Edition: All Editions Audience: All Users

Metrics Explained

Metrics are at the heart of Bullhorn Analytics. They determine the data displayed in your dashboards, KPIs, and performance reports. By understanding how metrics work, you can use Analytics more effectively to:

  • Measure activity

  • Monitor outcomes

  • Apply insights to improve business decisions

The features available for metrics vary by edition. To confirm your edition, contact your Bullhorn Account Manager or review your original contract.

Metric Field Mapping

Field mapping determines how data flows from your Bullhorn ATS to the Analytics platform and is typically performed during implementation. You cannot view or edit field mappings within your Bullhorn Analytics application.

To review your organization's specific field mappings, please contact Bullhorn Support.

Metrics Admin Permission by Analytics Edition

Your ability to create or modify metrics depends on your company's Bullhorn Analytics edition and whether you have Metrics Admin permission. To make changes to metrics, you need Metrics Admin permission. This is set in Users Admin by your Bullhorn Analytics administrator. For detailed instructions, see Setting App and Admin Permissions.

The table below breaks down what metric updates you can make in Metrics Admin.

Feature Purpose Starter Edition Growth & Corporate Editions Enterprise Edition
Managing Metric Names, Visibility, and Column Layouts

Manage metric display names, visibility, and column layouts. Includes instructions for column mirroring and performing bulk updates.

 No Yes Yes
Metric Ordering

Set the display sequence for Priority Metrics and Slice and Dice reports to highlight your most critical KPIs.

 No Yes Yes

Master Metrics

Select the most relevant metric to serve as the official 'Source of Truth' for each KPI category.

No

Yes

Yes

Metric Explanations

Document the logic and context behind your metrics to ensure consistent data interpretation across the business.

 No Yes Yes

Creating and Editing Metrics

Access, create, and edit custom metrics by building new calculations or modifying existing logic to meet unique business requirements.

 No No Yes

How Metrics Work

Metrics in Bullhorn Analytics provide a complete audit trail of user activity. They are built on data pulled from your Bullhorn fields and use specific filters and logic to determine what to include or exclude. Results can be displayed as total figures or unique counts.

By tracking every key action, from adding records and logging notes to scheduling interviews and processing placements, they answer three fundamental questions:

  • Who: The user responsible for the activity. This data can be aggregated by team, department, or the entire business.

  • What: The specific action taken, such as adding a candidate, scheduling an interview, or making a placement.

  • When: The timestamp of the activity, including record creation dates, interview times, or placement start dates.

Analytics also considers associated records (e.g., a Job record linked to a Contact, Company, or Opportunity record) and fields within these records. Correct field mapping from other Bullhorn products to Analytics is essential for accurate metrics.

Field mapping is typically performed during implementation. Clients cannot view field mappings directly in Analytics. To review your field mapping, contact Bullhorn Support.

Metric Filters

Filters help you focus on the data that matters most, making your metrics more meaningful and easier to analyze. By narrowing results, you can quickly gain insights into specific activities or outcomes.

Examples of using Filters:

  • A metric for interviews could be filtered to only show “Second Stage” interviews

  • A metric for placements could be filtered to only include “Contract” placements

  • Job records can be filtered by job priority, such as “Hot Job” or “A Grade”

You can also:

  • Combine filter conditions with AND or OR logic

  • Nest filter groups up to three levels deep for complex reporting needs

Only Enterprise Edition Metrics Admin users can directly update metric filters. Note that some metrics are system-locked and cannot be edited, duplicated, or inherited regardless of permissions. If you see the message "This metric cannot be edited, duplicated or inherited from this page," contact Bullhorn Support.

Types of Metrics

Understanding the different types of metrics helps you select the best option for tracking activities and outcomes.

Scorecard Metrics

Scorecard metrics track activity logged within the specific time frame selected in your report. These are the most common metrics.

Examples: Candidates Added, Total Placements, Client Calls

Live Metrics

Live metrics always reflect the current state of your data, regardless of the report date or time frame you choose. Unlike scorecard metrics, they always show today’s situation.

Examples: Live Jobs, Pending Interviews

Even if you set a time frame filter to “last month”, Live metrics will still only display today's numbers.

Simple Sum Metrics

Simple Sum metrics perform simple addition and subtraction calculations across two or more existing metrics. Multiplication and division are not supported.

Metrics being combined must share the same data type: currency, decimal, or integer, to produce a usable result. Metrics with different data types cannot be combined.

Example: Contract Starters – Contract Finishers = Net Contractors

Simple Sum metrics can be used for internal competitions where different activities are assigned points. For example you could assign 5 points for a first interview, 10 points for an offer etc.

Ratio Metrics

Ratio metrics divide one metric by another to show a relationship or conversion rate between them.

Example: 2 Placements ÷ 10 First Interviews = 20%

Ratios can be displayed as a normalised ratio (e.g., 1:5), a fraction (e.g., 3/10), a decimal (e.g., 0.2), an absolute ratio (e.g., 2:10), or a percentage (e.g., 20%).

Actionable Insight Metrics

Actionable Insight metrics combine existing metrics to reveal gaps in activity. By comparing results against each other they highlight missing actions that may require attention. Each edition includes a limited number of standard Actionable Insight metrics.

Example: Live Jobs added in the last 14 days with no CV sent

Additional Actionable Insight metrics are available for Enterprise Edition users upon request. However, as these non-default metrics may require advanced coding they could incur extra charges. Contact Bullhorn Support for more information.

Managing Data in Metrics

Accurate metrics depend on proper field mapping and data organization. Understanding how fields flow into Analytics helps ensure your metrics are meaningful, accurate, and aligned with your reporting needs.

Columns and Field Mapping

Fields from other Bullhorn products flow into Analytics as "columns". Each metric is built from one or more of these columns, which display additional data when you click into a metric.

Examples:

  • Telephone fields map to Telephone columns.

  • Status fields map to Status columns.

  • Custom fields map to custom Analytics columns (if configured).

As a Metrics Admin, you can choose to display, hide, or reorder these columns.

Enterprise Edition users with custom fields must have those fields mapped to Analytics columns before they can be used as metrics. Contact Bullhorn Support for help setting these up.

How Employment Types are Mapped

Clients define their full set of employment type values (e.g., Perm, Contract, Temp-to-Perm, Executive, Direct Hire etc.) within the field mapping of their Bullhorn ATS/CRM system.

For standardized reporting and to ensure Bullhorn Analytics correctly calculates the value of your placements, all these client-defined values are consolidated into one of two mandatory groupings (or "buckets").

The assignment of an employment type to a group is determined by the financial calculation methodology, not the term itself. Identifying the underlying fee structure is essential for correct determination:

  1. Permanent / Direct Hire: Used for employment types where the fee structure results in a one-time, lump sum placement fee (e.g., Fee % * Salary)

  2. Contract: Used for employment types where the fee structure results in a running revenue stream based on duration and margin

A Fixed Term Contract employment type that calculates Billing Value based on a fixed fee (or Salary * Fee %) should be mapped to the Permanent / Direct Hire bucket, as it mirrors the financial structure of a permanent placement.

This client-defined mapping determines which corresponding metrics in Analytics are populated with the data:

  • Any employment type mapped as Permanent/Direct Hire feeds into all permanent-related metrics in Analytics (e.g., Perm Placements, Perm Sales, Perm Starters).

  • Any employment type mapped as Contract feeds into all contract-related metrics (e.g., Contract Placements, Contract Starters).

Additional Data

If you use the Analytics Enterprise Edition, you can request to add specific ATS fields as Additional Data in your Analytics application. This feature lets you include up to 10 fields per entity that aren’t part of the standard Analytics mapping, giving you greater flexibility to view and report on custom or unique data points.

For example, you can use Additional Data for fields such as Job Subcategories or other custom text fields not available in Analytics by default. Once configured by Bullhorn Support, these fields appear together in a single Additional Data Column for viewing in your Analytics application.

Additional Data fields cannot be used to filter metrics.

Working with Additional Data

After your Additional Data fields are mapped:

  • Add your new Additional Data column to the relevant metric(s). See Managing Metric Names, Visibility, and Column Layouts.

    • The column will appear when you clickthrough into the metric from OneView and is always shown on the far right of the clickthrough view.

  • You can show, hide or filter Additional Data fields in Slice & Dice reports and Dashboards.

Only Enterprise Edition users have access to the Additional Data feature. To find out which ATS fields can be used as Additional Data or to request setup, contact Bullhorn Support.

FAQ

Can I create my own metrics?

Yes, if you are an Enterprise Edition Metrics Admin user in Bullhorn Analytics, you can create or request new metrics.

If you’re using the Starter, Growth, or Corporate Edition, you cannot create custom metrics, but you will have access to all the standard metrics included in your edition.

Who can adjust metrics?

Only Enterprise Edition Metrics Admin users can adjust metrics directly.

I’m on Starter, Growth, or Corporate Edition. How can I make changes?

Metric configuration in these editions is limited. See the table in the Metrics Admin Permission by Analytics Edition section above for information on what changes are available within your edition.

Can I change my Analytics field mapping from Bullhorn ATS?

No. Field mapping is set up during implementation and isn’t visible in your Analytics application. To review your field mapping, contact Bullhorn Support.

How do I include my Custom Field in a metric filter?

Enterprise Edition users with Custom Fields will need to contact Bullhorn Support to have the custom field mapped to an Analytics column. Once it’s mapped, you can make it available in a metric filter by adding it under Metrics Admin > Edit Metrics > Columns.

What’s the difference between a Scorecard Metric and a Live Metric?

  • Scorecard Metrics: Use the report’s date range to display historical data.

  • Live Metrics: Ignore the report’s date range and show what’s happening in real time.

Who can use Additional Data?

Only Analytics Enterprise Edition users have access to the Additional Data feature.

Which fields can be added as Additional Data?

Contact Bullhorn Support to find out which of your Bullhorn ATS fields qualify as Additional Data.

Can I use Additional Data fields to filter metrics?

No. Additional Data fields are view-only and cannot be used as filters in metrics.