How Recruiters Can Turn Bounces and Unsubscribes into $£€
Recruiters, marketers, automators... If you’re regularly emailing candidates or clients—especially using tools like Bullhorn Automation you’ve likely become familiar with two things: unsubscribes and hard bounces.At first glance, they can feel like a blow to your efforts—but they’re not always what they seem. In fact, how you respond to them is where the real sourcing and sales opportunities lie.Through the free consultation calls I have with recruiters who have Bullhorn, a hot topic is unsubscribes and hard bounces. Neither outcome gives a nice fuzzy feeling. If someone unsubscribes it limits your chances of reaching out to them again.If you get a hard bounce, their email has failed or the server has blocked you.But rather than get frustrated, slowing down your marketing / automation efforts, get active and turn these apparent dead ends into business opportunities. I've got some tips to help you monetise the "no"!💡Be sure to also read my other blog: Tired of Unsubscribes? 5 Email Tips Every Recruiter Should Knowhelp reduce the volume of unsubscribes.Unsubscribes and Hard Bounces Aren’t Always the EndTake it from someone who sends regular campaigns with Bullhorn/Automation/Sales/Sourcing tips. Here’s what I’ve learned:When you start poking around a database that hasn’t been touched in a while, you need to plan for:Inevitable bad, dirty dataLow trust due to radio silence / low communication volumeBounces and unsubscribesSo:1️⃣Stagger your outreach. A gradual send schedule helps you build a better picture of your data, keeps your sender reputation healthy, and gives you the time to review and action what’s coming back.2️⃣Use and A/B testing to tell you what works (and what bombs).3️⃣Then, and this bit is crucial, have a battle plan to turn what seems like a "no" into an opportunity.Not Every Unsubscribe or Hard Bounce is Final🏴What we often see—especially in recruitment—is that many unsubscribes are "false flags". It’s not the person opting out; it’s often their old email being shut down or a system admin / manager clearing mailboxes.Often, that person hasn’t gone—they’ve moved to another company.⛔Hard bounces should be an opportunity to follow the follow the leaver to their new company - and rekindle a relationship.Instead of blindly trusting your email system, build a workflow to monetise the "no".Here’s how I manage unsubscribes at Barclay Jones:Two months after each mailer, I check the unsubscribes.I investigate if they’ve left the company or simply moved jobs.If they’ve moved, I update their details in the CRM and re-engage them.I do the same with hard bounces by checking LinkedIn and updating records.Recruiters can recover valuable contacts this way—some of those “dead” leads could be placements waiting to happen! 🔥Don’t Burn Out Your Database (Or Recruiters)Another smart tip?Don’t hit your entire database all at once.A flood of bounces and unsubscribes is overwhelming—and tempting to ignore.💸Campaign the Clean ~ Create the Opps!Treat every email/automation campaign not just as marketing—but as a data quality (and data wealth) activity.Hard bounces? Check if the contact has left.Unsubscribes? Investigate the source.Build this into your CRM workflows—it doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming.With the right process, they’re signals—not setbacks.Want help building an outreach and automation strategy to keep candidates and clients opted in?📅 Let’s talk!I offer free consultations to help leaders, recruiters, and automators unlock the power of their Bullhorn database.BOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATION
Tired of Unsubscribes? 5 Email Tips Every Recruiter Should Know
Recruiters, marketers, automators... If you’re running regular email campaigns to candidates or clients, with tech like Bullhorn Automation, unsubscribes are either a fact of life or something you dread, and may even be the reason you are not ambitious enough with your outreach.Through the free consultation calls I have with recruiter / leaders / automators who have Bullhorn, I’ve been finding myself talking a lot about managing recruitment campaign outputs, and dreaded unsubscribes.Unsubscribes can feel like a blow to your efforts, but there are ways to prevent them which I'll explore below.💡Be sure to also read my other blog: How Recruiters Can Turn Bounces and Unsubscribes into $£€- so that when you get an unsubscribe or hard bounce, you could actually create more recruitment opportunities.5 Ways to Reduce Your Candidates and Clients from UnsubscribingI've got lots of tips to share, that we coach in our Automation Buddy programs, but here's 5 to get you started today.1️⃣Clean up / segment your data I guarantee you have data which you no longer need (old sectors / job titles you no longer recruit for).Perhaps the data you need isn't coded well enough for you to segment it, hence you risk hitting parts of your community with the wrong content.But, don't procrastinate over this - you don't need a 100% clean database to start a campaign, or to make an approach. Clean up some data, and hit it. Then move on to the next layer to attack.2️⃣Subject lines need to punch above their weightKeep them short and sweet, but personalised (about them, not you (or recruitment) and relevant to your community.Think "mobile first" and ensure that your subject line can actually be read on a mobile device. For example, the Mail app on iPhones displays up to 78 characters in the subject line area.Emojis can help you stand out in a big list of emails, too.3️⃣Content, creating contentment (not consternation)I'm still seeing way too much recruitment content online, and not enough sector-specific content form recruiters.I yawn at interview tips / what to wear to interviews etc... It works less well than content aimed at your sector and job titles.At a stretch "Interview tips for Accountants" is better than a more generic topic, but even so, if that's the best content you can create, you need to try harder.What tech does your community use? Find out and talk about it.How is AI / world events affecting them? Find out and talk about it.It's never been easier to find out more about what makes your community tick - ask them, ask Google, ask AI!4️⃣Formatting to attract attention (but be WCAG-aware)I recently spotted a recruitment campaign where the email content was centred throughout and black and white - very uninspiring, and actually quite difficult to engage with.In the very least breath your brand colours into your content and check WCAG guidelines to ensure that you're not inadvertently muting your content.If your community uses Instagram / Facebook etc... be sure that they expect your content to have a life beyond black and white copy. Colour, emojis, personality - shine!5️⃣"Pitch" the unsubscribeWhat does the unsubscribe footer in your mailers look like?Is it simply an invite to unsubscribe? Or have you pitched that if they do, they'll miss out on future helpful content, and life-changing jobs?I see way too many campaigns that look like the goal is to generate unsubscribes! Ironically the footer is often more engaging than the mailer itself."We're fixated on helping our teaching community stay up to speed with the best tips, tricks, and jobs. You can unsubscribe, but then you may miss your next best teaching hack, or career move"...is better than..."Unsubscribe".📍Final Thought: Create Recruitment Campaigns to Keep Your Community SubscribedYour data, message, design are crucial to keeping your community from opting out.By keeping your content relevant, valuable, and human—you’ll build a database that’s active, engaged, and ready to work with you.Want help building an automation and outreach strategy to keep your community of candidates and client opted in? Let’s talk.I offer free consultations to help leaders / recruiters / automators unlock the power of their Bullhorn database and create opportunities .BOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATION
Bullhorn Tip - Use Appointments to Stay Organised and Protect Pipelines
We've got a cute 1-minute Bullhorn tip to help you keep track of your candidates, contacts, appointments, and pipeline.As a recruiter, keeping track of your people and the appointments you've invited them to attend is crucial.❓Why Use This Cool Bullhorn Feature?You need to use this Bullhorn feature because:🥱You're not always going to be around, and unless your team is able to read minds, and predict the future, you're going to have to cancel your holidays, and work 24/7.🤯You're in a super-busy recruitment role, so can't be expected to remember every single meeting or interview.🤬You're likely to swear / frown / scream, if other recruiters start approaching your candidates and clients.So, it's key that you use Bullhorn's appointment feature to stay organised, and protect your relationships, and pipeline.Previously, the Bullhorn Appointment feature only showed the first attendee listed if you had invited more than one person - what a pain! Now it shows all attendees... Nice!Watch Our 1-minute Appointment Bullhorn Tip...then log in to Bullhorn and try itNeed more LinkedIn / Bullhorn / Automation / Recruitment 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 WEBINARSBullhorn 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 NOWTry our Recruitment Training platform for free, for the best Recruitment, Bullhorn, Analytics, LinkedIn, MS Teams, and Automation tips.TRY HIIT FREE HERE
3 Ways to Make More Money from Bullhorn - "Bullhorn for Sales" Tips Inside!
Winning more deals, placing more candidates, having more long-term (profitable) relationships, and making more money, is a key goal for recruiters and leaders. But often, the path to making a sale isn't smooth, straight, easy, or quick!The whole point of tech is that it's supposed to help, not hinder recruiters. BOOK YOUR FREE BULLHORN 4 SALES CONSULTATIONSales Prevention or Enablement?But, too much data, and not enough process or phone time is paralysing many recruiters. And many recruitment leaders are asking "why can't they just pick up the phone?"As a recruitment leader / recruiter, you should be able to rely on your Bullhorn CRM to power productivity and sales pipelines.But is Bullhorn really driving sales, or simply increasing costs?Why does using Bullhorn for sales matter?💪Recruiters that use their CRM effectively can improve sales by up to 29%. Plus, sales productivity increases by up to 34%, and sales forecast accuracy by 42%.💞It costs 6x more to attract a new lead than to nurture one already in your CRM. Reaching out to warm clients already in your system isn’t just faster—it’s smarter for your bottom line.😱Recruiters spend up to 64% of their time on non-selling tasks. Imagine Wednesday, Thursday, Friday being almost totally unproductive and not selling!💸Leads nurtured via CRM systems make 47% larger purchases. Who knew that nurturing a contact means you sell more to them?🔁80% of sales require 5+ follow-ups—but 44% of recruiters give up after 1. How many opps are not being converted due to a lack of resilience?🎯CRM users are 3x more likely to hit their sales targets. Compelling, and the ultimate reason to engage with Bullhorn.(Sources: Salesforce / Annuitas / Bullhorn)In short: Using your Bullhorn CRM for sales is a winner!But there's a catch! Perhaps your business doesn't feel that Bullhorn is the key to sales!💩Only 30% of recruiter CRMs are considered “clean and current”. Is a lack of faith in your system driving costs up? Do you need more systems and data to tackle this lack of confidence / adoption / productivity?How much is that costing your business?BOOK YOUR FREE BULLHORN 4 SALES CONSULTATIONHow Useful is Your Bullhorn CRM for Sales?We asked recruiters to give us one word to describe how they feel about using Bullhorn for sales and they said...Oh dear...And this is why you are potentially reliant on systems outside of Bullhorn for sales - eg. LinkedIn / Job Boards etc...Our Winning 3-Step TLC Strategy for Using Bullhorn to Make More MoneyChanging how Bullhorn is perceived and used for sales is critical!We help recruitment businesses weaponise their Bullhorn CRMs into clean, revenue-generating machines with a simple framework "TLC":Train recruiters to use Bullhorn for sales, help them understand WIIFM? “What’s in it for me?”, and get them loving using Bullhorn to drive sales.Legacy cleanse and activate: Find account management opportunities and create call lists based on existing data. Which leads already exist in Bullhorn that need re-activating?Campaigns: Create engaging outbound campaigns to new / legacy data to generate call lists / leads.No expensive tools. No time-zapping system overhauls. Just smart fixes that work with what you already have.📍 Book a Free "Bullhorn 4 Sales" ConsultationI’d love to hear how you’re tackling improving sales with Bullhorn —and pay it forward with a free 30-minute call to share ideas and insights from the 1000s of recruiters we've work with.Identify quick-winsShare smart tools and automation optionsWhether your recruiters and resourcers struggle with account management, spotting and nurturing leads, speedy placements, we can help you build a practical, profitable, recruiter-friendly fix.Ready to give your Bullhorn and recruiters some TLC, and get Bullhorn driving sales?BOOK YOUR FREE BULLHORN 4 SALES CONSULTATION🚀 Why Now?Because recruitment is too competitive to be slowed down by bad data, and unrewarding processes. The difference between making a placement and missing out is often just how quickly and accurately you can find and reach the right person.If your consultants / resourcers are wasting time not converting or placing —or worse, avoiding your Bullhorn CRM altogether—this is your chance to fix it for good.Bullhorn shouldn't be a necessary evil / nice to have / data dump - it should be a revenue generating business-critical recruitment system. Let’s get yours working the way it should.
How to Maximise the Productivity of Your Remote and WFH Recruiters
The recruitment world has changed—and whether your team is hybrid, remote-first, or fully virtual, one thing hasn’t: performance still matters. But without the buzz of an office, the whiteboards, and the shoulder taps, the Mars Bar incentives, how do you keep productivity high without becoming a recruitment micromanager?With so much tech and data, it's easy for procrastination and "admin-first" mentality to sneak in - and phone and face time with candidates and client suffers - and pipelines are not robust enough.But as a leader of a recruitment team or firm, I bet you're still waiting for the memo on how to manage your teams to max productivity...Here’s are some thoughts on recruitment leaders can set up their remote / hybrid teams for success—with clarity, connection, and commercial focus.1. Shift the Focus to Outcomes, Not HoursThe most productive recruiters aren’t always the ones who log on early or appear busy all day—they’re the ones who deliver results. Set expectations around outcomes: interviews booked, candidates submitted, jobs filled. Productivity isn’t about presenteeism; it’s about performance.You can call these KPIs, or simply "brilliant basics" - call them what you need to but, be clear on your goals and expectations. 2. Run Daily Huddles to Set the PaceA short 10–15 minute morning huddle can align the team around daily goals, hot jobs, and potential roadblocks. It keeps activity visible and creates a sense of shared momentum, even across screens. Don't scrimp on these kick offs / cool downs - they are vital to help your team (and you) stay connected.3. Use Dashboards to Drive ConversationsLive dashboards in your CRM (like Bullhorn) are powerful tools—but only if used constructively. Track key KPIs / Analytics / deliverables like CVs sent, interviews scheduled, and pipeline activity. Ensure that your tech can easily track these goals to ensure that your CRM/ATS is a single source of truth.4. Coach in the MomentFeedback shouldn't wait for end-of-week reviews. If a recruiter is struggling with outreach, sourcing, or conversion—jump on a quick call or screen-share. Remote doesn’t have to mean distant.5. Over-Communicate (Yes, Really)In an office, information travels quickly. Remotely, you need to be intentional. Encourage regular Slack / MS Teams / Zoom etc... updates, team chats, even voice notes. It’s not about overloading people—it’s about keeping everyone in the loop and engaged.6. Structure the Day for SuccessHelp recruiters design their day with clear time blocks: sourcing, BD, admin, follow-up. Get these diarised and transparent. Without the natural rhythm of an office, distractions creep in. Time-blocking restores focus.7. Celebrate the Small WinsThat candidate who finally returned the call? The new job lead from an old client? Shout it out! Wins matter more than ever when working remotely—recognition drives motivation and retention.We recommend, for example, an MS Teams channel devoted to team / people successes. And ensure that the team feel empowered to shout out each other's successes.8. Check In (Not Just Check On)Don’t just ask for numbers. It's too easy, when managing people remotely, to focus on the work outputs - as a leader you need to be better / different. Ask how they’re doing. Engage in what makes them tick. Remote work can feel isolating, for both you an them, especially in high-pressure sales environments. Regular check-ins help uncover hidden blockers—and show that you care.9. Give Them the Right Tools (and Training)Make sure your recruiters and resourcers have access to the tools they need—video calling platforms, up-to-date CRM access, and workflow automation. Then layer in continuous training so they can use the tools confidently and commercially. This is especially important if you have AI / Automation tools. Training on the why, as well as the how, can be empowering and drive change quicker. Simply turning them on with minimal training risks "buy-out".10. Keep the Culture AliveFrom monthly leaderboards to virtual quizzes and Friday wrap-ups, make space for team bonding. How about a weekly quiz, using Kahoot or MS Teams, and each week a different team member runs it? High-performing teams thrive on connection—don’t let geography erode your culture.Final Thought: Set the Standard, Then Drive ItRemote recruitment teams thrive when there’s clarity and consistency.Create a simple “how we work” playbook—when check-ins happen, how KPIs are tracked, what good looks like.Then empower your recruiters to own their day, backed by your coaching and tools.The market won’t wait—and neither should your recruitment team. Productivity is a habit, and with the right leadership, remote recruiters can be a super-powerful asset.Want help building a remote recruitment process or smarter Bullhorn workflows? Let’s talk. I offer free consultations to help leaders like you unlock better performance—wherever your team logs in from.BOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATION
Recruiter Productivity Series: Optimise Bullhorn Part 4 ~ Place Faster with Less Effort
Let’s be honest—placing top talent isn’t just about sourcing and sending CVs. It’s about building smart, fast, and proactive processes to manage both your candidates and your clients. And if you’re using Bullhorn, you already have the tools—you just need to use them!Part 4 of our "Optimise Bullhorn" webinar series is for busy recruiters who need to protect and drive their placement processes. Leaving it to candidates and clients is not a great strategy! Scroll down to watch...Bullhorn Tips to Drive Placement SuccessRecruitment is fast-moving, competitive, and let’s face it, a little chaotic at times. If you’re not managing your placement processes effectively, you’re likely either making life hard for yourself or losing out. The data from Bullhorn / CIPD / LinkedIn tells us:📉 57% of candidates say they lose interest when communication drops off. That’s over half your shortlist potentially ghosting you.⏳ The best candidates are off the market in just 10 days—meaning delayed client feedback or disjointed processes can kill your placement before it even starts.💼 80% of placements come from just 20% of your Bullhorn database—so if you’re only looking outward and not reactivating past candidates, you’re leaving money on the table.🎯80% of candidates expect to be placed in less than 20 days.🧠 60% of clients say they want better communication from their recruiter. Not more CVs—more value.💑 Only 29% of customers are fully engaged.All of these stats have one thing in common: you need to take control of your process, and not assume that the candidate / client has your (or even their) best interest at heart!And that starts with better Bullhorn usage.🧠What You’ll Learn in the WebinarPart 4 of our "Optimise Bullhorn" webinar series is packed with tips you can use immediately to manage your time, tasks, and targets.✅ Smarter candidate engagement: How to set tasks and workflows that make follow-up a breeze (and stop candidates slipping through the cracks).✅ Client comms that convert: Use Bullhorn to track touchpoints, get reminders, and maintain proactive communication that wins trust and repeat business.✅ Automation that actually works: We'll talk about how automation can free you up to make more placements.💪Stop Playing Catch-UpIf you and your team is spending too long on admin, or even too long placing, or struggling to manage candidate and client expectations and experience —this free Bullhorn Tips webinar is for you.Your Bullhorn CRM should be your greatest time, task, and target management tool—not a dumping ground. Let’s "work it"!Watch the "Place Faster and Easier with Bullhorn" Webinar NowPS. Want to go even further? Check out our full "Optimise Bullhorn" webinar series.🔍 Engage, nurture, place, and re-place. Watch the recording💬 Source faster and easier. Watch the recording📈 Sell faster and easier. Watch the recording💡 Place faster and easier. Watch the recording above.🎯10 September 2025: Topic TBC - but it'll be good!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 HEREBOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATION
How to Make Money from Your Recruitment CRM: The Data + Systems + People Model
Recruiters and recruitment marketers—if you want to drive this year with a sales-led strategy and start monetising your recruitment CRM, read on.💡CRM used effectively = 29% more productivity. But how do you actually do that?Are You Making or Wasting Money with Your CRM?Do you want to make money from your recruitment database, or just pay for it?Do you want your marketers generating leads, not just blogs and events?Do you want your recruiters consulting, and placing more, not just sourcing and wasting time on LinkedIn and job boards?All recruitment tech has one thing in common: what you put in determines what you get out. And right now, recruitment leaders are asking:How do I boost my recruiters’ placement rates?How do I get them off LinkedIn and onto our CRM and back on the phone?How can marketing generate leads that sales actually use?How do I turn our website and automation into money-makers?How can AI and automation drive growth?The answer? A simple but powerful focus on Data, Systems, and People.1. Data = Wealth💸Yes, people are valuable assets. But your data is what clients and candidates are actually buying. It fuels your pipeline—or clogs it.Too often, recruiters have too much data. They keep sourcing more, creating a FOMO-fuelled vicious cycle that kills productivity and profit. Instead of creating more, you need to work your existing data better. (Check out my "dig up stupid" data model below.)2. Systems = Speed + Scale🏃♂️➡️For years, I’ve said “Be CRM-first" or Bullhorn 1st. Finally, recruitment leaders are getting this concept.I've often said "too many systems and not enough process". That’s changing, with automation and AI now helping recruiters get more from the data they already own.Today’s recruitment software can guide your process instead of turning recruiters into co-ordinators and admins. But that only works if you have a systemised approach and use automation strategically.3. People = Process in Action💪Here’s the harsh truth: untrained recruiters = lost fees. PEBKAC is still an issue. Often, the problem exists between and chair and the keyboard.With 2/3 of workers leaving due to lack of training, this is a red flag for your bottom line. The average 10-person recruitment agency loses $€£10k when a recruiter leaves.Too many agencies rely on a one-time “go live” for systems and then leave it. But without ongoing, embedded training, recruiters forget, systems stagnate or change, and process breaks down.💡Your Fix? Connect the DotsData, systems, and people don’t work in silos. You need a joined-up recruitment process that allows your recruiters to consult—not just click.Data: Look again at the graphic above. Have you identified and are working your green and amber data, or are your recruiters drowning in FOMO and wasting time sourcing even more data? System/Process: But do you have a system (and process) for working your green and amber? Is your green and amber ready for automation and AI?People: What training are you giving your recruiters to effectively use your data and Recruitment CRM / systems so that they can make money rather than just administrate / co-ordinate?This is exactly why we deliver money-making Bullhorn RoI projects, Automation strategies, and have created Recruitment HIIT—an on-demand platform built to weaponise Bullhorn, LinkedIn, and your systems to drive placements and productivity.💥 Stop blowing cash. Start building profit—with the recruitment data, tech, and team you already have.BOOK A CALL TO CHAT ABOUT HOW TO DO MORE WITH WHAT YOU HAVE
11 Stats Every Recruiter Needs to Know Before Sending a Spec CV
Recruiters want two things: more time and a stronger pipeline. But here’s the reality...🔒 70% of jobs are never advertised. 📞 It can take up to 18 calls to reach a single prospect. 📬 And with email inboxes overflowing, your “Spec CV Send” could be lost before it’s even seen.We speak to recruiters every day who are in what we call a "JAM"—just about managing. You're doing the work, sending the CVs, following up… but placements aren’t landing the way they should. Why?Because sending a CV isn't enough anymore. You need that email to work—to stand out, get opened, and drive action. With lead lifecycles shrinking to 24 hours or less, being top of the inbox isn’t optional. It’s survival.So what’s the fix?🚀 11 Stats to Focus Your Spec CV Sends and Email MarketingThere’s no shortage of stats out there—but we’ve boiled it down to 11 stats (2 above and 9 below) to get you thinking (and transforming) your candidate marketing and boost placement success.Why Your CV Sends Are Falling Flat📩 Your clients receive 121 emails a day (and over 30 billion emails were sent last year).👀 Only 20% of emails ever get opened.🛑 And thanks to filters, 1 in 5 emails never even land in your client’s inbox.How to Get Your Emails Opened (and Actioned)🎯Be Relevant – 61% of clients open emails if your past contact was useful or timely. Build relationships, not just touchpoints.📌Nail Your Subject Line – 47% of recipients open emails based on the subject line alone. Ask yourself: What’s in it for them?💘Get Personal – Using the recipient’s name boosts action rates by 26%. Hi John beats Hello Sir/Madam every time.📱Think Mobile First – 30% higher open rates happen on phones. Short, punchy, and scannable wins.⌚Time is Everything – Most emails are opened within an hour. After 24 hours, your lead may be dead in the water.Convert Emails into Real Opportunities💪Recruiters using their CRM effectively are 34% more productive.🏃♂️➡️Our Bullhorn HIIT training helps you use your database to its full potential—so your best leads don’t slip through the cracks.🚦What These Stats Mean for YouIf your emails aren’t converting into interviews or jobs, it’s not just a marketing issue—it’s a process problem. And the fix doesn’t need to be complex. Clean data, sharp messaging, and smarter timing can put you back in the driver’s seat.So… What Do You Need to Do Now?✅ Audit your CV send process.✅ Review your CRM usage.✅ Craft better subject lines.✅ Re-engage old leads.✅ Learn what works—and automate it.This isn’t about sending more. It’s about sending smarter.Need help getting your emails working for you, not against you? Drop us a line—we’ll show you how to turn your database into a placement machine.CONTACT USThe Best Bullhorn and Recruitment TrainingWe have 100's of recruitment tips and tricks to help you effectively market to candidates and clients, whether it be Bullhorn Hacks, LinkedIn tips, automation, or recruitment marketing advice. We have a whole blog dedicated to helping recruiters source the all important 4Cs - Candidates, Clients, Colleagues and Cash!Our high intensity interval training - Recruitment HIIT - helps recruiters source, convert quicker, and develop healthy pipelines, and recruitment marketers attract, engage, and retain candidates, clients, and colleagues (3Cs).TRY RECRUITMENT HIITREAD ABOUT OUR RECRUITMENT TRAININGBOOK A CALL TO DISCUSS RECRUITMENT TRAINING
Recruiters! 10 Stats About Why Recruitment CRM Generates Easier Sales
Recruiters and leaders who want to make more placements—with less admin, cost, and time spent chasing hard-to-fill roles—need to rethink how they’re using Bullhorn.Too many recruitment sales strategies rely on LinkedIn, job boards, and Google, outsourced marketing, blood, sweat, and tears, while overlooking the most valuable asset: your CRM. That makes you less competitive, and costs you time, money, and margin.It's time to get proactive and revenue-generating!Recruitment Data Wealth💵💶💷Recruiters need clean, warm databases to see them through easy and tough times.I've seen a lot of tech and data paralysing the recruitment market, but still do not see enough of a connected approach to account management and lead generation in the recruitment sector. Lots of time and money is wasted buying more systems, and access to more data, rather than monetising what you have.If your Bullhorn CRM isn't clean, connected, and proactively used for lead generation and account management, you're sitting on a data dump—not a goldmine.What you need is:Engaged, loyal clients who refer.Candidates who come back—and bring their network.A CRM that drives leads, not just tracks them.This is what I call Data Wealth.💸 Start Monetising What You HaveRecruitment tech is booming, but also at a time where many recruiters are trying to cut back and need more sales. AI and Automation is a key goal for many recruiters and leaders this year. But what’s the point of more platforms and data if you’re not maximising what’s already at your fingertips?Instead of spending more on sourcing more leads, LinkedIn Recruiter, and outsourcing your BD and marketing, start tapping into your own Bullhorn and data. A warm CRM is faster, cheaper, and more effective than cold sourcing every time.🔢CRM and Sales 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.Recruiters that use their CRM effectively can improve sales by up to 29%. CRM applications can help increase sales by up to 29%, sales productivity by up to 34%, and sales forecast accuracy by 42%.It costs 6x more to attract a new lead than to nurture one already in your CRM. Reaching out to warm clients already in your system isn’t just faster—it’s smarter for your bottom line.Recruiters spend up to 64% of their time on non-selling tasks. Imagine Wednesday, Thursday, Friday being almost totally unproductive! CRM adoption increases forecast accuracy by 42%. Whether you have Analytics or not, this is a stat which focuses the mind on activity and pipelines.Leads nurtured via CRM systems make 47% larger purchases. A statistic we see cited again and again in articles about lead management is from The Annuitas Group that nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads.80% of sales require 5+ follow-ups—but 44% of recruiters give up after 1. How many opps are not being converted due to a lack of resilience?Only 30% of recruiter CRMs are considered “clean and current”. And a lack of faith in your system is driving costs up - you need more systems and data to tackle this lack of confidence.CRM users are 3x more likely to hit their sales targets. Companies that leverage CRM systems are 86% more likely to surpass their sales targets.Re-engaged clients in your CRM convert 2x faster than cold leads. What is your strategy to capitalise on this stat?The stats above are from a variety of sources, including Salesforce, The Brevet Group, Bullhorn, Weflow, and LinkedIn.Even just one of the stats above should be enough to make you stop and think "how can I use my Bullhorn system to generate easier to convert sales? (Whilst saving time and money outsourcing / buying more tech and data...)"💪Start Selling More and EasierAnd then ask -"I wonder how Barclay Jones can help with me Bullhorn RoI, Training, and Automation to help my team generate easier sales, whilst helping me reduce reliance and time/money wasted on LinkedIn and Job Boards?"Let's start with our next batch of free webinars where we optimise and unlock Bullhorn to help you sell more (and easier).Recruiters!REGISTER FOR OUR "BULLHORN4SALES" WEBINARRecruitment Leaders and Automators!REGISTER FOR OUR UNLOCK SALES AUTOMATION WEBINAROr arrange a chat with us😇ARRANGE A CALL BACKRecruitment 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
Is Recruitment Ready for AI? Why 2025 Should Be Your Year of Preparation
There’s no doubt that AI is reshaping recruitment—but is the recruitment industry truly ready for it?In a recent battle planning chat with a client, I raised concerns about the readiness of most recruitment businesses to adopt AI meaningfully. While AI is already being used for tasks like note-taking, blog writing, research, creating prompts to help with screening and sales, I think that real transformation requires much more thought and time.For most recruitment firms, poor data quality and fragmented recruitment processes remain major barriers. If 2024 was the year of AI curiosity, 2025 needs to be the year of AI readiness.Get Your Recruitment House in Order FirstI think that recruitment leaders need to use the next 6–12 months to improve internal systems, particularly focusing on data hygiene (data wealth) and process automation. Too many firms are chasing shiny AI tools before ensuring their candidate and client data is clean, current, and usable. In fact, many recruitment CRMs are disorganised—polls show that messy and unstable databases are the norm, not the exception.You could start by booking a free 30-minute Bullhorn RoI consult with my team - Bullhorn adoption ideas / automation strategies / data health insight etc..BOOK YOUR FREE DATA HEALTH CONSULTATIONAutomation StrugglesEven the biggest players are feeling the pinch. I often hear of large enterprises struggling to get automation really driving performance due to internal resistance and territorial "leave my data alone" behaviour. Siloed departments, and change-averse individuals can inadvertently block progress, making it difficult to implement even basic automations and change.Plus, as much as the industry is keen to adopt efficiencies and tech, it's often not driving change through continuous, engaging, recruitment training.Automation and AI needs to be "sold" to recruiters with a WIIFM (What's in it for me?) approach. Even the best-intentioned recruiter may find it hard to step into the space that automation and AI creates for them.Have you been hired, or been the one doing the hiring, in the last 5 years? The turbulence, blind-siding, speed of change, means that stopping to take a breath and ensure best practice is a big ask!AI Can’t Replace Relationships (Yet!)My client gave a compelling example of AI not really driving the best outcome when their client was trying to use AI instead of their recruitment business.Luckily my client had the time and knowledge to step in and prevent their client from making a mistake.AI had failed to select the right candidate for a role, missing vital nuances only a seasoned recruitment consultant would catch. They campaigned for the candidate that AI had rejected. The client interviewed and offered!It’s a strong reminder that recruitment remains a relationship-driven business. AI can support consultants, but it can’t replace their ability to read people, understand market subtleties, or build long-term trust. (Yet...)Getting Back to Being Recruitment CONSULTANTSI encourage recruitment leaders to rethink traditional recruiting models—especially the classic 360 / 180 recruitment role.With automation and AI streamlining admin and sourcing, do you really need consultants to do everything? This could be the moment to specialise, refocus roles, and hire people who are better suited to today’s more tech-enabled recruitment landscape.There are way too many recruitment consultants who are actually recruitment co-ordinators / administrators. Large, dirty data sets, managed by untrained recruiters makes for a very transactional process, and this is at a time when recruiters really need to get back to consulting. (The clue is in the job title...)From Vicious to VirtuousThe recruitment industry’s heavy reliance on LinkedIn— which I think is one of the dirtiest databases—is another sign that recruiting firms aren’t maximising their own data or opportunity. The irony? Many of the best candidates are already sitting in your CRMs, but are overlooked in favour of job boards and external sourcing. This results in a vicious cycle of wasted time, rising costs, and lost opportunities.A recent poll confirmed this.Instead, recruitment businesses must create a virtuous cycle: invest in clean data, automate wisely, and help consultants to focus on consulting. With proper engagement, re-engaged candidates and clients can convert faster and generate more revenue than cold leads.The Road Ahead for RecruitersMy client summed it up well: their goals for the next six months are about efficiency, pushing back against unfair client demands, and focusing on higher-value deals.Yes! This is the mindset the industry needs.AI isn’t magic—but with smart preparation, clean data, and clear processes, it can be a game-changer for recruitment. Let 2025 be the year your recruitment business gets truly AI-ready.You could start by booking a free 30-minute Bullhorn RoI consult with my team - Bullhorn adoption ideas / automation strategies / data health insight etc..BOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATIONAutomation 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 SERVICEBOOK A FREE BULLHORN ROI CONSULTATION
Recruiter Productivity Series: Optimise Bullhorn Part 3 ~ Sell Faster with Less Effort
Recruiters – let’s get real. Sales is hard for some of you right now, but it needn't be.If you actively engage with your Bullhorn data, you will sell more, and sell easier!So, before you throw time and money at job boards, LinkedIn, or outsourced marketing, it’s time to rediscover the goldmine you're sitting on.Part 3 of our "Optimise Bullhorn" webinar series is for busy recruiters who want to get smart! We'll focus on how you can use Bullhorn to increase sales.Scroll down to watch...🤔Why You Should Be Selling From Bullhorn FirstConsider the stats below...💸Recruiters that use their CRM effectively can improve sales by up to 29%. Active use of your CRM can help increase sales by up to 29%, sales productivity by up to 34%, and sales forecast accuracy by 42% (Source: Salesforce).💸It costs 6x more to attract a new lead than to nurture one already in your CRM. Reaching out to warm clients already in your system isn’t just faster—it’s smarter for your bottom line. (WeFlow)💸Re-engaged clients in your CRM convert 2x faster than cold leads. What is your strategy to capitalise on this stat? (Source: LinkedIn)🧠Don't Try and Generate Sales Everywhere - Get Smart!LinkedIn and Job Boards are full of really dirty data, and it takes longer to engage and convert a client sourced from them than if you engaged and managed direct from your own database.Engaging relatively, warm, or even dormant, data could be a super-productive way to create easy-to-convert leads.Don't create "busyness" with ineffective sales, dirty data, disengaged clients, and thus a lack of RoE (return on effort).Get off of the sales hamster wheel, and spend more time on the real work of recruitment - consulting!📅 Webinar Highlights🛠️ Real-Life Bullhorn Tips to Drive Stronger Sales from your Bullhorn Database:✅Speedy Sourcing: Find leads in Bullhorn faster than it takes to open a new tab.✅Sell Like a Pro: Master smart engagement tricks to manage your clients - don't let them get cold!✅Automate Your Edge: Learn how to use automation to clean, enrich, and activate your data so you never miss a top candidate again.✅Get Back to Placing: Stop wasting hours on manual tasks and focus on what you do best—placing great people in great roles.📍 Watch our Optimise Part 3 ~ Sell Faster with Less EffortPS. Want to go even further? Check out our "Optimise Bullhorn" webinar series.🔍 Engage, nurture, place, and re-place. Watch the recording💬 Source faster and easier. Watch the recording📈 Sell faster and easier. Watch the recording above💡 Place faster and easier. Watch the recording🎯10 September 2025: Topic TBC - but it'll be good!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.READ MORE ABOUT OUR BULLHORN VISION OFFERINGBOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATION
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 sourcing is simple!REGISTER FOR OUR SOURCING TIPS WEBINARAnd 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
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