Bullhorn Engage 2025 made one thing clear: the firms that thrive in today’s market aren’t waiting for conditions to improve; they’re strategically investing in technology to build smarter and more adaptable operations today.
From practical use cases for AI to field-tested automation strategies, this year’s sessions reinforced a simple truth: success isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing better (with systems, tools, and workflows that help your team perform at its best). In addition to taking an epic number of selfies, I pulled together seven key takeaways and actions from Bullhorn Engage to help you build a future-ready tech strategy.
1. Invest in Technology That Scales Without Headcount
In his keynote, Bullhorn CEO Art Papas emphasized a structural shift: businesses aren’t massively hiring or laying off, they’re maintaining. That means growth will depend on productivity, not headcount.
Panelists in the “AI Champions” session shared how staffing firms are using AI not to replace recruiters, but to make them sharper. One shared how an AI assistant identified a qualified candidate with Neo4J experience that wasn't even on their resume, a skill that a human recruiter might never have found.
Action: Look for technologies that enhance recruiter output. Start by identifying repetitive, manual tasks that slow your team down, and then pilot AI or automation that can handle them.
2. Adopt a 'Now, Not Later' Mindset
Papas urged leaders to stop asking when the market will bounce back and start optimizing for today’s conditions. With 87% of employers calling contingent staffing a strategic part of their workforce (McKinsey Global Institute), demand is steady, even if it looks different.
Action: Shift your strategy from reactive to proactive. Use your current tools to create speed, flexibility, and insight, whether that’s through redeployment automation, talent pooling, enhanced client reporting, or tightening your back office operations.
3. Start with AI—Progress Over Perfection
Many staffing leaders hesitate to implement AI because of imperfect data. But as discussed in “AI Champions,” perfection shouldn’t block technology adoption. Early use cases, like meeting prep or automated job posts, are easy wins that don’t rely on flawless data.
Erik Snyder shared that his team got early buy-in by having a core group test features first, focusing on removing pain points. The result? Fast adoption and momentum.
Action: Begin with one narrow, high-impact use case. Deploy an AI assistant for content creation, job ad writing, or internal comms to build internal confidence without overwhelming the team.
For large projects, data cleanliness is essential, so put practices in place today that will set you up for success in the future.
4. Fix Your Candidate Journey with Automation
Candidates today expect personalized, timely communication, but they also want it to feel genuine and not automated. That’s hard to scale. In the “Automation All-Stars” panel, Amy Slager shared a 24% click rate from automated text messages. At the same time, Erin Fryar spoke about automated campaigns that reduce ghosting and re-engage dormant talent.
Action: Map the touchpoints where candidate communication stalls. Use automation to fill in the gap with reminders, check-ins, and re-engagement messages. These continuous touchpoints enhance the candidate experience from start to finish.
5. Prioritize End-User Buy-In Over Top-Down Rollouts
You can’t build a tech-forward culture without end-user trust. Several panelists shared that long-term success came not from leadership mandates but from empowering recruiters to help shape how tools are used.
Caitlin Garavalia described how using internal beta groups gave teams ownership. Once they began to see success, those stories naturally spread throughout the organization more authentically and organically than training alone could have achieved.
Action: Identify a few highly engaged team members to test new tools and workflows. Focus on solving their real problems, then empower them to evangelize the wins.
6. Clean, Consistent Data Is a Competitive Advantage
Jonah Rader put it plainly: “Data health is your goldmine.” AI and automation only work seamlessly when the data feeding them is accurate and consistent. The challenge? Most teams haven’t built strong habits around maintaining it.
Action: Launch a 30-day initiative to tackle one area of data hygiene, like updating candidate statuses or cleaning client contact records. Integrate this into ongoing workflows so it becomes second nature, rather than a one-time project.
7. Technology Only Works When Your Workflows Do
Panelists like Chris Arrigali and Ryan Gemmill emphasized that successful tech adoption hinges on thoughtful processes. Technology isn’t a strategy, it’s an enabler of a good one.
Ryan outlined three pillars for automation: recruiter efficiency, recruiter marketing, and data hygiene, but noted that automation only works when it supports well-defined workflows.
Action: Audit your existing workflows before layering on new tools. Where are delays or bottlenecks happening? Use this insight to prioritize the systems or platforms that will solve real business problems. Even better, find a technology partner that will help you sort it out, apply best practices, and streamline for you. Cartwheel does this for the back-office workflows of staffing organizations.
Final Thought
From AI to automation, the message from Engage 2025 was clear: technology isn’t just a support function; if part of a larger strategy, it can be your competitive edge. It’s not about chasing trends or adding more tools just for the sake of it. It’s about selecting the right tech stack to power better workflows, stronger candidate experiences, tighter business operations, and smarter decisions.
This is your moment to align your tools with your strategy and build a tech-enabled firm that can thrive in any market.
Curious about how you can leverage accounts receivable automation to support your strategic growth goals and streamline your back office? Book some time with me!
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