Your Bullhorn CRM should help you find top candidates quickly. But outdated, inconsistent, and duplicate records can turn this powerful tool into a bottleneck. When bad data clogs your system, recruiters waste time sorting through irrelevant profiles instead of connecting with qualified candidates.
This data problem affects every aspect of your recruiting process. Searches return incomplete results. Candidate communication breaks down. Reports become unreliable. Let’s explore how to clean up your Bullhorn database to improve search accuracy, speed up placements, and strengthen your hiring results.
The Hidden Costs of Bad Data in Your Bullhorn System
When your Bullhorn system is cluttered with incomplete or outdated candidate information, you risk making poor hiring decisions, overlooking strong applicants, and creating inefficiencies across your entire recruiting process. Here’s how:
1. Wasted Time on Poor Search Results
Recruiters rely on search filters to surface the best candidates quickly. But if your Bullhorn database is filled with inconsistent formatting, duplicate records, and missing fields, searches won’t deliver the right results. Recruiters spend valuable time sorting through irrelevant profiles instead of engaging top candidates.
2. Missed Candidates and Slower Placements
Imagine a high-priority role opens, and your team searches Bullhorn for pre-qualified candidates. If your database is riddled with outdated contact details or missing skill tags, top candidates won’t show up in search results. That delay gives your competitors the edge, leading to lost placements.
3. Inaccurate Reporting and Decision-Making
Staffing firms rely on Bullhorn reports to track key metrics like fill rates, time-to-hire, and recruiter productivity. When your database contains duplicate candidates or outdated job statuses, these reports become unreliable.
For example, duplicate records artificially inflate your candidate pool, making your sourcing efforts appear more successful than they are. Similarly, outdated placements distort your revenue forecasts. These reporting errors lead to misallocated resources and flawed hiring strategies based on incorrect data.
4. Poor Candidate and Client Experience
Nothing frustrates candidates and clients more than outdated information. If recruiters contact candidates with irrelevant job offers because of old records, or if clients receive mismatched resumes due to inaccurate data, trust in your firm erodes. A well-maintained Bullhorn system ensures a smoother experience for everyone.
How Clean Data Transforms Hiring Efficiency
Clean, accurate data in your Bullhorn system directly impacts your bottom line. According to a recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) report, organizations that maintain high-quality data in their hiring systems see a 25 percent faster time-to-fill on average.1 Here’s what happens when your database is clean and optimized:
Faster Placements and More Accurate Candidate Matching
When your database is properly maintained, recruiters find the right candidates faster. Searches return relevant, qualified candidates without the noise of duplicate or outdated profiles. This means more accurate matching and faster submissions to clients, ultimately accelerating the placement process.
Stronger Data-Driven Decision-Making
Reliable data also strengthens decision-making across your organization. When reports accurately reflect your candidate pipeline, placement rates, and recruiter activities, leadership can confidently allocate resources and develop effective hiring strategies. You’ll know which positions are hardest to fill, which recruiters excel with certain types of roles, and where process bottlenecks exist.
Improved Candidate and Client Satisfaction
Perhaps most importantly, clean data improves experiences for both candidates and clients. Candidates receive relevant opportunities aligned with their skills and preferences, not repeated or mismatched outreach. Clients receive stronger candidate submissions and faster responses, building trust in your firm’s capabilities and professionalism.
Learn More: Revenue Impact of a Bullhorn Admin
Signs Your Bullhorn Database Needs a Cleanup
Not sure if data issues are slowing your hiring process? Here are some warning signs
- Search results return multiple records for the same candidate, each with slightly different information.
- Recruiters frequently complain about incorrect phone numbers, email bounces, or incomplete candidate profiles.
- Candidates report receiving duplicate or conflicting messages from different recruiters within your firm.
- Reporting dashboards feel unreliable, with numbers that don’t match real-world activity.
- Your team spends excessive time manually fixing records rather than focusing on hiring.
If any of this sounds familiar, your Bullhorn database isn’t just inefficient—it’s costing you hires.
The Cleanup Process: A Strategic Approach
Cleaning your database doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s how to get started:
Conduct a Full Data Audit
Before fixing anything, you need to understand the scope of the problem. Pull reports to assess the number of duplicate records, incomplete profiles, and outdated entries.
Look for patterns—are duplicates more common in certain candidate segments? Identify which key fields are most frequently missing information. Use Bullhorn’s reporting tools to quickly identify records that haven’t been modified in the last 6-12 months. A clear picture of these issues helps prioritize your cleanup efforts.
Identify, Merge, or Eliminate Duplicate Records
Duplicate records create confusion when different recruiters interact with the same candidate under separate profiles. To merge duplicates:
Determine the primary record (the one with the most emails, notes, and tracked data). Navigate to Actions > Merge Records and input the ID number or name of the duplicate record. Select which fields to keep from each record during the merge process. Review carefully before confirming, as merges cannot be reversed.
For bulk cleanup, Bullhorn admins can use list views to identify and merge multiple duplicates more efficiently.
Standardize Data Entry for Consistency
Inconsistent data entry leads to fragmented search results. One recruiter might list “Software Engineer” while another enters “Sr. Software Engr.” for the same role.
Set clear naming conventions for job titles, skills, industries, and other key fields. Create dropdown menus and picklists instead of using free-text fields wherever possible. Configure required fields to ensure critical information is always captured.
Bullhorn Administrators can adjust required fields via Menu > Admin > Field Mappings—select the entity and check the box for required fields.
Remove Outdated and Irrelevant Candidate Profiles
Incomplete profiles lead to missed opportunities. To identify records without an email, navigate to Search > Additional Criteria > Work/Primary Email > Exclude and input @ to filter out records missing an email address.
For records without a phone number, navigate to Search > Additional Criteria > Direct Phone > Exclude and input *0, *1, *2, and so on to filter out records missing a phone number.
Use Bullhorn’s in-line edit tool to quickly add missing information without opening individual records. Consider using Bullhorn’s Mass Edit feature for updating multiple records simultaneously.
Remove or Archive Outdated Records
Outdated profiles add unnecessary noise to your searches. Instead of deleting them, archive candidates who haven’t been engaged in a set period (e.g., two years).
To find outdated records, search by Last Modified Date (Navigate to Search > Additional Criteria > Date Last Modified). Use Advanced Note Search with Does Have > Date Added to identify records without recent notes.
Admins can mass archive records from list view by selecting records and clicking Selected > Change Status > Archive. This approach keeps historical data accessible while preventing search result clutter.
Implement Automation for Ongoing Maintenance
Leverage Bullhorn’s automation tools to maintain data quality. Set up scheduled searches to identify incomplete or outdated records. Create automated email campaigns asking candidates to update their information. Configure workflows that flag records needing review based on specific criteria.
Train Your Team on Data Hygiene
Even the best system won’t stay clean if recruiters don’t follow best practices. Provide continuous training to ensure your recruiters input accurate, consistent data. Assign responsibility for database maintenance to specific team members to maintain accountability.
Ready to improve your hiring outcomes? Let Newbury Partners optimize your Bullhorn system
Clean, accurate data in your Bullhorn platform dramatically improves recruiting efficiency and placement success. When your database functions optimally, your entire staffing operation benefits from faster searches, better matches, and more reliable business intelligence.
Newbury Partners specializes in helping staffing firms transform their tech stack, including maximizing their Bullhorn investment through expert optimization and customization. Contact us today to start optimizing your Bullhorn system.
Reference
1. Using Data to Make Better Hires. (2023, December 21). Society for Human Resource Management. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/talent-acquisition/using-data-to-make-better-hires
