Bullhorn is a leading ATS for large staffing agencies. But its CV parser often trips up on common formatting issues. Knowing how Bullhorn reads CVs and what causes errors saves you time and frustration. This guide breaks down Bullhorn's parsing rules, file format limits, frequent CV failures, and how to fix them quickly.
TL;DR
Bullhorn's CV parser struggles with tables, images, and complex formatting. It supports DOCX and PDF but prefers clean text and standard layouts. The most common errors come from misread contact details, scrambled sections, and lost skills data. Fixes usually mean stripping tables, removing headers, and sticking to ATS-safe styles. For agencies submitting 20+ CVs weekly, Distill automates this formatting to Bullhorn's spec in 30 seconds.
What is Bullhorn and who uses it
Bullhorn is a cloud-based applicant tracking system widely adopted by staffing agencies across the UK, Australia, and Europe. It's designed for high-volume recruitment, integrating CRM and back-office tools. Bullhorn's users are mainly recruiters handling thousands of CVs monthly and agency owners or operations directors overseeing compliance, efficiency, and ROI.
Recruiters rely on Bullhorn because it centralises candidate data and client communications, but its CV parser isn't perfect. Agency owners appreciate Bullhorn's scalability but need to manage parsing errors that slow down submission workflows and risk compliance issues.
How its CV parser actually works
Bullhorn's parser breaks down CVs into structured data fields—contact info, skills, employment history, education—by scanning document text and layout cues. It uses pattern recognition and keyword searches but has limited ability to interpret complex formatting like tables or embedded images.
The parser prioritises:
- Plain text extraction: Simple line-by-line reading
- Heading detection: To separate sections like 'Experience' or 'Education'
- Contact field extraction: Recognising emails, phone numbers, and names based on regex patterns
It struggles when formatting disrupts this flow. For example:
- Tables confuse the parser because it reads left-to-right, top-to-bottom, and can't interpret multi-column layouts.
- Headers or footers with contact info are often ignored.
- Embedded images or logos can break parsing or insert junk text.
Bullhorn's parser can handle DOCX and PDF but prefers well-structured DOCX files saved without tracked changes or comments.
Supported file formats and limits
Bullhorn accepts CV uploads mainly in:
- DOCX: Best for parsing accuracy. Clean, simple DOCX files work best.
- PDF: Allowed but can cause parsing errors if the PDF is a scan or has complex formatting.
- RTF: Less common, but supported.
Limits and quirks:
- File size should be under 10MB to avoid upload errors.
- Bullhorn doesn't reliably parse tables or text boxes inside DOCX or PDF.
- Embedded fonts or unusual character sets may cause garbled text.
- Multi-page CVs are supported, but long CVs with multiple sections sometimes confuse section detection.
The fix is sticking to a plain DOCX format with paragraphs and bullet points — no tables or text boxes.
The 5 most common CV failures and how to fix them
1. Contact details missing or scrambled
Cause: Contact info placed in headers, footers, or tables.
Fix: Move contact details to the main body at the top of the CV using plain text. Avoid tables or sidebars for name, phone, and email.
2. Experience and education sections merged or jumbled
Cause: Using tables or inconsistent headings.
Fix: Use clear section headers (bold, size 14pt+) on their own line. Avoid tables; separate entries with line breaks and bullet points.
3. Skills list not recognised or lost
Cause: Skills embedded in tables or formatted as images/icons.
Fix: List skills as plain text, separated by commas or bullet points. No graphics or columns.
4. Dates and job titles misaligned or missing
Cause: Dates placed in separate columns or tables.
Fix: Write dates and job titles on the same line or on consecutive lines without columns or tables. Format dates consistently (e.g., "Jan 2020 – Dec 2022").
5. Strange characters or broken formatting
Cause: CV saved with tracked changes, comments, or special fonts.
Fix: Save a "clean" copy with all changes accepted, comments removed, and use standard fonts like Arial or Calibri.
Brand-kit + ATS-safe formatting workflow
For agencies submitting CVs to Bullhorn clients, here's a quick workflow to avoid common parsing errors:
- Start with the candidate's original CV.
- Remove all tables, text boxes, and images.
- Move contact details into a plain-text header section.
- Use standard section headings: Experience, Education, Skills.
- List roles with job title, employer, dates on one or two lines.
- Use bullet points (simple dots) for responsibilities.
- Save as clean DOCX (accept all tracked changes, remove comments).
- Run a quick scan to check for leftover tables or images.
This is time-consuming if done manually for every CV. Distill automates these steps. It strips out tables, photos, graduation years, and reformats CVs to Bullhorn's parser-friendly template in 30 seconds.
FAQ
Does Bullhorn parse PDF CVs as well as DOCX?
No. Bullhorn parses DOCX files more reliably. PDFs, especially scanned or complex ones, often produce errors.
Can Bullhorn parse CVs with tables?
No. Tables scramble the parsing. Always remove tables before upload.
What about CVs with multiple columns?
Multi-column layouts are read linearly, causing mixed-up data. Convert these to single-column text.
How do I check if a CV is Bullhorn-compatible?
Upload a test CV and review parsed output. Look for missing contact info, jumbled experience, or lost skills.
Will cleaning CVs manually waste recruiter time?
Yes, manual cleaning slows recruiters down. That's why automation tools like Distill are worth considering.
If you're regularly submitting CVs to Bullhorn, manual fixes eat into your day. Try Distill free to automate Bullhorn-safe formatting, so every CV you send parses cleanly without rework.