Automation Use Cases: Process and Workflow

Bullhorn Automation helps you reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks throughout the recruitment lifecycle, from job posting and screening to onboarding and compliance. Automating internal workflows can boost productivity, minimize manual errors, and give your team more time to focus on building strong relationships.

Below are some powerful, practical use case ideas to help you optimize your day-to-day processes.

Need help getting started? Check out our guide to Building an Automation Triggered by Candidate Activity

Compliance and Policy Automation

Use Case: GDPR Messaging

Automatically send your GDPR policy to newly added candidates and follow up as consent nears expiry to request updated permissions.

BlueprintClosed A prebuilt template in Bullhorn Automation for commonly used automations.: Request Candidate Consent - GDPR

Use Case: Contractor Compliance Document Collection

Replace back-and-forth emails with a structured automation. Use surveys to collect required compliance documents and send reminders until everything is submitted.

Use Case: Credential and Document Expiry Reminders

Notify candidates and consultants when important documents (e.g. certifications or background checks) are due to expire. This ensures you're always ready for redeployment and compliant onboarding.

Use Case: Work Health and Safety Engagement

Send compliance surveys to placed temps and host clients to ensure you're aligned with safety regulations and fair work practices.

Candidate Communication

Use Case: Post-Interview Candidate Survey

Gather feedback after interviews to understand the candidate’s experience and update their record accordingly.

Use Case: Unsuccessful Applicant Notification

When a job closes, automatically notify applicants who weren’t successful and optionally share other relevant vacancies to keep them engaged.

Blueprint: Notify Candidate of Closed Job

Use Case: “Who to Contact” Follow-Up

New employees often feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they receive in their first week. Set up an automation that sends a “Who to Contact” sheet one month after their start date. This simple check-in helps reinforce key support contacts and reduces misdirected emails internally.

Use Case: Timesheet Reminders

Send contractors weekly SMS reminders to submit their timesheets or take action on other payroll-related tasks.

Use Case: Candidate and Staff Check-Ins

Schedule automated emails or texts to check in with candidates and staff before and after their start dates. This is great for reinforcing engagement and catching issues early.

Blueprint: Onboard and Engage New Hires

Use Case: Key Document Distribution

Send important info packs (e.g. contracts, legislation links, or timesheet instructions based on placement details and preferred supplier rules.

System & Record Management

Use Case: Record Completion Reminders

Remind consultants to fill in missing data on records. For example, send an alert if a job is created without a category selected or if a candidate is missing key contact details.

Use Case: Candidate Segmentation from Submissions

Automatically tag candidates with the category or specialization from any job they’re submitted to. This keeps your database clean and organized and supports more targeted searching later.

Use Case: Job Activity Monitoring and Closure

Send reminders when a job has had no activity for a set period (e.g., 30 days). If no action is taken, automatically close the job to keep your data clean.

Use Case: Status Updates

  • Update a contact's status to “Engaged” if they’ve interacted with your site or communications within the past 90 days.

  • Automatically change a candidate’s status based on placement outcomes (e.g., Terminated, Rejected, Dropped).

Use Case: Placement Status Notifications

Keep everyone aligned by notifying consultants, managers, or backoffice teams when placement statuses change. For example, when a contract is signed, or when a placement becomes non-compliant.

Use Case: Update Candidate Details Post-Placement

Automatically update a candidate’s record with their new role title, salary, company, and location once they’ve been placed.

Blueprint: Update Missing Candidate Position Title From Placement

Use Case: Vacancy Grading Automation

Use a series of Y/N questions when a job is created to assign an objective grade (A–D). This removes subjectivity from vacancy grading and improves reporting accuracy.

Talent Pool Management

Use Case: Hotlist Management

  • Add new candidates to a hotlist upon registration so consultants can easily discover fresh talent.

  • Remove inactive candidates from hotlists after 14 days of no activity or based on placement status. This ensures your hotlists stay current and high-quality.

Use Case: End-of-Process for Consultants

When a consultant finishes with your business, automate a few actions:

  • Change their status to “Prescreened”

  • Tag them as “Alumni”

  • Set a follow-up task 8 weeks later for their record owner to check in and update statuses

Candidate & Client Engagement

Use Case: Automated Application Responses

For high-volume job posts, automate candidate responses throughout each stage of the process to improve experience and reduce admin.

Blueprint: Confirm Receipt of Application

Use Case: LinkedIn Recommendation Requests

After a successful placement, send a personalized request for a LinkedIn recommendation. Use separate branches to direct the candidate or client to each consultant’s unique recommendation URL.

Job Posting

Use Case: Area Manager Notification for Job Ads

If a vacancy is created with a placeholder description (e.g., “not submitted”), automatically notify the area manager to ensure the job gets published online. This keeps the job posting process moving and helps reduce delays caused by incomplete job records.

Use Case: Automatic Job Posting

If a job has fewer than three client submissions after five days, check the box in Bullhorn ATS to automatically post it to your website.

Internal Polls & Feedback

Use Case: Internal Employee Surveys

Send automated polls and surveys to internal employees to collect feedback on training needs, event participation, and general sentiment. This is a great way to keep a pulse on your team and identify opportunities for improvement across operations.