Most candidates reach Element through application forms. When you have a CV in hand, from a referral or a job fair, you add it yourself. The New candidate dialog opens from the candidate list: the plus button in the top right corner, then Add candidate.
The form and a dropped CV
The first tab is a plain form. Above the fields there is a drop zone, Drop a CV to fill in the fields automatically. When you drag a file onto it, the system reads the first name, last name, e-mail and phone from the CV and fills the fields. The file is attached as the candidate's CV at the same time.
The New candidate dialog with the CV drop zone above the form fields
Two things worth knowing:
The Add file button only attaches the CV and does not fill the fields. If you want the fields filled, drag the file onto the drop zone.
CV reading helps, but it is not a guarantee. Check the values before saving, especially with scans and unusual layouts.
Bulk CV import
The second tab, Bulk CV import, takes up to 25 files at once. Drag them onto the drop zone or pick them from disk. Each file becomes a row in the table and the system reads its data in the background.
The import table: data read from the CVs, the project field and the GDPR consent request
The status in the last column tells you what to do next:
Ready: the row has all the data and is selected for creation.
Fill in the data: the first or last name is missing. Type it straight into the table.
Error: the file could not be read, for example it is empty or damaged. Such a row cannot be selected.
Before you click Create selected, look at the three things above the table:
Duplicates. If a person with the same e-mail or phone is already in the database, the row gets a duplicate icon and is deselected. Select it yourself only if you really want a second record.
Project (optional). You can assign the candidates to a recruitment right away. They land on its first stage.
Send a GDPR consent request. When it is switched on, every created candidate receives a message asking for consent. The subject and body are pre-filled and you can edit them. Without a subject and body the import will not start.
The import accepts PDF, Word (DOC, DOCX), ODT, RTF, TXT and JPEG or PNG images. Reading works reliably for files up to 5 MB. Other formats are skipped with a message, so nothing disappears silently.
When you close the dialog, the new people are already on the candidate list.
What to check after an import
Look through the profiles: check that the phone has a country code, that the e-mail is not the company address from the CV header, and that the last name has not merged with a title. Look for duplicates the usual way, as described in the article on duplicates.