Field trigger for invoicing

When a consultant marks a field on a Job record to signal billing readiness, automatically send the client contact a request for invoice details — no chasing required.

JobStandardBeginner

How it runs

Trigger firesCustom billing field on Job record set to trigger value
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Criteria checksJob has an associated Sales Contact
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Actions runEmail to client contact requesting invoice details
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RepeatsEach time the field is set on a qualifying job

Before you build: identify your trigger field

This automation is triggered by a custom field on the Job record — the field name and trigger value depend on how your Bullhorn ATS is configured. Before building, confirm which field your team uses to signal billing readiness and what value it needs to be set to. If you are unsure, check with your Bullhorn administrator.

What you'll need

  • The name of the custom field on the Job record that signals billing readiness, and the value that triggers the automation (for example, a Yes/No field set to Yes)
  • A Sales Contact associated with each relevant job (the email goes to this contact — jobs without a Sales Contact will not trigger the email)
  • An invoice request email template, or you will create one using the sample below as a starting point

Build it

  1. 1

    Create a job-based standard automation

    In the Automations tab, click + Add Automation and select Blank Automation. Choose Job 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 a condition for your custom billing field: set it to equal the trigger value your team uses (for example, Invoice Ready equals Yes). Always Updated means the automation fires each time a job enters this state, and jobs exit the list automatically if the field value changes back.

  3. 3

    Add a Send Email step

    Select your invoice request email template. The Send Email step on a Job automation delivers to the associated Sales Contact — this is the client contact linked to the job in Bullhorn. Use merge tags to personalize: %FIRSTNAME% for the contact's name and %JOBTITLE% for the role. Keep the email brief and action-focused — one clear ask.

  4. 4

    Optionally add a Send Notification step for internal teams

    If your billing process also requires an internal alert — for example, to notify a finance inbox that an invoice request has gone out — add a Send Notification step after the email. Unlike Send Email, Send Notification can be directed to a fixed internal email address regardless of which entity the automation is based on. This is useful if your billing team needs a record of every request sent.

  5. 5

    Save and activate

    Test with a single job record before activating at scale. Set the trigger field to your trigger value on a test job and confirm the Sales Contact receives the email. Once confirmed, activate the automation. From that point forward, every job where the field is set will trigger the request automatically.

Re-entry and field reset

If a consultant resets the trigger field and then sets it again on the same job, the automation will fire a second time. Consider adding a re-entry restriction in the automation settings if you want to prevent duplicate requests on the same job record. Check with your team on whether re-triggering is intentional or should be blocked.

Sample email

Subject: Invoice details needed for [Job Title]

Hi [First Name],

We are ready to proceed with invoicing for the [Job Title] role and just need a few details from you to get started.

Could you please confirm:

  • Your preferred billing contact and address
  • Your purchase order number (if required)
  • Any specific invoice format or system you use

Once we have these details, we will get your invoice out to you promptly. Please reply to this email or reach out to your consultant directly if you have any questions.

Thank you,
[Recruiter Name]
[Agency Name]

How to measure it

These metrics help you track whether the automation is speeding up your billing cycle:

  • Email open rate: confirms the request is reaching and being seen by the client contact. A low open rate may indicate a deliverability issue or that the email is landing in the wrong inbox.
  • Time-to-invoice: track how long it takes from the field being set to an invoice being raised. Compare this before and after the automation is active to measure the impact on your billing cycle. Track manually in your finance system.
  • Automation volume: how many invoice requests the automation sends each month. A spike may indicate the trigger field is being set inconsistently and worth reviewing with your team.