lots of candidates? (Too many applicants, not enough candidates?) Are you working the right opportunities, or just a list of one-off jobs? (Too many jobs, not enough sales?) Is Your CRM Simply a Datadump of Strangers? Recruiters who try to maintain too many relationships actually limit their own success. They dilute the relationships they’re trying to build, resulting in weaker, less meaningful, and less valuable relationships. Could Dunbar help you run your recruitment business? For example: Recruiters who run a busy temp desk and managing 100+ temps might not have the capacity to take on more or even do other activities such as Business Development or Sourcing. 360-degree recruiters will have more relationships to manage than a 180-degree recruiter, so this could mean a less focused strategy and outcome. Is it always necessary to hire another recruiter to manage more relationships, or could tech do some heavy lifting? 4 Ways to Be Smart with Recruitment Contacts Social Networks can help. Publishing content to your “connections” can help keep you in and around the Acquaintances and People You Recognise category. Your goal, though, should be to get your ideal contacts on to your CRM so you can more actively work them. Ideally you should be aiming to nurture them in the 150 “meaningful contact” space! Your Recruitment CRM/ATS (ideally powered by automation) also has ways to identify and categorise your relationships. Status fields, rating and grading fields are great places to start and will enable smart ways to manage and work the data. Automation (and recruiters) can keep these vital fields current. Automation is helping Recruiters identify, engage, nurture (and monetise) Acquaintances and People You Recognise and capitalising on these relationships. In the automation projects we deliver we are creating functional data so recruiters can focus on segments of contacts and candidates. They can then “work” their data, rather than just collect it. Your recruiters (ideally powered by automation/CRM) need to keep this data updated to ensure you can track, manage and support where necessary. This should also protect your relationships when recruiters move on. Final Thoughts Engaging and nurturing your candidates and clients is an important part of the recruitment lifecycle. Recruiters often struggle with “too much data, too many systems, not enough process”. Any help and support you can provide to your recruiters to create focus, so relationships are stronger and profitable, is crucial. How could you use Dunbar’s theory to help you create focus, function, and sustainability?(Big thanks to Louise at UK Recruiter for initially posting this blog.)Bullhorn ROI + Trained Happy Recruiters = More SalesWe 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.ARRANGE A FREE CONSULTATION NOW
What Can Recruitment Leaders Learn from Homer Simpson?

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 PreventionTraditionally 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 RecruitersLook 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 SalesWe 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.ARRANGE A FREE CONSULTATION NOW
How Can Recruiters and Their Leaders Drive Performance?

Recruitment can be a very reactive industry and process. But the best recruiters and leaders are proactive with their desks and businesses. Meet Vanessa Collins. Her 25+ years working with recruitment businesses gives invaluable insight. She chats with me about improving performance.Whether you’re a recruitment leader wanting a sustainable recruitment business with high-performing recruiters, or a recruiter wanting to run a successful recruitment desk, this vodcast is a great listen (or watch).Change, Perform, Skills!I chatted with Vanessa about how recruiters and leaders can:Optimise their desks and business - and she has a handy checklist to help!Change: How can you manage change?Perform: How can you improve performance?...And we discussed which skills are crucial for recruiters and leaders.Change isn't about "everything, everywhere, all at once..." Now more than ever improving performance is a key goal - but what works?Time to Drive (Not Be A Passenger!)You need to drive your candidates, clients, and colleagues (your 3Cs).Look out for key takeaways Vanessa has for you. What can you action now and in the future?Watch the trailer of my vodcast with Vanessa...The full vodcast, along with other great sales and recruitment training, can be found on our training platform Recruitment HIIT.SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE HIIT TRIAL