HRMS migration

Migrate from ADP Workforce Now to Crelate

Field-level mapping, validation, and rollback between ADP Workforce Now and Crelate. We move data and schema; workflows are rebuilt natively in Crelate.

ADP Workforce Now logo

ADP Workforce Now

Source

Crelate

Destination

Crelate logo

Compatibility

83%

10 of 12

objects map 1:1 between ADP Workforce Now and Crelate.

Complexity

CModerate

Timeline

4-6 weeks

Rollback included Accuracy guarantee Field-level validation

Overview

What this migration involves

ADP Workforce Now is a full HCM suite spanning payroll, HR, benefits, and time tracking. Crelate is a purpose-built Applicant Tracking System designed for recruiting and candidate relationship management. These platforms serve different primary functions, which means the migration scope is narrower than a typical HCM-to-HCM move: we migrate the recruiting and hiring data from ADP Workforce Now's ATS module into Crelate while payroll and core HR records remain in ADP. We extract Workers with recruiting-relevant attributes (contact info, employment status, job title, hire date) and map them to Crelate People. ADP Requisition and Applicant objects map to Crelate Jobs and candidate records respectively. Hiring activity history (interviews, notes, emails, scorecards) migrates to Crelate Activity records. ADP's API requires a signed developer agreement and applies undocumented per-client rate limits that we resolve during scoping. Talent Management module data, custom Worker fields, and garnishment records do not migrate via API and require manual reconciliation.

Field-level fidelity

Every standard and custom field arrives verified.

Schema-aware mapping

AI proposes the map; you confirm before any record moves.

Relationships preserved

Parent–child, lookups, and ownership stay linked.

Full activity history

Calls, emails, meetings — with original timestamps.

Attachments & notes

Documents, uploads, and inline notes move with the record.

Why teams make this switch

Two sides of the same decision

Leaving

ADP Workforce Now logo

ADP Workforce Now

What's pushing teams away

  • Long wait times on ADP customer service support lines drive frustration — multiple G2 and Software Advice reviewers report spending hours on hold with no resolution, cited as the top reason for switching.
  • The ADP Workforce Now UI is frequently described as outdated, unintuitive, and difficult to navigate for reporting tasks, creating friction for HR administrators and employees alike.
  • Custom labor distribution and project-based reporting capabilities are limited — construction, staffing, and project-based companies report ADP cannot produce job-level cost breakdowns without expensive custom development.
  • Integration ecosystem limitations cause problems — some third-party tools like Ethena experience periodic sync errors and delays when using the reports-based ADP integration method.
  • ADP pricing is opaque and contracts are multi-year — companies report hidden fees for state filings, check printing, year-end processing, and per-feature add-ons that inflate costs beyond the initial quote.

Choosing

Crelate logo

Crelate

What's pulling them in

  • Affordable per-seat pricing with transparent tiers makes Crelate accessible for small-to-mid staffing firms evaluating ATS platforms for the first time.
  • Fast implementation reported by customers—some describe getting live in a matter of minutes with support team assistance.
  • Unified ATS + CRM in a single product eliminates the need to buy and synchronize separate recruiting and sales tools.
  • Flexible custom fields across Contacts, Companies, and Opportunities allow recruiting teams to capture firm-specific data without developer involvement.
  • Positive reviews highlight the product's intuitive interface and functional breadth for teams that need recruiting workflows without enterprise overhead.

Object mapping

How ADP Workforce Now objects map to Crelate

Each row shows how a ADP Workforce Now object lands in Crelate, including any object-level transformations, lookup resolution, or schema-design dependencies.

Typical mapping — final map is confirmed during the sample migration step.

ADP Workforce Now

Worker

maps to

Crelate

Person

1:1
Fully supported

ADP Workers with recruiting-relevant attributes map to Crelate People. We extract legal name, preferred name, communication emails, work phone, home address, gender, and hire date. Employment status (active, terminated, on leave) migrates as a Crelate custom field. Workers without candidate records in ADP's recruiting module become inactive or excluded People in Crelate based on the customer's scoping decision. Associate OID from ADP becomes a Crelate custom field adp_associate_oid__c for cross-system reference. Note that ADP Worker Custom Fields are write-only via API and have no read endpoint; we document which custom fields are in use during scoping and request a reference file from the customer for values.

ADP Workforce Now

Job Requisition

maps to

Crelate

Job

1:1
Fully supported

ADP Requisition records (exposed via the Job Application Portal API or related endpoints) map to Crelate Jobs. Job title, job description, location, department, employment type (full-time, part-time, contractor), and pay range migrate. Requisition status (draft, open, filled, cancelled) maps to Crelate Job status. We flag whether ADP Requisitions are managed in ADP's Hiring FastTrack module during scoping because that module uses a proprietary interface not accessible via the public API.

ADP Workforce Now

Applicant

maps to

Crelate

Person (recruiting profile)

1:1
Fully supported

ADP Applicant records link to ADP Worker records when the applicant becomes an employee. We resolve this link to produce a unified Crelate Person record that contains both recruiting attributes (resume, source, application date, stage history) and employment attributes (hire date, job title, department) from ADP. Applicant stages in ADP (applied, phone screen, interview, offer, hired, rejected) map to Crelate stage values configured during migration.

ADP Workforce Now

Placement / Hire

maps to

Crelate

Placement

1:1
Fully supported

ADP Hire records (the outcome of a completed Requisition) map to Crelate Placements, which represent filled jobs. The Placement links to the Crelate Person (candidate) and Crelate Job (requisition) records created during migration. Start date, end date, placement status, and placement type migrate. Historical Placements preserve the hiring record for reporting even if the employee is no longer active.

ADP Workforce Now

Hiring Activity (interviews, notes, scorecards)

maps to

Crelate

Activity

1:1
Fully supported

ADP Hiring FastTrack activities and any engagement records tied to Requisitions or Applicants map to Crelate Activity records. Interview events, interviewer feedback, offer notes, and rejection reasons migrate as typed Activity records with timestamps, owner assignment, and free-text notes. Activity ordering is preserved by setting the activity date to the original ADP timestamp.

ADP Workforce Now

Worker Communication / Contact

maps to

Crelate

Contact (on Person)

1:1
Fully supported

ADP Work Contact details (work email, work phone, work address) and Personal Contact details (personal email, mobile phone, home address) migrate as typed Contact records on the Crelate Person. Email type, phone type, and address type are set per ADP's communication channel classification. These contacts support Crelate's email and SMS candidate outreach features.

ADP Workforce Now

Location

maps to

Crelate

Tag (location)

lossy
Fully supported

ADP Locations (business sites, offices, or facilities) used in Requisitions and Placements map to Crelate Tags with the category 'Location'. These tags enable filtering and reporting by worksite in Crelate's recruiting dashboards. Location validation tables from ADP are mapped during the configuration phase.

ADP Workforce Now

Department

maps to

Crelate

Tag (department)

lossy
Fully supported

ADP Departments (organizational units tied to Workers and Requisitions) map to Crelate Tags with the category 'Department'. These tags enable cross-functional reporting in Crelate and support the department-specific hiring pipeline views that ADP manages as separate organizational units.

ADP Workforce Now

Event Notifications / Webhooks

maps to

Crelate

Activity (status change)

1:1
Fully supported

ADP event notification webhooks for worker lifecycle events (hire, termination, status change) can be captured during the delta sync window. These events migrate as Activity records in Crelate to document the candidate's progression through the recruiting and onboarding process. Note that some ADP event types require specific permission scopes not available without the signed developer agreement.

ADP Workforce Now

Talent Management

maps to

Crelate

(none)

1:1
Not supported

ADP Workforce Now's Talent Management module (performance reviews, goal setting, compensation planning, learning, certifications, awards, memberships, licenses) is not accessible via the public Workforce Now API. It uses a separate proprietary interface. We flag all Talent Management objects during scoping and do not migrate them. The customer's admin recreates these records manually in Crelate or a dedicated talent management tool if required.

ADP Workforce Now

Payroll Deduction Instructions

maps to

Crelate

(none)

1:1
Mapping required

ADP Deduction Instruction records (voluntary deductions, benefits enrolments) and payroll run history do not map to Crelate, which has no payroll or benefits administration features. These records remain in ADP. We flag active garnishment orders and company loan repayment schedules during scoping; these are ADP API unsupported features and require a manual reconciliation checklist for the HR administrator to recreate in the payroll system.

ADP Workforce Now

Time Off / Leave Records

maps to

Crelate

(none)

1:1
Fully supported

ADP Time Off Requests, accrual balances, and leave history do not migrate to Crelate. Crelate has no time and attendance or leave management features. We include time-off eligibility dates as custom fields on the Crelate Person record during migration, but leave management remains in ADP Workforce Now.

Gotchas + challenges

What specifically takes care here

Platform-specific issues from each side, plus the pair-specific challenges that don't show up on either platform's page on its own.

ADP Workforce Now logo

ADP Workforce Now gotchas

High

ADP API access requires a signed developer agreement

Medium

API rate limits are per-client and not publicly documented

High

Worker Custom Fields are write-only via the ADP API

Medium

Reports-based ADP integrations have known sync reliability issues

Medium

Involuntary Withholding Orders and Company Loans are not supported in the API

Crelate logo

Crelate gotchas

High

120 req/min API rate limit throttles bulk migrations

High

20 custom field per-entity cap forces data model decisions

Medium

15,000-record export ceiling on single operations

Medium

Sequences and automation workflows do not migrate

Low

API key is a querystring parameter, not a header

Pair-specific challenges

  • ADP API access requires a signed developer agreement before any export

    ADP does not expose its APIs publicly. Before we can authenticate against ADP Workforce Now, your organization must establish a developer agreement directly with ADP and agree to their terms. This is a prerequisite for any API-based migration and can take days to weeks depending on procurement and legal review cycles. We flag this as a migration blocker at scoping and work with your ADP representative to accelerate the process. If ADP API access cannot be established, the migration defaults to a file-based export (CSV/Excel reference file from ADP reports), which limits which objects migrate and increases manual reconciliation work.

  • Worker Custom Fields are write-only via the ADP API

    ADP supports 8 types of Worker Custom Fields (amount, code, date, indicator, number, percentage, string, telephone) at both the Worker and Worker Person levels. However, the ADP Workforce Now API does not expose a read endpoint for custom field values. We cannot export current custom field values directly from ADP. During scoping we document which custom fields are in use in the ADP UI, request a reference export from the customer's IT or HR admin team, or map values from the last known ADP report export. Crelate custom fields are fully supported for mapping these values if the reference file is available.

  • Reports-based ADP integrations have known sync reliability issues

    Third-party tools that use ADP's reports-based integration method experience periodic sync errors and delays on the ADP side. New hire additions, location updates, and pay rate changes can lag by days. We use ADP's Automatic Export Service (AES) via SFTP for outbound migrations where available, as it delivers data consistently on a daily basis and avoids the sync error patterns seen in the reports-based method. If SFTP is not configured for your ADP instance, we coordinate with ADP support to enable it during the migration window.

  • Talent Management and Performance data are not accessible via the ADP public API

    ADP Workforce Now's Talent Management module (covering performance reviews, goal setting, compensation planning, learning, certifications, awards, memberships, and licenses) is not accessible via the public Workforce Now API. It uses a separate proprietary interface. We do not migrate Talent Management data. During scoping we identify which Talent Management records are present and provide a written list for the customer's admin to recreate manually in the appropriate system.

  • Active garnishment orders and company loans cannot migrate via API

    ADP's Deduction Instruction API explicitly lists Involuntary Withholding Orders (garnishments) and Company Loans as unsupported and future-gated features. If your ADP instance contains active garnishment orders or company loan repayment schedules, these records will not transfer via API. We flag all active garnishment orders during scoping and provide a manual reconciliation checklist for HR administrators to recreate these in the ADP payroll system after migration.

Migration approach

Six steps for a successful ADP Workforce Now to Crelate data migration

  1. Discovery and ADP API access confirmation

    We audit the ADP Workforce Now instance across recruiting objects (Workers with candidate records, Requisitions, Applicants, Placements, hiring activities), Talent Management usage, custom field inventory, and org structure (Locations, Departments). We confirm whether a signed ADP developer agreement is already in place. If not, we escalate to your ADP representative as the critical-path prerequisite. We also identify any active garnishment orders, company loans, or Talent Management records that cannot migrate via API and require manual reconciliation. The discovery output is a written scope document specifying which objects migrate and which are flagged for manual handling.

  2. Crelate sandbox setup and ADP-to-Crelate object mapping

    We create a Crelate staging environment, configure the object schema (People custom fields, Job stages, Placement types, Activity types), and map ADP objects to their Crelate equivalents. This includes configuring ADP Locations and Departments as Crelate Tags, mapping ADP Applicant stages to Crelate stage values, and designing the Person record structure to hold both recruiting and employment attributes. We validate the mapping by pulling a sample of 25-50 ADP records (Workers, Requisitions, Applicants) and confirming they land correctly in Crelate before committing to a full migration run.

  3. ADP API authentication and export script development

    With the developer agreement confirmed, we authenticate against the ADP Web API Gateway using your client credentials. We build the export pipeline with conservative batching to account for undocumented ADP per-client rate limits. We use ADP's SFTP-based Automatic Export Service (AES) for the primary data pull where available, as it provides consistent daily file delivery without the sync error patterns of the reports-based method. For any records not available via SFTP, we fall back to the REST API with exponential backoff on 429 responses. Custom field values are sourced from the customer-provided reference file or last known export if the ADP API read is unavailable.

  4. Sandbox migration and record reconciliation

    We run a full migration into the Crelate staging environment: Jobs (ADP Requisitions), People (ADP Workers and Applicants), Placements (ADP Hire records), Activities (hiring events), and Tags (Locations, Departments). We reconcile record counts at each object level, spot-check field-level mappings against the ADP source, and confirm that Person records correctly link to Job and Placement records. The customer's HR or recruiting lead reviews the staging output and signs off before production migration begins. Any mapping corrections are made in the staging environment, not in production.

  5. Production migration in dependency order

    We run production migration in dependency order: first Crelate Jobs (ADP Requisitions), then People (ADP Workers and Applicants with ADP IDs preserved), then Placements (ADP Hire records linked to the correct Person and Job), then Activities (hiring events, interview feedback, notes), then Tags (Locations and Departments). Each phase emits a row-count reconciliation report before the next phase begins. We monitor for 429 rate-limit responses and back off dynamically. The SFTP export or delta sync captures any records modified during the migration window for a final incremental run before cutover.

  6. Cutover, validation, and handoff

    We schedule a cutover date, run a final delta migration of any records created or updated since the last sync, and disable write access in the ADP recruiting module to lock the migration. We deliver a written handoff document listing all ADP Talent Management objects, garnishment orders, and company loans that require manual entry, along with a Crelate Workflow rebuild inventory for the customer's admin to recreate hiring workflows in Crelate. We offer a one-week hypercare window to resolve any post-migration reconciliation issues. Ongoing Crelate admin configuration, recruiter training, and ADP contract renegotiation fall outside the migration scope.

Platform deep dives

Context on both ends of the pair

ADP Workforce Now logo

ADP Workforce Now

Source

Strengths

  • All-in-one HCM platform consolidating payroll, HR, benefits, time tracking, and talent into a single database
  • ADP's compliance expertise and tax-filing penalty guarantee reduces employer liability on payroll errors
  • Supports multi-state and multi-jurisdiction payroll with built-in tax rule management for US employers
  • AI-powered payroll error detection identifies anomalies before payroll processing completes
  • ADP Marketplace offers 150+ pre-built integrations including Workato, Deputy, and Greenhouse OnRamp

Weaknesses

  • Customer service wait times are a consistent pain point across G2, Capterra, and Reddit reviews
  • UI is widely described as outdated and unintuitive, particularly for reporting and navigation tasks
  • Pricing is opaque — no published list prices, contracts are multi-year, and hidden fees are common
  • Talent Management module uses a proprietary interface not accessible via the public API
  • Custom labor distribution and project-level cost reporting requires expensive custom development
Crelate logo

Crelate

Destination

Strengths

  • Unified ATS and CRM in a single platform reduces data synchronization overhead for recruiting teams.
  • Fast setup with guided implementation reported as a significant time saver for small teams.
  • Transparent per-seat pricing without surprise fees at the base tier.
  • Flexible custom field configuration across core objects without developer dependency.
  • Export capability supports up to 15,000 records per operation for Contacts, Companies, and Opportunities.

Weaknesses

  • API rate limit of 120 requests per minute restricts bulk migration throughput.
  • Custom field cap of 20 per entity requires field consolidation for complex recruiting schemas.
  • All advanced features (Activities, Activity Forms, Core Record Field customization) are tier-gated add-ons.
  • Customer service responsiveness receives consistent negative feedback in reviews.
  • Resume parsing quality trails competitors and generates support requests.

Complexity grading

How hard is this migration?

Moderate HRMS migration. 1 of 7 objects need a mapping; the rest are 1:1.

C

Overall complexity

Moderate migration

Derived from compatibility, mapping clarity, API constraints, and data volume across ADP Workforce Now and Crelate.

  • Object compatibility

    B

    1 of 7 objects need a mapping; the rest are 1:1.

  • Field mapping clarity

    C

    Field mapping is derived from defaults — final spec confirmed during the sample migration.

  • Timeline complexity

    B

    7-object category — typical timelines run 2–7 days end-to-end.

  • API constraints

    C

    ADP Workforce Now: Per-client rate limits and concurrency limits — specific thresholds not publicly documented.

  • Data volume sensitivity

    B

    ADP Workforce Now doesn't expose a bulk API — REST + parallelization used for high-volume runs.

Estimator

Estimate your ADP Workforce Now to Crelate migration cost

Rule-based pricing — no per-record fees, no manual quotes. Migrations over 2M records are scoped individually.

Step 1

What are you migrating?

Pick a category, then your source and destination platforms.

Category

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about ADP Workforce Now to Crelate data migrations

Answers to the questions buyers ask most during ADP Workforce Now to Crelate migration scoping. Not seeing yours? Book a call.

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Most migrations land between four and six weeks for clean ATS data under 20,000 candidates and 500 job records. Migrations with large hiring activity histories, multiple ADP Locations, ADP API access delays (developer agreement not yet signed), or a gap between ADP Workers and recruiting candidates (contractor or staffing records that need linkage resolution) extend to eight to fourteen weeks. The ADP API access prerequisite is the most common schedule risk; if the developer agreement is not yet in place, we begin SFTP configuration and scoping while procurement completes.

Adjacent paths

Related migrations to explore

Ready when you are

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