Introduction
Business development for recruitment agencies has never been more competitive. Agencies are under constant pressure to find new clients and deliver value beyond the traditional sales pitch. In this environment, intuition and persistence alone are no longer enough. Winning requires recruitment market intelligence — on real-time labor market insights, competitor behavior, and client needs.
The Stepstone Group, one of the world’s leading digital recruitment platforms, faced this challenge in the UK market. Through its brand Totaljobs, The Stepstone Group was determined to strengthen its staffing agency prospecting strategy and equip its sales team with tools that would allow them to stand out. Enter Bullhorn Market IQ, a recruitment business development tool that transforms raw job posting data into actionable insights for sales and client engagement. With Market IQ, The Stepstone Group strengthened its prospecting strategy and achieved stronger results.
Why manual research slowed recruitment business development
The Stepstone Group had already established itself as a strong player in the UK, but competition remained relentless. Sales representatives were working hard to connect with prospects, but often lacked the depth of insight needed to make those conversations meaningful. Too much time was spent manually researching accounts, often without clear understanding of which prospects represented the greatest opportunity.
Meanwhile, competitors were targeting many of the same companies. Without differentiated competitive insights for recruiters, sales conversations risked sounding generic, making it harder for The Stepstone Group to stand out. Leaders realized that to scale business development effectively, the company needed to provide its teams with something more than a call list. They needed intelligence–data that would allow them to target the right prospects, walk into meetings prepared, and build trust through insight.
How Bullhorn Market IQ helped
Bullhorn Market IQ gave The Stepstone Group the visibility it needed to change the game. By aggregating and analyzing billions of job postings worldwide across millions of websites, Market IQ provides real-time insights into what roles are being advertised and how competitors are engaging with the same prospects.
For The Stepstone Group, this meant sales representatives no longer had to rely on gut instinct or scattered research. Instead, they could identify exactly which companies were posting new roles, where gaps in coverage existed, and which opportunities aligned best with The Stepstone Group’s offerings. Market IQ also provided insight into competitor activity, showing where rival firms were placing jobs and giving The Stepstone Group a stronger position in conversations.
Armed with intelligence, The Stepstone Group’s sales teams shifted from a reactive to proactive business development model. Outreach evolved from generic calls to conversations rich with valuable, evidence-based insights.
Elevating client conversations
Market IQ revolutionized how The Stepstone Group connected with and engaged clients. Instead of opening a conversation with a pitch, sales representatives could begin with insights. They could reference specific hiring trends, point to competitor activity, or highlight roles that hadn’t yet been filled.
The shift transformed every conversation. Prospects began to see The Stepstone Group not as another supplier, but as a consultative partner who understood their challenges and could provide actionable labor market insights for recruiters. Clients often expressed surprise at the level of detail, with some even asking about the origin of the transformation. This transparency built credibility and helped The Stepstone Group stand out from competitors who lacked the same depth of knowledge.
As one business development manager explained, data-driven discussions opened doors that otherwise would have remained closed. By demonstrating an understanding of the client’s hiring environment, sales teams were able to speak directly to decision makers and engage them in more meaningful conversations.
The power of recruitment market data in action
Bullhorn Market IQ quickly proved its value for The Stepstone Group. Internal analysis showed that sales representatives who actively used Market IQ consistently outperformed their peers. Target attainment rates were higher and performance metrics across the board showed positive growth.
By reducing the time spent on manual research, Market IQ freed sales teams to focus more on direct client engagement. Representatives could prioritize the prospects most likely to convert, ensuring the effort was directed where it would have the greatest impact. Conversations became more consultative and more successful, as clients valued the added context and labor market insights for recruiters.
And the benefits extended far beyond immediate sales performance. The Stepstone Group also enhanced its brand perception in the market, positioning itself as a data-driven partner, rather than simply another recruitment provider. This positioning will continue to pay off as competition grows.
Preparing for tomorrow with market intelligence
For The Stepstone Group, the adoption of Bullhorn Market IQ represents a strategic shift in how BD enablement for recruitment teams is approached. Instead of relying on instinct, the company has embraced a data-driven model that scales effectively, drives smarter targeting, and strengthens client relationships.
Looking ahead, The Stepstone Group plans to expand its use of Market IQ to uncover additional opportunities across its markets. With the recruitment industry showing no signs of slowing, harnessing recruitment market intelligence will remain a key differentiator for firms aiming to stay ahead.
The Stepstone Group’s experience makes the case clear: in today’s market, data drives growth and offers a true competitive edge. With Bullhorn Market IQ, The Stepstone Group has shown what’s possible when intelligence is put to work.
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