Recruiters spend a fortune on LinkedIn - either in time or cash! Both is great if they can demonstrate ROI from LinkedIn. But the recruitment industry is not known for focusing on ROI from recruitment systems - being focused on the placement means that often recruitment leaders are left frowning at end of year at the costs associated with running a recruitment business. This blog highlights some ways to measure the ROI from LinkedIn.
We’ve been talking a lot lately about what recruitment leaders should stop doing; how they can STOP messing up their critical job adverts and START getting real, decent applicants, as well as how marketers need to STOP delivering tactics instead of strategy.
A theme which links all of this together is my new acronym:
FORMO – Fear of Recruiters Missing Out
We have become a generation of tech / app / extension / data proliferation and the process is screwed up. This has never been more so than with LinkedIn Recruiter (RPS Licence). I’ve written before about how recruiters do not expect ROI (return on investment) from LinkedIn. I often see this when I work with recruiters to help them confidently purchase / renew the licence.
Yes, they have the LinkedIn Recruiter training to get the ball rolling. Yes, they run the reports on usage… but they often don’t analyse data what I feel is critical to seeing ROI. They also don’t check in with recruiters and how they plan to implement their LinkedIn Recruiter Licence.
When I work with recruiters, I’m not into ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am’ training. I’m into ROI. It’s sustainable and as cheap as chips!
70 20 10 – Recruiters Only Retaining 10%?
Imagine if you studied your client and talent (and staff) retention figures and realised that you were at 10%? You’d faint, scream, hide… But as humans, there is the theory that we retain 10% of the training we receive and the rest is a split between watching others and on the job challenges. I’ve been in training in some form or another for 20 years and I totally agree with 70 20 10 training this theory.
Aiming to Get (at Least) 100% ROI from LinkedIn Recruiter
Why is it that we often only “do the math” at the end of the day? We often use finance figures from previous activity. We look back at last month and what do we do differently this month? We possibly don’t have enough predictive analysis to help us predict success (or failure).
I often get told by recruiters that they need help understanding how to measure ROI from a LinkedIn Recruiter Licence and waiting on placement data is too long a wait (AND this assumes either success or failure, rather than a journey which needs constant management and focus).
Here are some data points I feel are critical to helping you understand the ROI of LinkedIn Recruiter:
LinkedIn Recruitment Company Page Metrics:
LinkedIn Company post Impressions
LinkedIn Company page followers
LinkedIn.com Recruiter Profile Metrics:
Followers not connections
Number of Connections
Weekly profile views
LinkedIn Recruiter (RPS Licence) Metrics
LinkedIn Recruiter Usage and Success:
InMail Acceptance Rates – I would clarify that this needs measuring against sends/ declines too
Activity – LogIns/Searches/Profiles Viewed/In-mails sent – plus projects and alerts setup
Recruitment Website Metrics:
Hits to Website from LinkedIn and which pages were the most popular
Flow to website and applications – I would add referral rates in Google Analytics
Recruitment CRM Metrics:
Placements – Value by month – have a think about LTV too (life time value)
Opportunities – In CRM with LinkedIn as source
Leads – In CRM with LinkedIn as source
Candidates / Contacts – source = LinkedIn
You don’t need me to tell you that buying a system, especially LinkedIn Recruiter, is not the goal – using it “well” and happily paying the invoice is the goal. Saying “of course we’ll renew” to LinkedIn is a great statement to make, as opposed to FORMO.
Your FD telling you that you’ve spent a fortune on tech just to stay the same, is not what you want to hear at year end.
Telling your clients that you have every bit of tech going and still you’re having issues finding talent is not a sales pitch, an excuse or even a USP.
Stop waiting for placements to happen / not happen before you measure ROI. Habits will have been formed and the system perhaps devalued by then.
Start to measure the effectiveness of your LinkedIn Recruiter licence and take action (Recruitment Training) on how effectively and successfully it is being used.
READ MORE ABOUT OUR LINKEDIN FOR RECRUITERS TRAINING
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).
TRY RECRUITMENT HIIT
READ ABOUT OUR RECRUITMENT TRAINING
BOOK A CALL TO DISCUSS RECRUITMENT TRAINING
media centre
Read more-
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
-
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
-
Downloads
Your Recruitment Training Playbook