What you'll need

• Your active placement status value (typically Approved or Active)
• A welcome email template for the placed candidate
• A recruiter notification template to confirm the placement and prompt a day-one check-in
• Optional: a week-one check-in email template for the candidate

Build it

1. 1

   Create a placement-based standard automation

   In the Automations tab, click + Add Automation and select Blank Automation. Choose Placement 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: Placement Status = your active placement status. Add a second condition: Date Added is after the date you plan to activate this automation.

3. 3

   Add a Send Email step for the candidate

   Send your welcome email to the placed candidate. Use merge tags for their first name, job title, and start date to personalize the message.

4. 4

   Add a notification step for the recruiter

   Alert the record owner that the placement is confirmed and prompt them to make a day-one check-in call to the candidate. If your firm approves placements well in advance of the start date, consider adding a wait step before this notification so the reminder arrives closer to when the candidate actually starts — two to three days before the start date is a good target. An early notification can easily get buried before it is actionable.

5. 5

   Add a Wait step

   Set a wait of five to seven days after the placement start date before the next touchpoint goes out. This is an important distinction: if your firm approves placements weeks before the candidate actually starts, a fixed wait from approval will send the check-in email before the candidate has begun the role. Calculate the wait to land in the first week of the assignment, accounting for your firm's typical lead time between approval and start date.

6. 6

   Add a check-in email step

   Send a brief check-in email to the candidate asking how the first week is going. Keep it short and genuine.

7. 7

   Optional: add a 30-day check-in and survey

   Add another wait step of approximately 30 days after placement, then send a second check-in or satisfaction survey using the Survey step. The 30-day mark is a natural point to gauge how the assignment is going before issues escalate. Survey responses feed directly into Bullhorn Automation's dashboard metrics.

How to measure it

These metrics track the health of your contractor relationship from day one:

• Email open rate: for both the welcome and check-in emails. Low open rates may indicate a deliverability issue or a subject line that needs adjustment.
• Placement NPS score: if you use the survey step, track NPS scores over time in the Bullhorn Automation dashboard. A rising score means the experience is improving.
• Contractor fall-off rate: percentage of placements that end before the agreed end date. Compare this rate before and after activation — consistent communication reduces early exits.
• Redeployment rate: percentage of contractors who go on to a second placement. The welcome sequence sets the tone for a relationship that extends beyond a single assignment.

Sample emails

Two templates to get you started. Adjust tone and details to match your firm's voice.

Welcome email (Step 3)

Check-in email (Step 6)