SQL Server – How to Get Job Start Time Inside a TSQL Agent Job Step

Here is a proc that will do the trick:

IF (object_id('ShowJobHistory') IS NOT NULL)
BEGIN
  print 'Dropping procedure: ShowJobHistory'
  drop procedure ShowJobHistory
END
print 'Creating procedure: ShowJobHistory'
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE ShowJobHistory
@Days int = 14
as
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Date Created: September 13, 2010
-- Author:       Bill McEvoy
-- Description:  This procedure produces an easy to read report that details all jobs
--               that have run on this server in the specified number of days.
--               
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Date Revised: 
-- Author:       
-- Reason:       
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
set nocount on

---------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Generate report                                                 --
---------------------------------------------------------------------


print ' '
print ' '
print 'RECENT JOB HISTORY'
print '=================='
print ' '

select 'ID'        = convert(char(8), h.instance_id),
       'Run Time'  = convert(char(10),convert(datetime,convert(char(8),h.run_date)),120) + ' ' + left(right('00000' + cast(run_time as varchar(6)),6),2) + ':' + left(right('00000' + cast(run_time as varchar(6)),4),2) + ':' +  right(cast(run_time as varchar(6)),2) + ' ',
       'Duration'  = case when (h.run_duration > 1800) then '>' else ' ' end + left(right(convert(char(19),(dateadd(ss,h.run_duration,'')),20),8),8) + ' ',
       'Status'    = case(run_status)
                       when 0 then '** FAILED ** '
                       when 1 then 'Success '
                       when 2 then 'RETRY '
                       when 3 then 'CANCELLED '
                       when 4 then 'IN PROGRESS '
                       else '??'
                     end,
       'Step'      = convert(char(3),h.step_id),
       'Job Name'  = left(s.name,50),
       'Step Name' = left(h.step_name,35),
       'Message'   = left(h.message,200)
  from msdb.dbo.sysjobhistory h
 right join msdb.dbo.sysjobs s on s.job_id = h.job_id
 where h.run_date >= convert(int,(convert(char(8), (getdate()-@Days),112)))
--   and (h.step_id = 0 or run_status = 0)
 order by h.instance_id desc



go
IF (object_id('ShowJobHistory') IS NOT NULL)
  print 'Procedure created'
ELSE
  print 'Procedure NOT created'
GO

In the job step advanced properties, send output to a flat file by inputing the "Output file" location and filename. That should include all of your output for later viewing.

Or, if you want all of the output directly in the history of the job, you can select the check box "Include step output in history". It'll use history entry rollover to include all of the data. That might be a little cumbersome in looking at after-the-fact, though, but still effective.