Beyond the hype: Real-world results with recruitment AI
21,663 candidate screens completed per month. 49% improvement in submittal-to-hire ratio. 59% faster time to fill. 39% faster new hire ramp-up. These aren’t hypothetical statistics — they’re the results that leading recruitment firm IDR has already seen after implementing Bullhorn’s next-generation AI solution, Amplify.
To share the secrets behind their success, IDR COO Will Hayes sat down with Bullhorn’s Staci Chapman at Engage Boston 2025. He gave us an in-depth look at how his firm is transforming their recruitment process with AI and seeing incredible results.
Why AI became a no-brainer for IDR
Will Hayes kicked off the discussion by sharing IDR’s early forays into AI, sparked by the launch of ChatGPT in 2023. By that summer, they were already exploring AI solutions, seeing it as a natural progression of their automation and data cleanup initiatives — but their first major “aha!” moment came with candidate screening.
The immediate benefits of using AI in the candidate screening process were two-fold: enhancing the candidate experience and unlocking missed opportunities. Thousands of applications typically went untouched, creating a “black hole” for candidates and leaving money on the table for IDR. Quantity comes from quality, Hayes said, adding, “I think good quality is derived from high volumes of output,” he said. By leveraging AI to process thousands more applicants, they gained better options and ultimately, better quality placements.
The AI adoption journey
While IDR has a strong history of technology adoption, Hayes noted that AI is a different beast. Unlike quick stand-up solutions for job boards or other integrations, AI integration demands a deeper thought process. The challenge isn’t the implementation speed — it was quite fast for Hayes and his team — but rather bringing your team along on the journey. This involves significant change management, focusing on adoption, enablement, equipping staff, and establishing robust feedback loops. Learning these lessons has ultimately matured IDR’s approach to technology rollouts across the organization.
The adoption process is highly iterative, given that AI inserts itself into core, long-established phases of the recruitment workflow. It disrupts traditional thinking around sourcing and matching — think of the shift from Boolean strings to AI-powered search. These ongoing conversations require finding the “best of both worlds,” as Hayes put it, to benefit both the business’s top and bottom lines, as well as the people doing the work.
So, how did IDR get their team excited and bought into AI? Hayes’ answer was simple: lead by example and be in the trenches. As COO, he’s copied on thousands of screening agent results each month. While he doesn’t review every single one, he randomly picks out some to engage directly with recruiters and sales reps, providing personalized feedback like, “Hey, this one looks great. Reach out to them in an email.” This hands-on approach demonstrates that AI is a priority for leadership, fostering trust and showing that this isn’t just another mandate from above.
The road to adoption won’t be perfect. As with any new technology, especially AI, bumps are inevitable. The key is coaching teams on how to react when things aren’t perfect and communicating that the long-term return is worth the short-term challenges. “The best advice is to push your organization through the process and be there with them,” said Hayes.
IDR’s AI-infused workflow and future vision
When it comes to integrating AI into your teams’ workflows, Hayes recommended focusing on data quality and understanding your Bullhorn field architecture. “I really think that’s an overlooked step in this process,” Hayes said. “Get involved with your team to understand the field maps and the architecture of your system before you start storing and replacing data inside the organization’s core system.” Once the data foundation is solid, you can leverage tools like Bullhorn Automation to superpower your processes with AI.
One of IDR’s core visions for AI is simplifying staff training and development. Many of their team members don’t even realize AI is running in the background. For example, when they receive a screening assessment result, they don’t see the thousands of other candidates routed, vetted, and screened by automations; they just see the top few. This seamless integration requires a deep understanding of the candidate journey. Hayes recommends experiencing this journey firsthand by going through your own website, chatbot, and application processes — and not just once. “This isn’t like a three-month project,” he said. “You should do this now, and you should do it often.”
IDR has even adjusted recruiter metrics to incentivize AI adoption, for instance, by tying ramp bonuses to a percentage of submissions coming from Bullhorn AI tools. This has led to recruiters doubling and tripling placements due to the simplicity of the AI-powered workflow.
Looking ahead, AI is no longer a question of “if” for IDR, but “how to continue to innovate.” The speed of product development with AI means new use cases emerge constantly. The focus shifts to empowering teams to be innovative, remove obstacles, and come up with new prompts and ways of thinking to achieve higher-quality and faster results. The future holds an exciting transformation of the client and candidate experience, moving towards a more competitive, almost e-commerce-like market for talent.
Taking the leap
Hayes’ parting advice for those considering AI adoption came down to three points:
- Embrace the mindset: AI is not just an add-on product; it’s an architectural shift. It’s an “agentic architecture”—a way of thinking about your business end-to-end. AI is here to stay, and gradually shifting your business is the right move.
- Make the operational shift: This is where the heavy lifting occurs. AI products work, but you need to make them work for your people. Operational shifts in management and training are crucial, as adoption rates for AI can drop from 100% to 0% if not actively nurtured. Leadership involvement in the weeds is key to driving and sustaining adoption.
- Take the steps to get there: Once you embedded agents into our broader automation strategy, we really saw the ROI accelerate. Weave AI into every step of your workflow, and let it take the lead in search, match, and screening.
Beyond the numbers, Hayes pointed out that AI improves the work-life balance for recruiters and sales professionals. It frees them from mundane tasks like extensive resume formatting, allowing them to focus on higher-value activities. This “lifestyle change for the better” will become a standard expectation for talent joining organizations.
Leaders like Hayes are paving the way for a more efficient, effective, and ultimately, more human-centric industry. By jumping in, getting started, and working in lockstep with your team to adopt AI, you and your team can join the cutting edge of recruitment.
