Migrate from CATS to Zoho Recruit

CATS Candidate records map directly to Zoho Recruit Candidate records. We export via CATS' built-in XLS/CSV export or direct API pull where available, map standard fields (name, email, phone, address, status, source) to Zoho Recruit's Candidate module fields, and preserve the original candidate_id as an external reference field for dedupe. Custom fields on candidates migrate after the target custom fields are pre-created in Zoho Recruit during the schema phase.

CATS Job Orders map to Zoho Recruit Job Openings. Fields including job title, department, location, employment type, and description migrate directly. The CATS pipeline stage (New, Screening, Interview, Offer, Hired, Rejected) maps to Zoho Recruit's candidate status pipeline on the Job Opening. Job Order internal IDs are preserved as external reference fields. CATS does not have a native job board posting feature for automated multi-board distribution, so job source attribution migrates as a text field rather than a linked record.

CATS activities (calls, emails, notes, interviews) linked to candidates migrate as Zoho Recruit Activity records. Each activity type maps to the corresponding Zoho Recruit activity type. Timestamps, activity descriptions, and owner attribution (via email lookup to Zoho Recruit Users) preserve. Activities linked to job orders attach to the corresponding Job Opening record in Zoho Recruit. Large activity volumes migrate in batches to comply with Zoho API rate limits.

CATS custom fields on Candidates (text, dropdown, date, checkbox) are exported with their full schema during discovery. We pre-create matching custom fields in Zoho Recruit before candidate migration begins. Dropdown fields in CATS migrate as Zoho Picklist fields with the same options; checkbox migrates as a Checkbox field; date migrates as a Date field. If CATS dropdown options exceed Zoho Recruit's option length limits, we truncate and flag for admin review.

CATS custom fields on Job Orders follow the same pre-creation pattern as candidate custom fields. We extract the full custom field schema during discovery, create matching fields in Zoho Recruit Job Openings, then import job order records with the custom field values populated. Custom field values that do not match picklist options in Zoho Recruit are flagged for manual resolution post-migration.

CATS user accounts (name, email, role, department) map to Zoho Recruit Users. We export the CATS user list and map each to the corresponding Zoho Recruit User by email match. Roles in CATS (Admin, Recruiter, Hiring Manager) map to Zoho Recruit role assignments. If the destination has fewer seats than CATS, we flag excess owners for admin reconciliation before migration. CATS does not charge per candidate, so candidate import does not affect Zoho Recruit licensing; only user seats affect billing.

CATS pipeline stages (New, Screening, Interview, Offer, Hired, Rejected) are extracted from the CATS instance configuration. We map these to Zoho Recruit's candidate status values on Job Openings, creating custom status values where CATS stages do not have a Zoho Recruit equivalent. Stage ordering is preserved in the Zoho Recruit workflow configuration. Pipeline-specific stages are scoped per Job Opening during migration.

CATS departments categorize job orders and sometimes users. We export the department list and recreate it in Zoho Recruit's Department module before importing job orders that reference departments. Department assignments on users migrate as Zoho Recruit Department associations on User records. If CATS has departments without corresponding Zoho Recruit departments, we create them during the schema phase.

CATS tags on candidates and job orders (free-text or pre-defined) are exported as comma-separated lists. We map these to Zoho Recruit Tags, which are native to the Candidate and Job Opening modules. Tags used for candidate classification migrate as-is; Zoho Recruit supports tag creation on the fly, so no pre-creation is required. Tags used for filtering in CATS must be re-applied in Zoho Recruit's search and filter views post-migration.

Candidate sources in CATS (LinkedIn, Referral, Job Board, etc.) migrate to Zoho Recruit Source values. If CATS uses a source taxonomy that Zoho Recruit does not have pre-defined, we create matching Source values during schema setup. Source attribution on candidates preserves for reporting on candidate acquisition channels in Zoho Recruit. Zoho Recruit's Source field is a picklist, so source value mapping is deterministic.

CATS stores resumes, cover letters, and other file attachments linked to candidates. We pull attachments via the CATS API or export tool, preserve file names and association metadata, and re-upload them to Zoho Recruit as file attachments linked to the corresponding Candidate record. File types (PDF, DOC, DOCX) are preserved. Attachments without an associated candidate record are flagged for manual association post-migration.

CATS workflows define record routing, email triggers, and status-change rules. These are application configuration, not data objects, and cannot be exported directly. We document every active CATS workflow during discovery with its trigger, conditions, actions, and email templates, then deliver a written Workflow Mapping deliverable that maps each CATS rule to the equivalent Zoho Recruit Workflow action or Blueprint step. The customer's admin rebuilds routing and automation rules in Zoho Recruit's builder post-migration.