14 ways to win more business in recruitment: Insights from Engage London
As the recruitment industry enters another year, winning new business is once again top of mind for agencies large and small. Faced with tight markets and margin pressure, recruitment firms looking to succeed will need to work smarter to bring in new business and set up their business for long-term success.
At Engage London 2024, Michelle Jones, Learning and Development Director at RBW Consulting, Glenn Southam, VP of Insights, at Meet and James Osborne, Co-Founder of The Recruitment Network, shared actionable insights on navigating this ever-evolving landscape, increasing market share, and building long-term growth for your agency.
Connecting vs. selling at scale
Automation can be a powerful ally for sales teams and recruiters alike, facilitating streamlined communications and checking off rote tasks. However, the key is to balance this efficiency with meaningful human connection.
1. Leverage automation to enable connection
Automation can streamline tasks like data enrichment, segmentation, and outreach, creating more time for recruiters to focus on human interactions.
Example: Use automation to gather insights on client hiring trends, then equip recruiters to initiate informed, personalised conversations.
2. Focus on building trust before selling
Avoid the trap of over-automating sales messages too early. Instead, use automation to nurture prospects with value-driven content that builds trust over time. “AI is being used in the wrong way to sell at scale when we should be using it to connect at scale at the top of the funnel,” said Southam.
Tip: Automate follow-ups with relevant articles or insights tailored to each prospect’s industry, ensuring your outreach feels helpful, not intrusive.
3. Personalise at scale
Automation can help deliver personalised communication at scale, but it should complement—not replace—human engagement. Recruiters must step in at key points to establish deeper trust.
Tip: Use automation to support, rather than replace, personal interactions. Learn more about how automation can help scale your recruitment agency here.
Marketing and sales as one unified function
Sales and marketing must work hand in hand to align strategies and create a seamless buyer journey.
4. Understand the modern buyer
The majority of buying decisions are made through independent research before engaging with a recruiter, said Jones. Marketing plays a crucial role in supporting this research phase.
Tip: Develop thought leadership content and insights that address common client challenges to position your brand as a trusted resource. “The quality of the insights and content that we’re sharing and sending out has to be a lot better than a client and user could just get for themselves,” advised Osborne.
5. Adopt account-based marketing (ABM)
ABM allows teams to focus their efforts on high-value clients by creating tailored campaigns. “You should know all the pain points of your clients,” said Southam. “And if you’ve identified those, you should be able to have five key solutions to those pain points.”
Example: If sustainability is a top priority for a client, share specific case studies or invite them to sustainability-focused roundtables.
6. Diversify outreach channels
Automation can support a multi-channel strategy, helping recruiters engage prospects through email, social media, webinars, and events.
Tip: Use an omnichannel approach to see higher engagement and conversion rates compared to single-channel strategies. “You’ve got to have an omnichannel approach,” said Osborne. “You’ve got to have five or six different ways of spending at the top of your sales funnel, some automated, some marketing-led.”
Maximising existing opportunities
Your database is one of your most valuable assets. Automation can help you tap into its full potential.
7. Re-engage dormant clients with automation
Tools like automated re-engagement campaigns can identify inactive clients worth revisiting. “The smarter way to win new business is to not forget about the clients that we already have and maximise the opportunities that we have there,” said Jones.
Example: Automate reminders for consultants when clients haven’t been contacted for six months, prompting them to re-establish communication.
8. Cross-sell and upsell smarter
Use automation to identify opportunities within current client relationships, such as converting hard-to-fill permanent roles into contract placements.
Tip: Create workflows that notify consultants when a job slows down, suggesting it might be time to pitch a contract solution. Jones, whose team implemented one such automation, said, “It’s a win-win because we get the contractor in, and it gives us the time to step back and re-engage on the role, to be able to fill it on a permanent basis.”
9. Grade vacancies for better ROI
Automatically grade your vacancies based on how difficult they are to fill in order to help recruiters prioritise high-return opportunities.
Fact: Filling A-grade vacancies is significantly faster and more profitable than focusing on low-quality leads.
Upskilling and future-proofing recruitment teams
Technology and automation are redefining the recruiter’s role. Equip your team with the skills needed to succeed.
10. Equip recruiters for insight selling
Automation provides data, but recruiters must know how to use it to deliver strategic insights to clients. “Every recruitment business is fundamentally a data business,” said Southam.
Example: Train recruiters to analyse hiring trends or predict workforce needs, positioning themselves as advisors, not just service providers. Learn more about how Bullhorn Analytics can help identify business trends and insights here.
11. Embrace AI thoughtfully
AI tools are invaluable and should be used to amplify your team’s efforts. Use AI to generate ideas, streamline workflows, and enhance productivity.
Tip: Develop prompts for AI tools tailored to your niche, enabling recruiters to focus on adding human value at key points in the process. Learn more about Bullhorn AI here.
12. Use AI for predictive analytics
Recruitment AI tools can analyse market trends, hiring patterns, and client behaviors to predict future hiring needs. This allows recruiters to approach clients proactively, offering solutions before hiring needs become urgent.
Example: Use AI-driven predictive analytics to identify companies likely to hire based on recent funding rounds or organisational changes. Equip recruiters with this data to approach clients with tailored solutions. Learn more about identifying companies looking to hire with Textkernel by Bullhorn here.
Post-placement strategies and increase lifetime value
Winning new business doesn’t end with a placement; recruitment technology tools can help your team extend the client relationship for years to come.
13. Build client and candidate communities
Create automated workflows to onboard clients into exclusive communities for ongoing engagement.
Example: One recruitment firm that Osborne worked with built two communities—one for clients, another for candidates—using automation to deliver regular updates, insights, and invitations to events. “The really cool thing about the community is that they become self-perpetuating,” Osborne said. “They can do it together as long as I’m just putting my arm around it and creating that safe environment for the community.”
14. Offer value beyond placements
Use automation to schedule periodic check-ins or provide insights to clients post-placement.
Tip: Create a structured post-placement strategy for higher client retention and lifetime value. “Don’t make any assumptions,” Southam said. “Go out and speak to your clients and candidates, find out what they need, and then deliver it.”
Automation, AI, and analytics are game-changers for recruitment, but only when used thoughtfully. By combining the efficiency of these technologies with the depth of human connection, aligning sales and marketing efforts, and focusing on existing relationships, you can transform your business development strategy. “Think about the strategy of how you’re moving people through the funnel, and don’t let people fall out the bottom,” said Jones. “Don’t overcomplicate it.”
