How to Create Custom Fields in Bullhorn ATS

Capture company-specific information that Bullhorn’s standard fields don’t cover by creating a custom field. This allows your team to track unique data for jobs, placements, candidates, or contacts efficiently.

Common Reasons You Might Need a Custom Field

You need to identify whether a contact is a primary, secondary, or decision-maker.
You want to track custom job details, such as internal codes or classifications.
You need to store additional candidate information that isn’t captured by default fields.
You want to record placement-specific notes or metrics for reporting purposes.
Your team requires encrypted storage for sensitive data like personal identifiers.

Create a Custom Field

You can add fields to Contacts, Candidates, Jobs, and Placements.

From your Bullhorn Menu, select Admin and then Field Mappings.
- S-Release: On the Tools menu, select Field Mappings.
Locate the entity where you want to add the custom field.
In the field column, type "customText" and press Enter.
Select a custom field that is not currently in use or that you want to edit by clicking its hyperlinked field name.
Fill out the field details in the pop-up window:
- Field Description Display: Enter the name visible to users.
- Edit Type: Choose the appropriate type (e.g., Text, Drop Down).
- Required: Toggle on if users must fill this field before saving.
- Hidden: Toggle on if the field should be invisible to users.
- Allow Multiple Values: Toggle on if users can select more than one option.
- Sort Order: Enter a number to determine the field’s position on the edit screen.
- Value List: For drop-down fields, input the values separated by commas.
- Default Value: Optional; select a default value from the value list.
- Description: Provide the field’s purpose.
- Hint: Add optional guidance text within the field.
Click Save.
Log out and log back in to see the changes.

The new field to the entity is applied. For more, see About Encrypted Fields.

Do not repurpose existing Bullhorn fields (e.g., changing the Status field to store emails). Section Header fields only display visually on the Edit tab; they do not store data.

Troubleshooting

If the field isn’t appearing: Ensure it’s unhidden in Field Mappings and you have the correct permissions.
If you get a character limit error: Use a customTextBlock field for text longer than 100 characters.
If the field needs to store sensitive info: Use customEncryptedText fields instead of standard text fields.
If your field changes aren’t saving: Verify that all required attributes are defined and click Save.
If users can’t see the field: Confirm the field is not restricted by security settings and is properly assigned to the entity.

FAQs

Q: How do I store more than 100 characters?

A: Use customTextBlock fields for text exceeding 100 characters.

Q: Can I encrypt sensitive information in a custom field?

A: Yes, use customEncryptedText fields to securely store sensitive data while keeping it visible to authorized users.

Q: Are Section Header fields editable?

A: No, Section Headers only organize fields visually on the Edit tab.

Q: Can I repurpose an existing Bullhorn field for custom data?

A: No, existing fields should not be repurposed, as this can break system functionality.

Q: How do I make a field mandatory or conditional?

A: It is not possible to make fields required or conditional based on another value or stage of a workflow in standard Bullhorn. Required fields only apply during record creation. To implement conditional or stage-specific required fields, reach out to Professional Services to build a Field Interaction.