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How to Keep Your Candidate Data Clean

Maintain clean candidate data for better deliverability and accurate reporting.

Why Data Quality Matters

Practice Why It Matters
Verify emails before upload Prevents bounce-backs and failed invitations
Use consistent naming Makes search and filtering easier
Regular cleanup Archive stale applications to keep dashboard clean
Standardise tags Enables meaningful filtering and reporting

Email Validation Tips

Before uploading a CSV (a spreadsheet file you can create in Excel or Google Sheets):

Check for Common Issues

  1. Remove empty rows - Delete any rows with empty email fields
  2. Fix typos - Look for common mistakes:
  3. .con instead of .com
  4. .gmal instead of .gmail
  5. Missing @ symbol
  6. Extra spaces
  7. Remove duplicates - Same email should only appear once
  8. Verify format - Must contain @ and valid domain

Validation Checklist

  • All emails have @ symbol
  • All emails have valid domain (.com, .org, etc.)
  • No duplicate email addresses
  • No empty rows in the CSV
  • No special characters (except allowed: . _ - +)

Maintaining Clean Data

Weekly Tasks

  • Review and archive abandoned candidates
  • Check for bounced emails and update addresses
  • Follow up on "No Show" candidates

Monthly Tasks

  • Clean up inactive job postings
  • Review and merge duplicate candidates
  • Archive positions that have been filled

Quarterly Tasks

  • Audit team member access and remove inactive users
  • Review tag usage and consolidate similar tags
  • Export and backup important data

Naming Conventions

Use consistent naming for easier organisation:

Job Titles

[Department] - [Role] - [Level] - [Location]

Examples: - Engineering - Software Engineer - Senior - Remote - Sales - Account Executive - Mid - New York - Marketing - Content Writer - Entry - London

Tags

Use a consistent format:

Category Format Examples
Source source:xxx source:referral, source:linkedin
Stage stage:xxx stage:shortlisted, stage:final-round
Priority priority:xxx priority:high, priority:low

Handling Duplicates

Identifying Duplicates

Signs of duplicate candidates:

  • Same email in multiple applications
  • Same name with different emails
  • Similar resume content

Merging Duplicates

  1. Identify the primary record (most complete)
  2. Note important information from duplicate
  3. Archive or delete the duplicate
  4. Add notes explaining the merge

Data Export and Backup

Regular Exports

Export data periodically for backup:

  1. Go to Applications page
  2. Select all candidates
  3. Click Export → CSV
  4. Store securely

What to Export

  • Candidate information
  • Interview scores
  • Notes and feedback
  • Status history