Recruitment business development can often feel like a mystery. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach and often the biggest growth opportunities are hidden in the areas we haven’t explored yet.

With today’s shifting market, changing client needs, and the fast pace of technology, recruiters have a choice: continue with the familiar, or lean into discovering the unknown.

Here’s how the smartest agencies are uncovering hidden business development (BD) opportunities, and where you should focus next.

Why business development is a top priority right now

The importance of BD has never been clearer. JobAdder’s recent Recruitment Benchmarking Report found that 63% of agencies want to invest more in business development this year, yet only 5% say they are completely happy with their current strategy. In fact, 20% expressed serious concerns about their performance, highlighting a huge opportunity for improvement.

Interestingly, while most agencies agree that BD is vital, 30% admitted their strategy is simply “investment in BD” without much specificity. This shows that while the desire is strong, many recruiters are still trying to figure out how to do it.

Those who will succeed in this environment are the ones willing to go deeper, to uncover what’s working, what’s not, and where the next big opportunities lie.

Candidates are your hidden business development allies

One of the most overlooked sources of business intelligence is your candidates. As emphasised in our 2024 BDX Summit Magazine, candidates can offer incredible insights into:

• Which companies are growing and which ones are struggling.
• Hiring practices that need improvement.
• Emerging trends in candidate expectations.
  

Through your candidate interview questions, you can gather information that can strategically guide your BD efforts. A simple insight from a candidate, such as a company expanding its team or struggling with hiring, could be your next big client opportunity.

And don’t overlook rejected offers. If a candidate turns down a role, that’s a potential lead. That company still has a need you can fill, making this the perfect time to reach out.

Building better business development strategies

There’s no shortage of ways to improve BD strategies, but the best agencies are moving beyond generic investments and focusing on targeted improvements.

In our Benchmarking Report, recruitment firms reported a variety of methods for building stronger BD strategies:

• 30% are investing in BD overall.
• 23% are adopting new technology.
• 23% are expanding into new markets.
• 22% are diversifying services.
• 21% are upskilling and training teams.
  

This shows that while some are still general in their approach, a growing number are embracing more specific and adaptive strategies. The agencies that will stand out from the competition are the ones that combine tech innovation, market expansion, and team development into a cohesive BD plan.

Measuring success in business development

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. This area, while critical, is one that many agencies are still evolving in.

According to our Benchmarking Report, the most common metrics agencies use to measure BD success are:

• Number of contracts or placements secured (51%).
• Number of new clients (46%).
• Number of client meetings or calls (36%).
  

Revenue growth and lead conversion rates are also popular, but significantly fewer agencies are tracking client retention or sales cycle length. This means that many recruiters are missing key opportunities to optimise long-term performance.

Beyond raw numbers, keeping an eye on your quality metrics (like client satisfaction, time to place, and referral rates) can give you a competitive edge and improve your BD outcomes.

What tools are leading the way?

In today’s landscape, digital tools dominate, but you may be surprised to learn that old-school methods still reign supreme for effectiveness.

Our Benchmarking Report found that the most commonly used tools are:

• LinkedIn (88%).
• Emails (77%).
• Telephone calls (73%).
• CRM systems (57%).
  

But when it comes to effectiveness, telephone calls come out on top, nearly twice as impactful as LinkedIn.

This underscores a powerful lesson: technology is critical for efficiency, but genuine human connection still wins business. A hybrid approach – that is, combining digital outreach with personalised, relationship-driven follow-ups – is what separates high-performing agencies from the rest.

Mastering the unknown in business development

In a market where 95% of agencies know their BD strategies could be better, the recruiters who succeed will be those who aren’t afraid to explore the unknown. That means:

• Asking better questions of your candidates.
• Combining tech adoption with traditional relationship building.
• Measuring the right KPIs to track and celebrate progress.
• Staying agile and always looking for the next hidden opportunity.
  

At JobAdder, we’re passionate about helping recruitment agencies uncover and master their own “X” factor in business development. That’s why our annual BDX Summit explores these strategies even deeper. 

Join us for our 2025 BDX Summit on Wednesday 18 June 8.30am–12.30pm (AEST and BST) and see how you can turn the unknown into your next big competitive advantage.
Grab your spot today – register for our ANZ BDX Summit or UK BDX Summit.