Configuring Goals and Quotas

Use this article to set up goals and quotas in Bullhorn ATS, including creating custom activity goals, assigning goals to users, configuring which opportunity stages count as revenue, and adding quotas.

Before configuring goals and quotas, see Goals and Quotas in Bullhorn ATS for an overview of how goals and quotas work and how progress is calculated.

Configuring Custom Activity Goals

In addition to the standard preset goals, you can create custom activity goals based on specific note or appointment types. This lets you track activities that are unique to your team's workflow, such as client visits or interviews scheduled.

Creating a Custom Activity Goal

  1. Go to Menu > Goals & Quotas.

  2. Click the Settings button in the top right.

  3. Select the Activity Goals tab.

  4. In the Goal field, enter a clear name for the goal — for example, "Client Visits" or "Interviews Scheduled".

  5. From the Note Type(s) / Appointment Type(s) drop-down, select up to five note and/or appointment types that correspond to this goal.

  6. If you need to create additional goals, click Add A Goal.

  7. Click Save.

If you close the page without saving, your changes are discarded without a warning.

Notes:

  • The Save button saves changes on both the Activity Goals and Sales Quotas tabs together. While a save is in progress, the button is unavailable until it finishes.

  • To save a custom activity goal, you must enter a name and select at least one note or appointment type. Goal names can be up to 99 characters, can't contain only spaces, and each goal requires 1 to 5 types. An error will display if these requirements are not met.

Deleting a Custom Activity Goal

  1. Go to Menu > Goals & Quotas.

  2. Click the Settings button in the top right, then select the Activity Goals tab.

  3. Find the goal you want to delete and click its delete icon.

    • If you haven't saved the goal yet, it's removed from the page immediately.

    • If the goal has been saved, confirm the deletion when prompted. The goal is deleted immediately after you confirm. Other goals that use the same note or appointment type aren't affected.

Adding and Deleting Goals for Users

Once your custom goals are configured, you can assign them to specific users on a weekly or monthly basis. Goals recur automatically for the selected period until you modify or delete them.

Adding a Goal

  1. Go to Menu > Goals & Quotas.

  2. On the Goals tab, select + Goal.

  3. Select a timeframe of either Weekly or Monthly. The goal will automatically recur for the selected period.

  4. Fill in the following details:

    • Activity: Select the goal you want to measure.

    • User: Find and select the applicable user.

    • Goal: Enter the target number of actions or records for this user.

  5. Another Add User field appears underneath. Use this to add the same goal to additional users.

  6. Click Save.

Deleting a Goal

  1. Go to Menu > Goals & Quotas.

  2. On the Goals & Quotas list, select the checkbox next to each goal you want to delete.

  3. From the Selected drop-down, choose Mass Delete.

You can delete a maximum of 50 goals at one time.

Configuring Quotas

Quotas track revenue generated from closing opportunities. Before you can add a quota for a user, you must define which opportunity workflow stages count as revenue generation.

Configuring Workflow Stages for Revenue

Use these steps to specify which opportunity statuses Bullhorn should count towards quota attainment. Only opportunity records in the selected statuses will be included in revenue calculations.

  1. Go to Menu > Goals & Quotas.

  2. Click the Settings button.

  3. Select the Sales Quotas section.

  4. From the Sales Revenue drop-down, select the opportunity statuses you want to count as revenue — for example, "Placement" or "Closed/Won".

    • Converted, Closed, Closed-Won, and Closed-Lost are always available.

    • To use a different status, type it in. If the status already exists, regardless of capitalization, Bullhorn uses the existing one. Extra spaces are removed automatically.

  5. Click Save.

Notes:

  • The opportunity status list is loaded each time you open the page, so it always shows your current statuses.

  • For a closed opportunity's value to count towards a user's quota, the Actual Close Date field must be populated on the opportunity record. Opportunities without an Actual Close Date will not be included in quota calculations.

Adding a Quota for a User

  1. Go to Menu > Goals & Quotas.

  2. Click the Quotas tab.

  3. Select +Add Quota.

  4. Fill in the following details:

    • Quarter: Select the quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3, or Q4) for the quota.

    • Year: Select the year.

    • User: Select the user or users you're assigning a quota to.

    • Quota: Enter the monetary target amount for each user.

  5. Click Save.

Quotas are set on a quarterly basis (Q1–Q4). You can't set an annual quota directly — if you need to track annual performance, add a separate quota for each quarter.

Troubleshooting

An error appears when saving a new custom activity goal

Confirm that you've entered a name for the goal (up to 99 characters, and not only spaces) and selected between one and five note or appointment types.

The Goals and Quotas configuration page doesn't load, or a save or delete fails

Bullhorn displays a message if the page can't load, a save fails, or a delete fails. Refresh the page and try again. Your changes aren't saved until a save completes successfully, so re-enter any changes if needed. If the problem continues, Contact Bullhorn Support.

My changes disappeared

If you close the page without clicking Save, unsaved changes are discarded without a warning. Re-enter your changes and click Save.

An opportunity's value is not counting towards a user's quota

Check the following:

  • The opportunity is assigned to the correct user.

  • The opportunity's status matches one of the statuses you selected in the Sales Revenue configuration.

  • The Actual Close Date field is populated on the opportunity record.

Goals & Quotas does not appear in my Bullhorn menu

This feature may not be enabled for your user type. Contact Bullhorn Support to have the list added to your menu.

I cannot edit a user's goal or quota

You may not have the necessary permissions. Restrictions on configuring, adding, editing, and deleting goals can be set per user or department. Contact Bullhorn Support to review your permissions.

FAQ

Can I add an annual quota instead of quarterly?

No — quotas are set by quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) within a given year. If you need to track annual performance, add a quota for each quarter of the year separately.

When do Goals and Quotas reset?

Goals reset automatically on the following schedule, adjusted for each user's time zone:

  • Monthly Goals reset at 00:00:01 on the first day of each month

  • Weekly Goals reset at 00:00:01 every Sunday

Reset times are adjusted for each individual user's time zone, not the organisation's default time zone.