What you'll need

• Agreement on your re-engagement threshold — six months of inactivity is a common starting point
• A list of candidate status values to exclude from re-engagement, such as DNR, DNC, DNU, Placed, and currently Active
• A re-engagement email template featuring open job opportunities or an invitation to update their profile
• Optional: a second email template for a follow-up touchpoint three weeks after the first

Build it

1. 1

   Create a candidate-based standard automation

   In the Automations tab, click + Add Automation and select Blank Automation. Choose Candidate as the entity type and select Standard. Give the automation a name and save.

2. 2

   Build an Always Updated list

   Set the list to Always Updated. Add condition: Last Activity Date is more than 180 days before today. Add exclusion conditions for status values that should never receive re-engagement emails: DNR, DNC, DNU, Placed, and any active status. Add a final condition: Date Added is after the date you plan to activate this automation.

3. 3

   Add a Send Email step

   Send your first re-engagement email. Include merge tags for the candidate's first name and, if your template uses them, job match variables to populate open positions dynamically.

4. 4

   Add a Wait step

   Set a wait of 21 days before the next touchpoint. This gives candidates enough time to respond before the follow-up goes out.

5. 5

   Add a second Send Email step

   Send a follow-up email with a different subject line and angle — for example, an invitation to update their profile rather than a job list.

6. 6

   Optional: add a notification step on engagement

   Alert the record owner when a candidate opens or clicks an email, so the recruiter can follow up while the candidate is engaged.

How to measure it

Email open and click rates are tracked directly in Bullhorn Automation. Downstream metrics — re-engagement rate, apply rate, and placement rate — require manual tracking in your ATS or reporting tools, as Automation does not capture post-email candidate behavior.

• Email open rate: percentage of re-engagement emails opened. A baseline open rate tells you whether your subject lines and sender name are resonating.
• Click rate: percentage of recipients who click a link in the email. A click usually signals genuine interest in the opportunities you shared.
• Re-engagement rate: percentage of candidates who take any action after receiving the email — updating their profile, replying, or applying to a job. Track manually in your ATS.
• Apply rate: percentage of re-engaged candidates who submit a new application. Track manually in your ATS by comparing application dates against your re-engagement send list.
• Placement rate from re-engaged candidates: tracks how many re-engaged candidates ultimately get placed. Track manually in your ATS over a 60 to 90 day window after the re-engagement send.

Sample email

First re-engagement email (Step 3)