Lead notification for new marketing leads
When a new marketing lead lands in Bullhorn, instantly notify the assigned consultant so they can follow up while the lead is warm — no manual checking required.
How it runs
Before you build: identify your marketing lead field
What identifies a record as a "marketing lead" varies by agency. Some use the Lead entity exclusively for marketing — if that's you, no filter is needed. Others use a Lead Type, Lead Source, or custom field to distinguish marketing leads from other lead types. Before building the list, confirm which field and value your team uses. If you are not sure, check with your Bullhorn administrator or CRM team.
What you'll need
- The field and value that identifies a record as a marketing lead in your Bullhorn instance (for example, Lead Type equals "Marketing", or no filter if your team uses the Lead entity exclusively for marketing)
- An assigned consultant (Lead Owner) on each record — leads without an owner will not trigger the notification
Build it
- 1
Create a Lead-based standard automation
In the Automations tab, click + Add Automation and select Blank Automation. Choose Lead as the entity type and select Standard. Give the automation a name and save.
- 2
Build an Always Updated list
Set the list to Always Updated. If your team uses the Lead entity exclusively for marketing leads, no additional filter is needed — all new leads will qualify. If you use a field to distinguish marketing leads from other types, add a condition for that field (for example, Lead Type equals Marketing). Always Updated means the automation fires as each qualifying lead enters the list.
- 3
Add a Send Notification step
Route the notification to the Lead Owner — this is the consultant assigned to the record. Include the lead's name, company, and source in the message body so the consultant has context before making contact. Add a clear prompt: ask whether the lead is hiring, job seeking, or simply engaging with content — and set a task or follow-up reminder in the notification if your workflow supports it.
- 4
Save and activate
Test by adding a qualifying lead record manually and confirming the assigned consultant receives the notification with the correct details. Once activated, the automation fires for every new lead that meets your list criteria — no manual monitoring required.
Unassigned leads won't trigger
This automation notifies the Lead Owner, so leads without an assigned owner will not trigger a notification. If your lead intake process sometimes creates unassigned records, consider adding a list condition that requires Lead Owner is not empty, or build a separate alert for leads that remain unassigned after a set period.
How to measure it
These metrics help you track whether leads are being acted on quickly:
- Lead response time: how quickly consultants follow up after receiving the notification. Track manually by noting the first contact date on the lead record. Faster response times are a direct indicator the automation is working as intended.
- Lead-to-conversion rate: the percentage of notified leads that convert to an active client or placed candidate. Track manually in your ATS. This is your primary measure of whether the automation is connecting marketing activity to real business outcomes.
- Automation volume: how many notifications fire each month. Compare against your marketing team's lead generation activity — a healthy volume confirms that leads are reaching Bullhorn and triggering correctly. A sudden drop may indicate a process or data issue upstream.