Tired of competing by lowering fees? Then be different.
Barry Asin (Staffing Industry Analysts) calls platformification the industry’s “make‑or‑break wave.”
When Tony Moore invited me onto his jobTopia podcast, we joked that every sales team in staffing is hunting for a Trojan horse—a clever way to roll past a client’s locked gates and prove value before the competition even knows you’re inside. Our hour‑long chat made one thing clear: Engage360 is that Trojan horse. Here’s the full story and why agencies are embracing the platform.
Post‑COVID Staffing Reality (and Alabama Humidity)
We kicked off with the obligatory “Is it hot enough for you?” before diving into shrinking margins and clients convinced they can DIY hiring. Relationships still matter, but “easy to do business with online” is now table stakes.
Agencies need tech that lets them keep their white‑glove appeal without adding headcount.
From Intentional Agency to Platform Builder
Boulo Solutions started as a boutique recruiter focused on flexible work for moms and caregivers. To scale that mission, we built internal tools that married human insight with tech efficiency.
Those tools—refined alongside clients who demanded sophisticated simplicity—evolved into Engage360.
Today, what began as “just AI” has become a modular client‑experience platform agencies can deploy at their own pace
What Engage360 Really Is (Three Pillars)
Engage360 let’s your team live inside your existing ATS and grows outward in three logical steps:
- Recruiter AI (Crawl) – Our skill‑first engine mines your database in seconds, ranking hidden candidates who’d never surface through your ATS’s search capabilities.
- Client Portal (Walk) – A branded, self‑serve workspace where hiring managers review those AI‑ranked shortlists, schedule interviews, and track progress the way they track Amazon packages. Fewer “status update?” emails—more placements.
- Talent Marketplace + Analytics (Run) – Roll your silver‑medal talent into a live community to monetize again and again.
Deploy one pillar or all three—either way, the learning curve is short.
The Trojan‑Horse Entry Point
Here’s where strategy meets psychology:
Here’s where strategy meets psychology: HR teams keep budget for job postings, yet they hesitate to approve agency fees or onboard new vendors.
Engage360 sneaks in as an “enhanced job‑board package” driven by AI matching. Once live, the portal and marketplace reveal themselves as indispensable. By the time procurement catches up, you’re no longer a vendor—you’re the infrastructure.
Why Agencies Can’t Get Enough
Instant Differentiation – They are finally able to meet the companies wherever their budgets are for each role. Want self-serve? Fine. Want full-service recruiting? Great!
Capacity Multiplier – AI handles the first 80% of sorting; recruiters spend time selling and being thought leaders with the clients.
Fee Flexibility – Blend subscription, performance, and marketplace revenue instead of living on 20% contingency alone.
Stickier Clients – Self‑serve portal = higher NPS; marketplace = recurring revenue you keep even when requisitions pause.
Why Clients Keep Logging In
Speed & Visibility – Log in and instantly see the status of every open role. Candidate résumés and the notes on why they’re a great fit live in one view, and all feedback stays attached to each profile—so no one repeats the same mistake twice.
Quality – Transferable‑skill matching finds candidates that traditional parsing tools miss.
Future‑Proofing – Managers build evergreen talent pools that outlive a single requisition.
Who Sees the Fastest ROI?
Agencies between $10M–$100M in annual revenue—especially those balancing high‑volume commercial roles with contingency search—see payback inside a single quarter. They’re big enough to feel the pain, nimble enough to act.
Platformization Is Inevitable—Start on Your Terms
Barry Asin (Staffing Industry Analysts) calls platformification the industry’s “make‑or‑break wave.” Engage360 is your surfboard: start with database‑mining AI, layer on the client portal when the team’s ready, then open the marketplace to monetize sleepers. Crawl, walk, run—ready when you are.
Take the Next Step
Curious how the Trojan horse could roll into your toughest prospect? Listen to the full episode here. Ready for a hands‑on demo (spoiler: it’s fast)? Reach out or visit Engage360.
Because when every competitor claims “relationships,” the real differentiator is understanding what your client really wants – quick, easy and effective. Engage360 makes it happen—one Trojan horse at a time.