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Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting Review

editors choice horizontal
4.5
Outstanding
Updated May 25, 2019

The Bottom Line

Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting's comprehensive feature set and intuitive controls make it one of the best applicant tracking systems on the market. Well worth it for enterprise customers, but steep pricing might rule it out for smaller businesses.

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Pros

  • Superb user interface.
  • Seamless integration with Gmail and Outlook.
  • Intuitive features like a bowling alley layout for efficient and easy data input.

Cons

  • Lacks iOS or Android mobile applications.
  • Premium pricing limits it to enterprise users.

Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting Specs

Free Trial
Annual Pricing Discounts
24/7 Support
Unlimited User Option
Android App
iOS App
Google Synch
Outlook Synch
Custom Email Templates
LinkedIn Recruiter Integration
Goal / Task Tracking

Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting, which starts at $99 per user per month, is an applicant tracking (AT) system that combines unlimited customizations and an attractive user interface (UI). It's a great example of human resources software and management (HRMS) tool that provides a centralized dashboard for a businesses' activities. Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting is an easy Editors' Choice selection thanks to its ability to deliver on most hiring manager's needs. Great integration with Bullhorn's wider suite of products, and compatibility with Salesforce Automation Software, pushes it over the top for businesses that require those integrations. It is a solid standalone choice for enterprises that don't need to tie all of their HR needs in one tool.

If you're specifically looking for an AT tool but you'd like something that jibes nicely with your CRM and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, then consider a system such as Zoho Recruit, which is multifaceted and can span an entire organization's technology ecosystem. However, if you're more interested in a standalone AT tool, then you should consider BambooHR and Workable, both of which offer everything you'll need to find, interview, and hire new candidates.

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Expensive Price, Amazing System

Unlike other systems such as JobScore (Visit Site at JobScore) , Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting doesn't offer a free Starter plan. If you want to test the system, you'll have to sign up for a free trial. If you decide to buy only the AT system (as opposed to buying into the whole Bullhorn CRM ecosystem), then Bullhorn has three editions from which to choose: Team, Corporate, and Enterprise. Pricing starts at $99 per user per month for the Team edition, which can handle up to 10 users. The Corporate edition can handle up to 100 users and the Enterprise edition can have an unlimited number of users and any/all advanced features.

Corporate and Enterprise pricing is customizable depending on how many team members and projects you'd like to manage within the system. If you opt for the Team edition, you'll lose out on some awesome features, including email gadgets (more on this later), LinkedIn integrations, and unlimited data storage. Even the Corporate edition has its limitations as customizable dashboards, lead tracking, and application programming interface (API) access are available only at the Enterprise level. Bullhorn would not provide me with more specific pricing information.

This price structure is probably going to discourage small businesses. For example, Workable (Visit Site at Workable) offers seven different plans, from the $39 per month Starter plan to the $399 Enterprise plan. For five jobs, Workable costs $129 per month for up to 50 users, and for 20 jobs, you'll pay about $300 per month (but you'll be able to include an unlimited number of users). Conversely, Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting will cost $300 per month for only three users at its most basic plan. That's before add-ons. This is not your mom and pop's AT system.

BullHorn 2019

Easy Job Creation and Candidate Recruitment

Each job listing is posted in reverse chronological order, descending from the top to the bottom of the Jobs window depending on when the job was added to the system. When you click into the job, you'll see an overview including the allotted salary, the company or department to which the job belongs, and the skills required for acceptable candidates. In order to navigate between additional job windows, such as the accompanying notes or analytics, you'll have to click into a new tab. However, you can send emails, schedule interviews, and add files via a drop-down menu in the window's upper right-hand corner.

Like JobScore, creating job listings is as easy as using a Word document. You'll click Add Job, which sends you to a notepad-style field. You'll create the job in a basic content management system (CMS) and add relevant information via fields (information such as job title, category, and contact).

Once the job is created, you can click "Find Matching Candidates" and the system will source possible candidates within every single job board to which you are registered. Once you click into each candidate's profile, you can send a templated email to specific candidates or you can send a mass email to every candidate in the list. This is one of the cooler features you'll find on any AT system.

Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting - These are examples of dashboard cards.

Drag, Drop, and "Slide Out"

Designed around the needs of in-house corporate HR teams as larger recruitment firms handling the staffing needs from multiple organizations, Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting is a dense system. It offers with near unlimited customization options and various touches that make things easier for HR managers. Logging into the system presents users with a dashboard made up of "cards" (i.e. windows) which make it easy to add, edit, and move entries. Cards can be any page within your system, including new job pages, analytics sheets, your calendar, etc. This allows users to get an overview of everything that is happening within the system's dashboard in one go.

In addition to finding candidates via searches through job boards, you can also easily onboard new recruits via a drag-and-drop mechanism that connects to your Gmail and Microsoft Outlook ($106.08 at Amazon) accounts (Enterprise-level only). Because Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting integrates so neatly with Microsoft and Google, you can simply click "Add Candidate" within your email account to pull a candidate's resume and cover letter into the tool, without leaving your email page. Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting's Gmail and Microsoft Outlook integrations track all relevant email communication, which allows you to see when candidates were emailed. The system will even recommend the best time to email candidates based on previous response times (available at all levels).

Candidate and job lists are easily sortable. No need to scroll and click ad nauseam. With Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting, simply use one of the many available fields to filter and narrow your options. Got too many fields or don't have enough? You can easily drag and drop to add or delete fields from your view.

Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting - This is an example of Calendar view.

One feature I really enjoyed is "Slide Out," which lets you view candidates and jobs without having to leave the original menu you were navigating. For example, if you see someone who might be a fit for a specific position, simply click the binoculars on the left-hand side and a window will pop out to the right of your screen. From within that new window, you can communicate, take actions, and view past activities. Want to go back to the previous screen? Click the "X" and the Slide Out window will disappear.

My favorite Bullhorn feature is its bowling alley layout. This system element automatically tracks and saves all your tasks along the left-hand side of your dashboard. So, if you bounce around between tasks, the layout creates tabs for everything you do. For example, if you're in the process of entering a new job, a tab will be created called "New Job." But if you decide to enter a new candidate, when you click "Add Candidate," rather than closing out the job tab, the system will just create a new window called "Add Candidate." Overwhelmed by tabs? Just cancel out the unnecessary ones. By opening new tabs, Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting is limiting how many times you have to use your web browser to go back and forth between screens; it's also protecting you from accidental clicks that can delete all of your recent inputs.

Everything You Need (at a Hefty Price)

If you're just looking for a database that can store recruit information, then look elsewhere. Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting is the Rolls-Royce of the AT space. It's highly customizable, feature-rich, and a pleasure to navigate.

Its support team is also on the ball. I called Bullhorn support and got through immediately. This happened during business hours so take it with a grain of salt. Although Bullhorn offers 24-hour support, I'm not sure you'll get the same level of service at 3 a.m. that I got at 11 a.m. However, the support technician was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, which is something you won't typically find among the contenders in this space. Although Bullhorn is more expensive than competitors such as Workable and BambooHR, it offers tremendous value for your money, especially if your large enterprise has high volume or data-heavy recruitment needs.

Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting
4.5
Editors' Choice
Pros
  • Superb user interface.
  • Seamless integration with Gmail and Outlook.
  • Intuitive features like a bowling alley layout for efficient and easy data input.
Cons
  • Lacks iOS or Android mobile applications.
  • Premium pricing limits it to enterprise users.
The Bottom Line

Bullhorn Staffing and Recruiting's comprehensive feature set and intuitive controls make it one of the best applicant tracking systems on the market. Well worth it for enterprise customers, but steep pricing might rule it out for smaller businesses.

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About Juan Martinez

Juan Martinez

About Gadjo Sevilla

Gadjo C. Sevilla is Analyst, Business for PCMag. Gadjo has covered various aspects of technology including smartphones, laptops, business solutions, and app ecosystems. He began covering technology and innovation 20 years ago for national newspapers, magazines, and various websites including The Canadian Reviewer, which is a tech enthusiast blog he founded in 2008. Gadjo’s work has appeared globally in various print and online publications including MacWorld Canada, PCWorld Canada, ITBusiness.ca, WhatsYourTech.ca, The Calgary Herald, The Toronto Star, and Metro News. You can follow him on Twitter @gadjosevilla, connect with him on LinkedIn, or email him at [email protected].

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