Editions Available: All Editions

Audience: Administrative Users

Importing Data to Bullhorn

Overview

The Custom Import tool allows you to import Candidates, Contacts, and Leads into Bullhorn directly from a comma-separated values (CSV) file. To do this, the data within your spreadsheet is mapped to the fields you choose within your database.

This article will walk you through:

• Create a CSV File for Importing Data
• Importing CSV Data Using the Custom Import Tool
• Locate Imported Records

Do you have frequently asked questions regarding the Custom Import tool? Visit Custom Import FAQ.

Create a CSV File for Importing Data

This section will show you how to format a spreadsheet so that it's ready to import into your database. If you already have a CSV ready to import, proceed to Locate Imported Records.

Steps

1. While formatting your spreadsheet, you will need to:
   • Remove columns for data you don’t need or columns that are blank. Blank columns lead to processing errors when importing data.
   • Remove the header row from the template. This line leads to processing errors when importing data.
   • Make sure the values you are importing are listed as values in Bullhorn.
     • For example, if the source of a candidate you're importing is "LinkedIn", this source must also be used in the Source field within Bullhorn.
   • Separate skills with only a comma in the field. Do not include spaces.
     • For example, "HTML,Java,CSS,Python".
   • Ensure all Contacts you import are associated with a Company.
     • If you don't have a Contact associated with a Company, create a Company record in Bullhorn named "TBD". This will allow you to attach Contacts to unknown Companies.
2. Open the data you wish to import using spreadsheet software. For example, Excel. Alternatively, you can use the Custom Import Template, file which has column headers pre-filled.
   
3. Insert a row above the data and fill in the column headers, using the exact field names as they appear within your Bullhorn database. See List of Custom Import and Export Fields for more information.
   • The header information will be used later in the import step to map the data to their corresponding Bullhorn field names.
   
4. Save a copy of the spreadsheet as a CSV file on your local machine.
   

Importing CSV Data Using the Custom Import Tool

This section will show you how to use the CSV file from Create a CSV File for Importing Data to import your data into Bullhorn.

Steps

1. Navigate to Menu> Tools > Custom Import.
   Fill out the following fields:
   • Record Type: Candidate, Contact, or Lead.
   • Template: Useful if you're importing to the same fields frequently. Choose None if this is your first import.
   • CSV File: Browse for the spreadsheet saved to your computer.
2. Select Continue.
   • This screen allows you to map the data within the spreadsheet to fields in your database.
   • Bullhorn does this automatically but you may need to adjust it if you have fields with a similar name.
     
3. Enter a Template Name, match your data to the correct field map using the drop down, and then select Continue.
   
4. Click Perform Import.
   
5. The following screen allows you to verify the first 100 records added to your system.
   • If you imported more than 100 records, you will have to click through multiple pages of your import.
     

6. Select Next only once, and wait for the records to be added. Clicking next more than once will create duplicate records.

If you run into problems, continue to the Locate Imported Records section below. You can mass delete the newly added records and re-import them. However, be careful deleting records as they can’t be easily recovered.

Locate Imported Records

This section will show you how to locate Imported Records. Running a search to locate Imported Records allows you to group the records together in order to perform a variety of actions including but not limited to:

• Adding the records to a Tearsheet
• Mass updating the records' statuses from Imported
• Changing the ownership of the records

Steps

1. From the Menu, select the entity that contains your imported records.
   
2. Ensure all filters are cleared, and then select Search.
   
3. Under Additional Criteria, add the following fields and parameters to the search:
   • Ownership > Include All > Choose your name.
   • Status > Include All > Import
   • Date Added > Equals > Choose the date the import took place.
4. Select Search.
   
5. The list will now display the imported records. Use the Select an Action button to take action on the records.
   
   

Create a Favorite Search

You can save a search as a favorite to re-run it whenever you perform future imports using the steps below:

1. Click on Favorites.
   
2. Enter a name for the search and click Save This Search.
   
3. When running a search saved under Favorites, adjust the Date Added field when you run the search. This can be done by only selecting the Date Added field when following Step 3 above.
   • The Date Added field will need to be set to the date when records are imported.