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Importing CVs

Importing a CV lets RecSphere build a candidate record for you. The parser reads the file and extracts the details into a record you can review before saving.

CSV import vs CV upload​

RecSphere offers two ways to bring candidates in at scale. They look similar but do different jobs:

  • CSV import moves structured data from a spreadsheet (name, email, phone, status) into RecSphere. Use this when migrating from another ATS.
  • CV upload takes PDF or Word documents, parses them, and creates records from the parsed fields. Use this when you have a folder of CVs but no spreadsheet.

You can run both for the same migration: import your historical data via CSV, then upload any CVs you have on file to attach to those records.

Accepted formats​

CV upload accepts these file types:

  • .pdf
  • .doc
  • .docx

Scanned image PDFs are accepted but the parser may extract less data from them. Other formats (such as .rtf or .pages) are not supported. Convert them first.

How to import a CV​

  1. Open the Candidates page.
  2. Click Add candidate, then select Import from CV.
  3. Drag the CV in, or click to browse and choose a file.
  4. The CV displays in a right-hand panel so you can read it while it processes.
  5. After a few seconds RecSphere parses the CV and pulls the extracted fields into the record. Each parse uses one AI credit.

What CV parsing extracts​

The parser tries to extract:

  • Date of birth.
  • Registration number (for Australian healthcare, the AHPRA registration number).
  • Contact details (email, phone, address).
  • Job details, such as the role and the setting.
  • Last employer.
  • Education.
  • Full employment history.
  • Any employment gaps it identifies. Gaps are clickable, so you can fill in what the candidate was doing.

Review before saving​

Before saving, check what was extracted:

  1. Check the name and email. On import, RecSphere matches across email, first name, last name and address (and other personal details) to detect duplicates. If it finds a likely match, it flags a potential duplicate, which you can choose to add anyway.
  2. Fix any obvious parsing errors. The original CV is attached to the record so you can refer back.
  3. Click Save to create the record.

Re-uploading a CV against an existing candidate​

When you upload a new CV against a candidate who already exists, RecSphere runs a comparison and shows you what has changed (for example, "25 changes"). This is a useful way to refresh a candidate you have not spoken to in a while.

  1. Open the candidate record and upload the new CV.
  2. RecSphere compares it against the existing record and reports the number of changes.
  3. Step through with Next. Each changed field is highlighted.
  4. For each change, choose to accept it, or use Undo last, or Accept all to take every change at once.

Accepting a change replaces the information across all tabs, including job details and education.

Handling unreadable CVs​

Some CVs are harder to parse: scanned images with poor quality, heavily styled documents, or files protected with a password. When this happens:

  • The record is still created with the CV attached.
  • The fields the parser could not extract are left blank.
  • You can fill the missing fields manually, or ask the candidate for a clean copy.
Sensitive data

CVs often contain personal data covered by GDPR (UK and EU data protection law). Before uploading large batches, review your retention process and confirm you have a lawful basis for storing the data.