BWB #1: BH Automation Chatbot: A Guide

Unpacking a powerful new Automation Feature

One of the most impactful new features of 2022 for BH Automation was the release of chatbot.

Available in the Automation Enterprise package it provides another omnichannel communication method for your communication tool belt.

Included with this new feature is a number of Survey improvements so all clients benefit!

What Chatbot is?

Chatbot is a digital communication tool that enables staffing agencies to provide a branded digital platform to clients and candidates as part of their website and talent platform experience.

The Chatbot combines a number of Bullhorn Automation features to offer a complete 24/7 digital recruiter experience. It is accessed via the agency's website with the chat flow (interaction types/questions asked) depending on the particular journey a candidate or client has taken to get to that point.

All chat flows can be custom created just like surveys with blueprints provided for common use cases.

Why Chatbot?

Our market research indicates a Omnichannel engagement approach is needed to optimize engagement with a diverse talent and client pool comprised of multi generational segments.

Chatbot also unlocks additional self service capabilities for clients and candidates to help drive additional efficiency and provide a better candidate/client experience.

3 ways Chatbot works

1 - Outbound active interaction

Just like surveys chats can be included as links in emails and SMS.

Example: A candidate gets added to your database and is sent a screening chat via email and/or SMS.

2 - Known Website Visitors

If a candidate or client has interacted with a BH Automation previously (and visit your site from a known device) you have the option of a chat appearing on your website. The person would also be able to see their previous chat history.

Example: A candidate comes to your website a few weeks after interacting with a BH Automation email. A chat pops up asking them how they can be helped. The chat provides options for them to quickly view matching jobs or update their information directly back into your ATS.

3 - Unknown Website Visitors

If someone brand new visits your website or if a known candidate from a different device they are presented with your unknown visitor chat. This chat has limited features because you don’t know any details about the person interacting with it.

A full history of the chat interaction is available via notification or you can also get these chats automatically exported to you via CSV file.

Example: A new lead comes to your website and you capture information about who the person is, whether they are a candidate or client, what you can help them with, and any other necessary information to route them to a member of your team.

New Settings:

These settings are accessed via the Engagement Branding section inside Settings > Company Settings as seen in the image below.

Chat Header Icon
Display Robot Icon or None

Chat Header Text
Name your chatbot.

Default Candidate Chat
Choose which chat will display to a known candidate returning to your website.

Default Sales Contact Chat
Choose which chat will display to a known client contact returning to your website.

Default New Visitor Chat
Choose which chat will display to new visitor (New person to your website or a existing person on a new device)

NOTE: If ‘none selected’ is configured for Default New Visitor Chat, Default Sales Contact Chat, and Default Candidate Chat then no chats will display to inbound people coming to your website. Outbound chats would still work as normal.

Settings seen in image below:

New Functionality:

Branch off ALL question types
You are now able to branch of all question types including free text responses!

Default branches now contain all the answers not selected so you no longer need to specify all options when configuring branches. 

Surveys renamed to Engagements
The former survey area inside of Bullhorn automation is now Engagements. Engagements are either surveys or chats.

Jump to Survey/Chat
When a record reaches this new step they jump to another chat or survey or the start of the same engagement they are in.

Extremely powerful for customizing who gets alerted for notifications depending on which answers are selected, especially helpful for multi regional organizations or multi niche.

Think of a How can I help you? use case for a reason to jump to the start of the same engagement. You could ask if someone needs any additional help and if they answer yes they start the help process over again!

Send Text Step
Immediately transition a chatbot conversation into a real time text message conversation with the right internal person.

Engagement Blueprints
With this release there is now the functionality to have survey and chat blueprints. Accessible when creating a new engagement similar to when creating a new automation.

Display Jobs
New step created that displays dynamic matching jobs to candidates.

New Visitor based Chats
Create and choose what a new visitor to your website sees. Remember - this could be a brand new candidate/client to your website or an existing candidate/client coming to your website from a new or unsaved device.

Known Visitor based Chat Selection
Choose which chat you’d like to display if a known candidate or client returns to your website.

Some Use Cases To Get Started:

Candidate/Client Self Service
Ask an existing candidate/client if their information is up to date and give them the opportunity to update any information that isn’t. At the end of the chat you can ask them how they’d like to proceed and take appropriate action.

Screening/Qualification
Screen an existing candidate or qualify an applicant to a job. Determine the path you take depending on answers to dynamic knockout questions (applicant) or standard screening questions (screening).

Offer to connect directly with a recruiter via a notification or a text message conversation if time is of the essence.

FAQ/Help Guide
Guide candidates/clients through whatever help they require. Make their experience better and more efficient navigating your website.