You've been managing hiring in Google Sheets or Excel. It worked when you had 2 roles. Now you have 5, and the spreadsheet is a mess of tabs, version conflicts, and lost candidate emails.
You know you need an ATS. But the thought of migrating everything feels overwhelming. How do you transfer data? What do you keep? What can you leave behind?
This guide walks you through the entire migration process—from cleaning up your data to posting your first job in your new ATS. We'll show you how to do it in a weekend without disrupting active hiring.
Before You Start
Don't just jump into a new ATS and hope for the best. A little preparation saves hours of headaches later.
Pre-Migration Checklist
Don't pause your hiring to migrate. Run both systems in parallel for 1-2 weeks. New candidates go in the ATS, active candidates stay where they are until hired or rejected.
Step-by-Step Migration Timeline
Here's exactly how to migrate in 2 weeks without missing a beat.
Week 1: Setup & Preparation
- • Sign up for your chosen ATS (we recommend starting with a free trial)
- • Set up your account with company info and branding
- • Add your team members and assign permissions
- • Connect email and calendar integrations
- • Create your candidate pipeline stages (Applied → Screening → Interview → Offer, etc.)
- • Set up email templates for common responses
- • Configure your careers page if included
- • Test the workflow by creating a dummy job and candidate
- • Remove duplicate candidates
- • Standardize column names (First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, Role, Stage)
- • Delete rejected/hired candidates from 6+ months ago
- • Verify email addresses are valid
- • Add any missing required fields
- • Walk the team through the new ATS interface
- • Show how to review candidates, leave feedback, and schedule interviews
- • Answer questions and address concerns
- • Share documentation or help resources
Week 2: Migration & Go-Live
- • Import ONLY active candidates (in your pipeline, not rejected)
- • Use CSV import if available, or manually add key candidates
- • Upload resumes to each candidate profile
- • Add any important notes from your spreadsheet
- • Recreate all active job postings in your ATS
- • Copy job descriptions, requirements, and details
- • Set up job board integrations and post
- • Update your website with new ATS careers page link
- • Process all NEW applicants through the ATS
- • Continue managing existing candidates in spreadsheet for now
- • Monitor for any issues or confusion
- • Adjust workflows based on team feedback
- • Move any remaining active candidates to ATS
- • Archive your spreadsheet (don't delete—keep for reference)
- • Announce to team: all hiring now happens in ATS only
- • Celebrate—you're done!
EasyApply Makes Migration Simple
CSV import, bulk candidate uploads, and a simple UI that your whole team will understand. Set up in 30 minutes.
Start Free →Data Cleanup Guide
Your spreadsheet has years of cruft. Here's what to keep, what to clean, and what to leave behind.
What to Bring Over
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Active candidates — Anyone currently in your pipeline (screening, interviewing, offer stage)
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Silver medalists — Strong candidates you might hire in the next 3-6 months
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Interview notes — Recent feedback that informs current decisions
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Source data — Where candidates came from (helps optimize job board spend)
What to Leave Behind
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Old rejections — Anyone rejected 6+ months ago. Archive the spreadsheet for reference if needed.
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Closed job postings — Historical data clogs your new system. Keep old spreadsheet if you need it.
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Duplicate entries — If you have the same candidate in multiple spreadsheets, consolidate first.
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Bad data — Invalid emails, missing names, test entries. Clean it or leave it.
Focus on quality over quantity. Better to import 50 clean, active candidates than 500 old, messy records.
How to Clean Your Data
Common Migration Mistakes
Learn from others' pain. Here are the top mistakes people make when switching to an ATS.
Mistake #1: Migrating Everything at Once
Why it's bad: You'll import tons of old data you don't need, making your new ATS cluttered and slow.
Do this instead: Only migrate active candidates and recent silver medalists. Archive the old spreadsheet for reference.
Mistake #2: Not Testing First
Why it's bad: You'll discover issues when you're already using it with real candidates.
Do this instead: Create dummy jobs and candidates. Walk through the entire hiring workflow before going live.
Mistake #3: No Team Training
Why it's bad: Your team will resist using it or use it incorrectly.
Do this instead: Schedule a 30-minute demo. Share a quick-start guide. Answer questions before launch day.
Mistake #4: Pausing Active Hiring
Why it's bad: You lose momentum and waste time. Candidates move on.
Do this instead: Run both systems in parallel for 1-2 weeks. New candidates in ATS, finish old candidates in spreadsheet.
Mistake #5: No Data Backup
Why it's bad: If something goes wrong, you've lost everything.
Do this instead: Export your spreadsheet as CSV. Save it. Keep it accessible for 6-12 months.
Start Fresh with EasyApply
Import your data in minutes. No complex setup. No learning curve. Just better hiring.
Post-Migration Checklist
You've migrated. Here's how to make sure everything is working correctly.
Complete these tasks in your first week:
30-Day Optimization
After your first month, take time to optimize based on how your team actually uses the system:
- → Adjust pipeline stages based on real workflow
- → Refine email templates based on response rates
- → Review which job boards are bringing best candidates
- → Gather team feedback on pain points
- → Set up any additional integrations you need
Related Guides
ATS Buyer's Guide
Choose the right ATS for your needs.
Best ATS for Startups
Right-sized tools for lean teams.
Free vs Paid ATS
What's worth paying for?
10 Must-Have Features
What features actually matter.
ATS vs Spreadsheets
When to make the switch.
ATS Integrations
Connect your hiring tools.