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As a recruiter you need "social proof" - people in your network who think that you're ace and are prepared to recommend that others work with you. You need candidates telling other candidates, and clients telling other clients:
that recruiter is really trustworthy
that recruiter was really helpful and made sure I was kept in the loop at every stage of the interview process
that recruiter sent me some great candidates - candidates that I could not have found myself
Gold dust!
Getting a recommendation? Easy peasy!
Getting the right ones that will elevate your LinkedIn profile to the top of searches, get your profile looked at by more of your ideal clients and candidates, getting it seen by Google - that's what this blog is about.
Recruiter! Be 1 of the 90%
9 out of 10 purchases happen because of peer recommendations. You may think you have LinkedIn ‘nailed’ – lots of connections, the odd status update and countless job updates, and lots of time each day trawling for new candidates… sound familiar? You may even think you have some great testimonials on your website...
Well, it’s definitely a start but what would REALLY thrust you into the LinkedIn / Google limelight in front of current and prospective connections (candidates and clients)?
Well how about a nice big, fat, juicy recommendation, full of persona-led keywords and content which demonstrates your niche and how you take away the pain?
LinkedIn Recommendations, Skills Endorsements, Case Studies and Testimonials
For those that don’t know, a LinkedIn Recommendation is not one of those one-click-skills-endorsements. A LinkedIn Recommendation is found in your LinkedIn profile (below your current and previous roles) and is usually written by someone that has had a great experience of working with you – NOT a random work colleague! As nice as it sounds, the image of you sat on a colleague’s lap whilst stroking each other’s hair is all I see when you recommend each other…
A recommendation is social proof of you. It is proof that you are a good recruiter and that you deliver solutions to candidate and client pain.
Plus, back that up with a decent keyword stuffed case study - AGAIN what the pain is and what you did to take the pain away...
Grow a Pair and Ask, Recruiters!
You will find that most clients and candidates will say they will recommend you but then never find the time to actually do it. No problem – you write it!
I am of course not recommending that you blow your own trumpet – the client and candidate need to tell you / remind themselves of how awesome you really are! Ask them for their help (they’ll say yes!) and then ask them these 3 simple questions over the phone when they are in their happy place (normally when they have both accepted each other and have big smiley faces):
Why did you work with me?
How did I help you?
Would you be happy to work with me again?
Draft a very brief 2-3 line paragraph and email it back to the candidate/client via the ‘Ask to be Recommended’ button on their LinkedIn profile.
When they receive the LinkedIn message it will be clear that all they have to do is copy the text, hit ‘Recommend’ button, paste the text and hit ‘Send’. Simples!
Recommendations = MASSIVE Technology Explosion!
As soon as your contact adds the recommendation it is visible in their timeline, waking up the contact database of your contact (and these people are likely to be just like them…)
The recommendation also appears in your timeline (if you remember to accept it when you receive the LinkedIn message). Boom! Your contacts are woken up too! Your profile views will increase
You will have excuses to get back in touch with people, grab a phone call / coffee / job / CV
Your face will be forever on the person who has recommended you LinkedIn profile (and their face on yours!)
So recruiters. Don’t be afraid to ask for a recommendation you deserve it! Promise yourself to ask for a recommendation from the candidate and client on your next placement – just do it! And then rinse and repeat.
My final tip? Timing is key – ask for it straight away!
HIIT Us, Recruiters!
Our high intensity interval training - Recruitment HIIT - helps recruiters source, convert quicker, and develop healthy pipelines, and recruitment marketers attract, engage, and retain candidates, generate leads, and colleagues (3Cs).
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Rose Megson
Blog
Recruiter Productivity Series: Optimise Bullhorn Part 1 ~ Engage, Nurture, Place, and Re-Place
Recruiters! I know that recruitment has never been so competitive— even your own clients are competing with you to place candidates!We're launching a new series of recruiter productivity webinars focussed on optimising your use of Bullhorn and driving speedier sourcing, recruitment, leads, sales, and commission! Part 1 is focussed on managing candidates.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!)REGISTER NOWBullhorn MythsIn today’s fast-paced recruitment world, having a powerful ATS/CRM is essential. It saves time, improves efficiency, and drives a profitable desk. But often, we hear:I use Bullhorn when I get a minute.Bullhorn is just a database, not a business growth tool.We have Bullhorn, but we’re not seeing a return on investment.The data is a mess, so I need to advertise and use LinkedIn too.These statements couldn't be more wrong…Bullhorn:💓 Can be your recruitment Buddy if you let it!😱 Reduces admin workload.💪 Keeps you organised.🕒Helps you source, sell, and place quickly!…and so much more when used effectively!Register Now for Our "Candidate Engagement" Bullhorn WebinarRecruitment 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).What You’ll Learn in Our Upcoming Bullhorn Optimisation Webinars:📌 23 April 2025: Engage with candidates effortlessly. Build stronger relationships using Bullhorn’s nurturing features: communicate, optimise, protect, PLACE! (And re-place!) Register Now📌 Date TBC: Leverage Bullhorn to source and track qualified candidates faster with less effort.📌 Date TBC: Maximise lead generation and improve conversion rates with smart Bullhorn strategies.📌 Date TBC: Optimise recruitment workflows for maximum efficiency and profitability.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.By the end of our 4 Bullhorn Optimisation sessions, you’ll have the tools and knowledge to:⏳ Save time (and sanity) and be more productive.🤝 Engage more candidates effectively.💸 Place candidates faster and increase your sales and commission.Don’t miss out! Register now to secure your spot in this free, must-attend event.We look forward to showing you how Bullhorn ATS/CRM can elevate your recruitment ROI (return on investment) and ROE (return on effort) and drive business growth!REGISTER NOWRecruitment 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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Wayne Barclay
Blog
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
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Rose Megson
Webinar
Recruiter Productivity Series: Optimise Bullhorn Part 1 ~ Engage, Nurture, Place, and Re-Place
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Wayne Barclay
Webinar
Automation RoI Webinar Series: Unlock Bullhorn Part 1 ~ Generate Leads and Revenue
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Wayne Barclay
Webinar
Automation ROI Webinar Series: Data = Clean and Monetised! Part 2
