How to Migrate from Bullhorn to Stardex: Full Guide
Oct 28, 2025
Bullhorn is one of the oldest cloud-based software for the staffing and recruitment industry. It’s both a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Applicant Tracking System (ATS) which over the years, has become the go-to platform for recruiters to manage client contacts, placements, job postings, and mass mailing. However, as hiring needs become more complicated, recruiters are finding Bullhorn to be limiting of features that are crucial for the current demands of today’s competitive market.
If you’ve reached the limits of what Bullhorn can provide, this could be the right time for you to see how Stardex can streamline workflow through intuitive AI tools tailored for your recruitment process.
What Recruiters Find Limiting About Bullhorn
While Bullhorn remains one of the most popular tools for the staffing industry, many recruiters, especially those running small to mid-sized search firms, have expressed frustrations about its performance and cost efficiency.
Not AI-native
Founded in the early 2000s, Bullhorn wasn’t originally built as an AI-native platform. While it has recently introduced Bullhorn Copilot, which includes three core categories of AI; Generative, Source and Match, and Directive, it has only launched the first set which is its Generative AI. This AI feature assists with tasks like creating pre-screening questions, drafting rejection messages, creating client pitches, and improving messages which are still early steps toward full AI adoption.
The next set of AI features, Source and Match AI (to help recruiters find and match top candidates) and Directive AI (to suggest next best actions based on past successes) are still in development, leaving Bullhorn behind more modern, AI-native ATS + CRM platforms like Stardex.
Slow and unintuitive UI
Several users reported that Bullhorn’s platform can be “nightmarishly slow” even on high-end computers, making it difficult to operate efficiently as frequent lag during searches or while loading dashboards can disrupt daily workflows.
As one user shared, Bullhorn sometimes slows rather than streamlines recruiting workflows.
On top of the issue with speed, many recruiters describe the interface as clunky and unintuitive with one user noting, “UI is not user-friendly unless you have a developer background.”
Reporting and customization limitations
One of the most common frustrations among Bullhorn users is that its built-in reports are often described as too basic unless you invest in paid add-ons. Recruiters looking for deeper insights find themselves with limited customization options.
As one user noted, “Not fully customizable without having to purchase additional add-ons. For example, getting extra reports can at times cost hundreds of dollars.”
Another user had the same sentiment, “Bullhorn isn’t great for reporting unless you’ve got people who know how to get the most out of it, or if you get Bullhorn Analytics packaged in.”
Indeed, expensive add-ons for features like custom reports and advanced analytics, make it less accessible for smaller firms, especially for those working with limited budgets.
Users who find the built-in reporting underwhelming have expressed candid feedback on what they wish Bullhorn offered, such as easier access to real-time dashboards that show submission ratios, pipeline velocity, or revenue projections.
Resume parsing and search limitations
According to an agency owner who had been using Bullhorn for 9 months, resume parsing can jumble formatting and text, making candidate review tedious, especially for new recruiters. Search accuracy is also inconsistent; misspelled keywords or improperly parsed CVs can prevent qualified candidates from appearing in search results.
As another user shared, “One mistyped character and it fails to find your candidate.”
Here's what semantic search means and why it matters in recruiting.
Limitations on email automation and personalization
Users also pointed out Bullhorn’s limited email automation and personalization features. One recruiter noted that they can't enroll individual candidates into specific email sequences, making targeted outreach difficult. The same user shared that Bullhorn’s automation setup using tearsheets or hotlists doesn’t allow messages to be personalized before sending, and automations don’t automatically stop when a candidate replies, often resulting in awkward or redundant follow-ups.
Not ideal for small firms
Several users noted that Bullhorn is better suited for larger staffing firms than small agencies. Smaller teams would only end up paying for features they don’t need, which is especially true for exec search firms or small agencies that focus on a limited number of high-level placements rather than large-scale volume hiring.
Not ideal for search firms
Bullhorn's biggest advantage is on the staffing industry, not in executive search or professional search. This means that it has deep integrations with a large ecosystem payroll and benefits providers, which is not relevant in the world of executive search. If you care about deeply evaluating candidates and providing a top quality experience for your clients, Bullhorn wasn't built for your needs.
How does Stardex enhance your recruitment workflow from top to bottom?
Stardex offers end-to-end flexibility across the recruitment process with customizable pipelines and client-ready reports tailored to each workflow. It allows recruiters to seamlessly connect emails, calendars, and messaging apps in one integrated platform, eliminating the need to constantly switch between different tools.
Pipeline customization tailored to your hiring process
With Stardex, search firms can build pipelines that mirror their exact hiring stages from sourcing to screening, interviews, or client reviews. It offers a flexible table view for all your data which means the platform adapts to your workflow instead of forcing you to adapt to it. Unlike Bullhorn, which tends to only work better for larger firms with multiple departments and complex structures, Stardex is built to stay intuitive and customizable even for smaller teams that need agility, not complexity.
AI agents that take care of recruiters’ admin work
Search firms lose countless hours to repetitive admin work, but Stardex automates much of this. Its AI agents handle tasks such as auto-tagging candidates, generating candidate reports, and updating records with the latest company or career changes. AI features like bulk imports with automatic field mapping, duplicate resolution, and “last engagement” tracking ensure no detail slips through the cracks. By taking care of these admin tasks, Stardex directly offers a solution to Bullhorn users who are tired of doing manual workarounds such as one staffing agency owner who ended up getting rid of Bullhorn, citing too much data entry.
Automated outreach emails and follow-ups
Stardex automates candidate communication at every stage. You can set up AI personalized outreach emails, schedule reminders, and let the system send follow-ups based on candidate engagement signals, reducing manual admin and ensuring no candidate slips through the cracks. Unlike Bullhorn, where users often struggle with the limitations in email automation, Stardex has smart customizable engagement tools built in at no extra cost making targeted outreach more effective.
Real-time dashboards and custom reports for transparency
Stardex gives recruiters live visibility into their pipelines with real-time dashboards. For client-facing work, you can generate branded reports that clearly show progress, candidate status, and overall performance making it easier to prove value and speed up hiring decisions. This directly addresses the frustrations of many users who find Bullhorn’s built-in reports too basic or locked behind expensive add-ons. Stardex provides fully customizable reporting and analytics allowing recruiters to easily track submission ratios, pipeline velocity, and revenue projections all without needing tech expertise.
What does the migration from Bullhorn to Stardex involve?
Switching from Bullhorn is less complicated than you might think. Stardex provides a guided ATS migration process that keeps your data safe and ensures your team is supported every step of the way. Here’s how it works:
Getting started and planning
Stardex begins with a deep dive into your firm’s goals, workflows, and current setup. This ensures the migration is structured around how your recruiters already work, so the transition feels seamless. We will ask for access to Bullhorn via API key, or a full export of data, and give you a firm timeline so you feel confident in the process.
Checking and mapping your data
We will audit existing records to pro and suggest any clean up of your database. We will do an initial mapping review call to clarify and get your feedback. This step helps maintain data accuracy and ensures candidate histories are carried over without gaps.
Pulling in an initial sample
We will pull in an initial sample of data (typically 5%) into your account. You will then review it. We will spot check records as well to confirm all data related to each candidate, job and company is properly pulled in (including notes, stage changes history and documents/ resumes). Once that looks good, only then we will actually do the full migration.
Migrating the full data
Once aligned, we will migrate the full data. This can take 1-3 days depending on the amount of data your firm might have in Bullhorn.
Customizing with other tools
Stardex team assists in tailoring the platform to your agency’s needs, from setting up templates and automation rules to enabling integrations with tools like email, calendars, LinkedIn, and Zapier.
Orientation
Your team will receive guided training sessions and access to live support, helping them quickly adapt to Stardex’s workflows with confidence. The platform is designed to be intuitive, so no one is left struggling to figure it out.
Launching
Once your platform is live, Stardex continues to provide support to help you refine your workflows, answering questions, and ensuring you see value from the platform right away.
What Changes After Switching to Stardex?
Smarter AI candidate search
Stardex helps recruiters unlock the full potential of their database. Its AI semantic search agent resurfaces candidates, parses resumes automatically, and applies advanced filters across work history, education, and skills. Recruiters can even search within resumes, surfacing the right candidates faster without manual digging.
With Stardex’s semantic search, you can find qualified candidates even when job titles or skills are phrased differently. It understands context, not just keywords to help you find hidden talent and make better use of your database without the search frustrations common in Bullhorn.
Advanced automation that eliminates busywork
Beyond outreach, Stardex’s AI agents handle repetitive tasks like engagement tracking so recruiters never miss a follow-up and spend less time on admin, freeing them to focus on candidate and client relationships.
Flexible pipelines that fit your process
Where Bullhorn users often found the interface unintuitive, Stardex lets recruiters design pipelines that mirror their unique hiring process from sourcing to screening to client feedback. This eliminates the need for manual workaround and ensures the system adapts to you, not the other way around.
Smarter reporting system
Bullhorn’s limited reporting often left many recruiters frustrated, Stardex changes that with fully customizable dashboards and branded client-ready reports that clearly communicate progress, candidate status, and performance metrics. This makes client updates faster and more professional.
FAQs on Migrating from Bullhorn to Stardex
Will I lose data during migration?
No. Stardex includes thorough data mapping and validation to protect every candidate record.
Is Stardex difficult to learn?
Not at all. It’s designed for intuitive use, and onboarding support helps teams adapt quickly.
Do I need to change my workflows?
No. Stardex customizes your process, not the other way around.
What support is provided after migration?
You’ll have continuous support, training refreshers, and optimization sessions.
Looking for a Smarter Recruitment Platform?
Bullhorn Copilot may show promise but Stardex AI is already delivering what recruiters need right now, from seamless AI automations to smart candidate matching, and flexible integrations that streamline your workflow instead of slowing it down.
Bullhorn may have been a strong starting point, but for recruiters ready to scale, Stardex offers AI recruitment solutions needed to stay ahead in today’s competitive market.
If you’re ready to move from Bullhorn or another ATS, book a demo today and see how Stardex can make your workflow smoother and your hiring stronger.
