Business intelligence and data-driven decisions with Bullhorn
This blog post was written by Georgina Gilbert, a Bullhorn customer from Get Recruited — a small-to-medium-sized agency based in the UK with 12 employees. In it, she shares valuable insights on how smaller agencies can leverage technology as a key driver of growth to effectively compete with larger firms.
Working in a small recruitment business often means wearing multiple hats. One minute you’re screening candidates, the next you’re trying to forecast hiring needs for the next quarter. Without the right tools, staying on top of everything can feel like a guessing game. That’s where Bullhorn’s business intelligence tools come into play.
We like to think of Bullhorn’s reporting and analytics as our secret weapon. They take all the moving parts of recruitment and turn them into clear, actionable insights. It’s not just about collecting data, it’s about understanding it, using it, and making decisions that help us grow.
Smarter decisions
With Bullhorn, we’re no longer relying on gut instinct. We have real-time reporting that shows us exactly what’s happening in our business. From how long it takes to fill a role, to where our best candidates come from to even statistic ratios that are completely customisable, it’s all there, ready to explore.
The dashboard is incredibly intuitive, and our customised reports allow us to track what matters most to us. Whether that’s candidate engagement, client activity, or consultant performance, Bullhorn helps us measure it all without a spreadsheet in sight – and the best thing is the customisable options are endless. If we decide to edit what we want to track further down the line, field mapping and analytic editing allows us to do this.
Spotting trends
One of the biggest shifts since using Bullhorn’s analytics has been our ability to plan ahead. We can spot patterns in hiring activity, understand when our clients are likely to need support, and forecast future demand with confidence.
For example, we noticed a spike in placements in a certain industry around the same time every year. Thanks to Bullhorn, we didn’t just react, we prepared. We had candidates lined up, marketing campaigns ready, and as a result, placements were faster and smoother than ever.
Custom reports that actually help
Bullhorn lets us tailor our reports to suit our goals. Some of our favourites include:
- Pipeline health reports
- See how many candidates are active in each stage of the process and where things might be getting stuck
- Client performance summaries
- Track which clients are generating consistent business, who need more attention, and who might be cooling off
- Revenue and placement metrics
- Understand where your income is coming from and which consultants are driving results.
And the best part? These reports aren’t just for leadership. Everyone in the team can access insights relevant to their role, so we’re all aligned and moving in the same direction.
For us, Bullhorn isn’t just a tool, it’s a competitive advantage. It helps us operate like a larger agency, without needing the headcount. It gives us insights that fuel smarter strategies. And it supports our team, so we can support our clients and candidates better.
Whether we’re forecasting next month’s hiring needs, reviewing last quarter’s performance, or following up on a new client lead, Bullhorn is there with the data and structure we need. It’s not flashy, it’s just consistently clear, and that’s exactly what small businesses like ours need.
Case study: How Get Recruited competes with industry giants using Bullhorn
