Moving from Google Hire to Trakstar Hire
We've made it easy for you to import your candidates from Google Hire to Trakstar Hire and created simple tools to help manage them within your account.
How do I manually export my data from Google Hire?
You can manually export your data by going to Reports > Export Data > Applicant Data. This will generate an Excel Spreadsheet where you can pull information such as name, email, phone number, etc.
What do I do with my exported data?
When you leave Google Hire, they will export all of your candidate information as a JSON file. You'll need to convert this file into a spreadsheet, so you can make any edits and changes before uploading it into Trakstar Hire. You can use many services to convert a JSON file - learn more about how to do it in Microsoft Office here, or discuss this with your internal IT team to find the best option. You cannot upload JSON files to Trakstar Hire, hence the need to convert and make edits.
Once you have your candidate data saved as a spreadsheet, you can follow the directions below to get it ready to be uploaded and convert it to a CSV.
You may also receive a ZIP file or folder of candidate resumes - we can upload those into Trakstar Hire!
What data will I be able to move from Google Hire?
Trakstar Hire has options for you to bulk upload historical candidate data. The system allows for extensive customization of your opening by creating unique hiring stages, application questions, auto-response emails, and even structured evaluation forms. These details are all Trakstar Hire-specific, so we do not have an option to bulk upload openings or job details. You'll work with our onboarding team to learn how to fully translate your hiring process into Trakstar Hire, including the option to create template openings to make the process as easy as possible for you and your team.
What will my onboarding experience be like?
A member of our onboarding team will work directly with you to get you fully trained on the system. They can answer any questions you have about getting your openings & candidates up and running in Trakstar Hire and will teach you the ins and outs of the system. You will be responsible for preparing the data and uploading it to your account. Still, the onboarding team is always available to answer any questions or go over the process with you.
Can I connect any Google services to my Trakstar Hire account?
Yes! We have integrations with both Google Calendar and Gmail to make hiring as easy as possible for you.
With the Gmail integration, candidates will see emails coming directly from username@yourcompany.com (instead of username@yourcompany.recruiterbox.com) and allow you to start threads from your inbox. Learn more here.
The Google Calendar integration allows your team members to sync their calendars with Trakstar Hire. Interviews & To-dos will automatically be synced to your GCal, and when team members are scheduling interviews, they can see your availability. Learn more here.
I'm ready! How can I bulk upload my candidates?
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, and a ZIP file of candidate resumes to fully build out the candidate's profile.
We'll also get you all set 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.
- By Opening: Put all of 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 or 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.
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:
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
- 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
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 all of your resume PDFs and DOCs 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 a way that is easily searchable. 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, txt, and other variants.
Creating a ZIP file for the resumes:
The resumes need to be compressed into a ZIP file to upload to your account. If you're coming from another ATS, these may already be in a ZIP file, so no further action must be taken!
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 in the same way for upload. If you're only using the ZIP file, think about how you want them to be organized in your account:
- By Opening: Put all of 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 or 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.
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:
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 to "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!
"Candidates" on the left bar of your Trakstar Hire screen
- Select an opening and the stage you'd like to add these candidates to, 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 either dragging it to the window or selecting a file to upload.
- Below the file uploader, you can see a preview of the candidate information. You can click on the green pencil icons to edit any of the column headings, or re-categorize any of the columns. If any of 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 have the opportunity 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 does not match a line in the CSV file will be discarded.
- If you chose to upload the ZIP file, click on "Continue" after uploading your file.
- Now it's time to 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.
- 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.
"Candidates" on the left bar of your Trakstar Hire screen
- Select an opening as well as the stage you'd like to add these candidates to, then click "Continue"
Candidates are best organized by openings, but if you don't want to add the candidate's to an opening you can always choose "No Opening" in the dropdown
Have candidates across multiple openings or stages? It is best to divide these uploads between the openings or stages, to help you organize the candidates easily!
- 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.
If you have multiple files to upload for other openings, sources, or labels, repeat these steps as needed!
Troubleshooting
The support team is always available to answer your questions, take a 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 prior to 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 contact us at hire@trakstar.com prior to 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.