The Biggest Data Mistake Staffing Firms Make: Ignoring How Candidates Are Contacted

Why Documenting Outreach Matters

Many staffing firms focus on keeping their candidate records up to date—adding new resumes, updating job history, and refreshing contact information. But one crucial detail often gets overlooked: how candidates are contacted.

Without tracking outreach methods, firms lose valuable insights into what works, leading to wasted effort, repeated mistakes, and missed placements. Knowing which contact methods lead to successful engagement is just as important as maintaining accurate candidate data.

The Impact of Ignoring Contact Methods

Failing to document outreach can lead to several challenges:

• Recruiters waste time calling bad numbers repeatedly
• Teams unknowingly contact candidates through ineffective channels
• No visibility into which communication methods yield the best results
• Difficulty in measuring recruiter productivity and outreach efficiency

By tracking contact methods and logging results, firms can refine their outreach strategies and improve placement rates.

How Tracking Contact Methods Helps Firms Measure Success

To optimize candidate outreach, staffing firms should track:

1. Which contact method was used (Call, text, email, LinkedIn message, etc.)
2. When the outreach happened (Date and time logs)
3. The outcome (Successful contact, left voicemail, wrong number, etc.)
4. Follow-up actions (Scheduled callback, additional email, moved to inactive status, etc.)

This data provides insights into which methods lead to real conversations, allowing firms to:

• Prioritize the most effective communication channels
• Improve recruiter efficiency by eliminating redundant outreach
• Identify patterns in candidate responsiveness
• Demonstrate ROI on outreach efforts

Best Practices for Logging Phone Call Success Rates in Bullhorn

Bullhorn provides powerful tools to track and analyze outreach data. Here’s how firms can ensure they are documenting communication effectively:

1. Use the Activity Tab to Log Every Call

• Each time a recruiter makes a call, they should log the details in Bullhorn’s Activity Tab.
• Include the phone number used, the outcome, and any next steps.
• Use consistent terminology to categorize outreach attempts (e.g., "Left Voicemail," "Connected – No Interest," "Interested – Follow-Up Scheduled").

2. Leverage Custom Fields for Tracking Contact Preferences

• Create a custom field to track a candidate’s preferred contact method (Phone, Text, Email, LinkedIn, etc.).
• Update this field based on actual recruiter experience to improve future outreach.

3. Implement Automated Reports on Contact Success

• Use Bullhorn’s reporting features to analyze outreach effectiveness.
• Track which methods lead to successful placements and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Identify which recruiters are most effective in outreach and share best practices across the team.

4. Separate Validated and Invalid Phone Numbers

• Use a dedicated text block to log phone numbers that are confirmed to work.
• Mark bad numbers as inactive instead of deleting them to prevent repeated mistakes.
• Maintain an internal list of disconnected or incorrect numbers to avoid wasted outreach.

The Bottom LineTracking candidate contact methods isn’t just an administrative task—it’s a competitive advantage. By properly logging outreach in Bullhorn, staffing firms can:

✅ Reduce wasted effort on bad contact info
✅ Improve recruiter efficiency and productivity
✅ Gain insights into which communication channels work best
✅ Increase placements by ensuring the right candidates get contacted the right way

‍If your firm isn’t tracking how candidates are contacted, you’re leaving valuable data—and potential hires—on the table. Start implementing these best practices today and turn your outreach efforts into measurable success.