Miller Leith is a recruitment agency providing integrated talent solutions across specialist recruitment, people development, HR consultancy and outplacement services. They serve a diverse range of clients, from tier-one industry leaders to niche household brands and independent labels.

Over the past 12 years, Miller Leith has built lasting relationships and provided expert insights to the FMCG, retail, manufacturing, industrial, and not-for-profit sectors. The company’s integrated talent helps their clients and candidates alike to navigate today’s complex employment landscape. The 41 staff strong team sits in three offices over Sydney, Melbourne and The Gold Coast.

With a diverse portfolio of offerings that includes both permanent and temporary recruitment, a dedicated career consulting arm, and an HR consulting organisation, Miller Leith is designed to meet the varied needs of the industries it serves. Miller Leith operates seamlessly across all three divisions of its business using Bullhorns systems, allowing them to provide tailored, high-service recruitment solutions. We connected with Candice Powell, Group Continuous Improvement, Compliance, and Risk Manager, and Joe Sette, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Miller Leith, to dive deeper into their business journey.

The Challenge

Throughout their 12-year journey, Miller Leith explored several different CRM systems to find the best fit for their growing team. Initially, they partnered with a large CRM company. However, as a startup, they quickly realised that the provider’s focus on bigger accounts left their needs unmet. As they grew, they then transitioned to an industry known platform. ‘’This was a very basic product with no bells and whistles, and there was no prominent AI in the market at the time. It was simple and served us pretty well from a job flow perspective’’, said Sette. After a while, it was decided that there was a need for features which were crucial for improving efficiency, such as a smoother onboarding process and automated reporting systems, which up until now, had been manually downloaded each week.

We were really looking for a quality system that could do everything we needed.
Joe Sette Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Miller Leith

The Solution

After reassessing their options, Miller Leith ultimately decided on Bullhorn due to the need for quality. This decision was driven by Bullhorn’s proven ability to adapt to a fast-evolving landscape, including quickly incorporating new tech and innovations by either purchasing these add-ons or creating partnerships with relevant companies. “What drew us to Bullhorn was how easily it integrates with the platforms we use and how customisable it is,” Powell explained. Bullhorn continuously stood out for its flexibility, customisability, efficient job flow management, and capability to integrate new features allowing the Miller Leith team to handle internal customisations without wasting time reaching out to customer service or support for minor changes. Unlike previous platforms, which required lengthy customisation processes or external support, Bullhorn allows the team to handle customizations internally, making it a more flexible and responsive solution.

The implementation process was smooth and efficient. The initial setup and data transfer were well-managed, and was supported by a two-day in-person training session provided by Sue Braithwaite from Kyloe Partners, Bullhorn’s longest standing Systems Integrator Partner. After a previous failed implementation with another platform, Miller Leith approached this rollout cautiously. They felt the Bullhorn team delivered clear and transparent communication throughout the process. The support from both Bullhorn and Kyloe ensured any challenges were swiftly addressed, leading to a seamless transition.

The Results

Since implementing Bullhorn, Miller Leith has seen significant progress in its operations. The platform’s advanced reporting capabilities allow real-time tracking of key metrics, including time-to-fill and improved conversion rates for jobs. Automation has played a significant role, streamlining tasks such as candidate communication, compliance management, and data cleansing—processes that would otherwise be too time-consuming.

“Automation has had a much greater impact than most consultants in the business realise,” explained Powell. “We were able to complete a big data cleanse of tens of thousands of candidates that feasibly no one in the business would be able to spend that time on.”

In addition to improving efficiency, Bullhorn Automation has helped ensure compliance with industry standards and internal policies. Many of the reminders and simple checkbox tasks like candidate coding and consent form management have complex systems behind them and most consultants don’t realise how much time they are saving. ‘’These are now automated, freeing up recruiters to focus on sales and relationships’’, remarks Powell.

Working alongside the Bullhorn team has been a smooth process every step of the way. Sette commented, “Anna, our Account Manager, genuinely cares. She often calls to discuss what is on the horizon for us. Her passion for Bullhorn makes it easy to have these conversation with her, and focuses on how decisions will impact the business from a recruiters perspective.’’

“I’ve had a lot of communication with Matt Emmerson in Customer Success, who’s given valuable suggestions and insights, especially when dealing with team adoption issues. If there are concerns, Matt offers helpful perspectives to improve the situation” added Powell.

The Future

Miller Leith’s short-term focus is on slow, sustainable growth, particularly in its HR consulting business, which has recently been integrated into Bullhorn. As the company expands its operations in Sydney, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast, Bullhorn will play a critical role in supporting that growth.

Looking ahead, Miller Leith expects 70% of its long-term growth to come from other states, with key focus areas being the Gold Coast and Sydney. They’ve also launched a tech and IT division, signalling new opportunities for the future.

Powell’s role as Continuous Improvement Manager will be central to ensuring that Bullhorn continues to drive efficiency and automation across the organisation. With an eye toward enterprise-wide improvements, Miller Leith remains committed to leveraging Bullhorn’s latest innovations to enhance business performance.

Key Learnings

For companies considering Bullhorn, Miller Leith offers the following advice:

  1. Implementation Team: Ensure you feel confident in the team implementing the system. A dedicated integration arm, separate from the sales team, creates a conflict-free, smooth process.
  2. Expertise and Transparency: Look for a partner with deep industry knowledge and transparent communication. Bullhorn’s team provided straightforward answers based on their experience in recruitment.
  3. Thorough Testing Process: Commit to a thorough testing phase. Unlike previous CRM rollouts, Bullhorn’s testing was detailed, ensuring the system met all requirements before going live.

Bullhorn continues to play a crucial role in Miller Leith’s future growth, and the team remains excited about what’s next.

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