How can I bulk upload candidates into Trakstar Hire?

Do you currently manage your candidate pool with a spreadsheet? Do you have candidate resumes that need to be added to the system? Are you coming from another ATS and want to get your prior candidates into your brand new Trakstar Hire account?

We're here to help and get all of your historical candidates up and running in Trakstar Hire. We've made it easy for you to import candidates and created simple tools to help manage them within your account.

How can I bulk upload data?

There are three ways you can bulk upload data:

• Upload a spreadsheet of candidate data
• Upload a ZIP file of candidate resume files
• Upload a spreadsheet of candidate data along with a ZIP file of candidate resumes to build out the candidate's profile fully

We'll also set you up with how to convert your spreadsheet, compress your resume files for upload, and manage the candidates once they are all added!

How should I organize the data?

When uploading your candidates, you can choose the opening, stage, (or step in the hiring process) source, & label.  

• How should I split my files for upload?

  All candidates uploaded via your CSV will go into the exact location and have the same source and labels added.  When preparing your spreadsheet data, you will want to split it into multiple spreadsheets based on how you want your candidates to appear in the system:

  • By Opening: Put all the candidates you'd like assigned to the same opening in the same spreadsheet. Need help creating openings? Click here.
  • By Source: If an opening has many candidates from different sources, it is best to split that spreadsheet into multiple spreadsheets organized by the source (such as which job board you found the candidate on or that you met them at a job fair).
  • By Stage: Do you have candidates currently in your hiring pipeline and want to ensure they go to the correct stage?  You can break up your spreadsheet further to allow you to upload candidates to a specific stage of your opening.

What needs to be included in my spreadsheet?

Each row in the spreadsheet represents a candidate. Every column will represent particular details about the candidate that you have already, such as:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email
• Date of Application
• Years of Experience
• Current Employer

This information is going to become the profile information for the candidate!

You can include any relevant columns that you would like, but some essential columns must  be included in your Excel document, including:

• First Name
• Email

If either of these columns is not present and not labeled in this manner, the candidates will not upload.

If you want to include the candidate's last name, please use "Last Name" as a column header instead of "Surname."

For example...  When candidates are added from a spreadsheet, the data fields in the spreadsheet:

...become the components of the candidate's profile!

Name, Email, & Phone Number will be mapped to the specific locations within their profile.  All other fields will be saved as Additional Details, underneath their contact information and above their resume.

Now that you've prepared your data and broken up your files, it's time to get them ready to upload into Trakstar Hire.

Converting your spreadsheet into a CSV file:

Your spreadsheet needs to be converted to a CSV file to be uploaded into your account.  This can be done in any spreadsheet program.

In Excel:  Open the file in Excel and then click "File" > "Save As." In the "File Type" dropdown, choose "Comma Separated Value (.csv)" and then click "Save."

In Google Docs: If you are using a Google Sheet, you can download the file. CSV via File > Download as > Comma-Separated values (.csv, current sheet).

How do I prepare a resume for upload?

Gather your resume PDFs and files, and get ready to upload them!

What happens to resume files that are uploaded?

When resumes are uploaded into Trakstar Hire without the CSV, a candidate is created containing the resume and the candidate's name, email address, and phone number, as parsed from the resume.

In addition to parsing the candidate's information, we also provide a browser-friendly embedded viewer for easy access to the resume content from within the candidate's profile.

Trakstar Hire also stores the information parsed from the resume in an easily searchable way. You can use advanced search to search through the candidate's resume information.

If you upload the resume files simultaneously as the CSV file, the CSV file will populate the candidate's profile info, and the resume will be matched up.  Any resumes that do not match a candidate on the CSV file will be discarded.

Resume formats that can be uploaded.

Trakstar Hire supports multiple resume formats, including .doc, .docx, pdf, HTML, text, and other variants. We can't currently work with them while they're still under your coffee cup, so feel free to scan those into your computer!

Creating a ZIP file for the resumes:

The resumes must be compressed into a ZIP file to upload to your account.

As with the CSV file, you'll want to organize the files into how they'll be uploaded into your account.  If you're using a CSV, break up the files similarly for upload.  If you're only using the ZIP file, think about how you want them to be organized in your account:

• All candidates uploaded via a single ZIP file will go into the exact location and have the same source and labels added.  When preparing your spreadsheet data, you will want to split it into multiple spreadsheets based on how you want your candidates to appear in the system:
  • By Opening: Put all the candidates you'd like assigned to the same opening in the same spreadsheet. Need help creating openings? Click here.
  • By Source: If an opening has many candidates from different sources, it is best to split that spreadsheet into multiple spreadsheets organized by the source (such as which job board you found the candidate on or that you met them at a job fair).
  • By Stage: Do you have candidates currently in your hiring pipeline and want to ensure they go to the correct stage?  You can break up your spreadsheet further to allow you to upload candidates to a specific stage of your opening.

The ZIP files need to be less than 50 MB each.  This can be anywhere from 50-to 300 resumes, depending on the size of each file.

Now that you have your resumes organized, it's time to zip them up into a ZIP file - this compresses the files to make them more accessible and faster to

• Mac

  Right-click on the file folder containing the resumes. From the right-click menu on a Mac, you choose "Compress."

• Windows

  Choose "Send to > Compressed (Zip) File."

• Google Docs

  Add all of the resumes to a folder in Google Drive. Right-click on the folder and choose "Download" - the file will download as a compressed/zipped file.

How do I upload the candidates?

Let's get all of these candidates into your account!

CSV Import (with optional ZIP file)

• Click on "Candidates" on the left bar of your Trakstar Hire screen.

  

• Click "+ Add Candidate" on the left side of the page, and then choose "Bulk Import."

• Select an opening and the stage to which you'd like to add these candidates, then click "Continue."

Openings best organize candidates, but if you don't want to add the candidates to an opening, you can always choose "No Opening" in the dropdown.

• Choose "Import data from CSV" to begin this upload

• Now, you'll upload your CSV file by dragging it to the window or selecting a file.

• Below the file uploader, you can preview the candidate information. You can click on the green pencil icons to edit any column headings or re-categorize any columns. If your headers do not match the required fields, the system will prompt you to make changes.
• When the file preview looks correct, click "Looks good, Continue."

• Next, you will be able to upload a ZIP file containing the resumes of the candidates you are adding through the CSV file. This is optional. If you do not wish to add these files, you can click "Proceed without Resumes."

The resumes will be matched to the candidates in the CSV upload. Any resumes that do not match a CSV file line will be discarded.

• If you choose to upload the ZIP file, click on "Continue" after uploading your file.

• Now, it's time to add labels or sources to these candidates. Labels are handy for organizing your candidates quickly. Sources are great for reporting on your source report.

• You're all set!  Click on "Create Candidates" to upload into the system.
• Your candidate upload will continue in the background. You will receive an email notification when the upload is complete.

I am adding Resume or CV files only.

• Click on "Candidates" on the left bar of your Trakstar Hire screen.

  

• Click "+ Add Candidate" on the left side of the page, and then choose "Bulk Import."

• Select an opening and the stage to which you'd like to add these candidates, then click "Continue."

Openings best organize candidates, but if you don't want to add the candidates to an opening, you can always choose "No Opening" in the dropdown.

Have candidates across multiple openings or stages? It is best to easily divide these uploads between the openings or stages to help you organize the candidates!

• Choose "Import only Resumes."

• Upload your ZIP file of resumes.  Remember, you can only upload one file at a time.

• Click "Continue" to move forward

• Next, you can add any labels or sources to these candidates. Labels are handy for organizing your candidates quickly. Sources are great for reporting on your source report.

• Now you can click "Create Candidates" to upload the candidates!
• Your candidate upload will continue in the background. You will receive an email notification when the upload is complete.

Repeat these steps if you have multiple files to upload for other openings, sources, or labels!

Troubleshooting

The support team is always available to answer your questions, look at your files, or walk you through the process. 

What if I see an error while uploading the files?

• If you receive an error while uploading the file, please contact hire@trakstar.com before attempting to upload the file again.

I uploaded a file successfully, but the candidates are not showing for me.

• Depending on the file size, it may take some time for the candidates to begin displaying.  You'll receive an email when the upload has been completed.
• Click Candidates > All Accessible to see candidates who aren't assigned to you.
• If you don't see the candidates begin to display after 15 minutes, please get in touch with us at hire@trakstar.com before attempting to upload the file again.

Do you identify the duplicate candidates when I upload a file of candidates?

Yes. Trakstar Hire checks for duplicates based on the email address provided. If this matches, it will place a red icon beside the candidate’s name. You can click on this icon to view the duplicates.

What are the different ways of importing candidates into Trakstar Hire?

You can do a single candidate upload, quickly email candidates into the system, or add candidates using our Chrome Plugin!

Questions? Feel free to reach out at any time! hire@trakstar.com.