HRMS migration

Migrate from isolved to Crelate

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

isolved logo

isolved

Source

Crelate

Destination

Crelate logo

Compatibility

58%

7 of 12

objects map 1:1 between isolved and Crelate.

Complexity

BStandard

Timeline

3-5 weeks

Rollback included Accuracy guarantee Field-level validation

Overview

What this migration involves

The isolved-to-Crelate migration is a talent-acquisition module extraction from isolved's broader HCM suite into Crelate's dedicated recruiting platform. isolved organizes ApplicantPro data around defined picklists (Job Codes, Work Locations, Pay Types) that have no direct Crelate equivalent, so we convert those values to Crelate Tags during the transform phase. Crelate's API accepts contacts and jobs via documented REST endpoints using lookup fields with _Id suffixes; we resolve the parent-record references (Candidate linked to Job via application) before import so no record lands orphaned. We flag and deduplicate accumulated stale records during scoping because Crelate's migration guide explicitly warns that duplicate records and empty fields transfer into the new system without upfront cleanup. We do not migrate isolved Workflow rules, ApplicantPro automations, or custom reports; we deliver written inventories of these for the customer's admin to rebuild in Crelate's workflow builder.

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

isolved logo

isolved

What's pushing teams away

  • Navigation is confusing and not always intuitive — users report difficulty locating specific features, reports, and configuration settings across the platform, slowing daily HR tasks.
  • Reporting and analytics feel limited compared to enterprise HCM platforms, with reviewers noting shallow custom report builder and absence of side-by-side benefit comparison tools.
  • Hidden fees and price increases erode perceived value — multiple reviewers cite unexpected billing changes, restrictive multi-year contracts, and migration fees not disclosed upfront.
  • Partner ecosystem creates inconsistent experience — customers of different PEO or HRO partners report varying levels of service quality and support responsiveness depending on which firm manages their account.
  • Talent acquisition module (ApplicantPro) feels basic against competitors, with users noting inadequate keyword search, limited analytics, and a bare-bones interface that lacks the sophistication of dedicated ATS platforms.

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 isolved objects map to Crelate

Each row shows how a isolved 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.

isolved

Applicant / Candidate

maps to

Crelate

Contact

1:1
Fully supported

isolved ApplicantPro candidate records map to Crelate Contact. Core fields (name, email, phone, address, resume) migrate directly. isolved compensation expectations and preferred salary fields map to Crelate custom monetary fields on Contact. The original source of application (referral, job board, direct) migrates to Crelate's Source field. We convert any isolved defined-list values (clearance level, authorization type) to Crelate Tags during transform. Email addresses serve as the dedupe key during import to prevent duplicate Contact creation.

isolved

Employee (recruiting context)

maps to

Crelate

Contact

1:1
Fully supported

For candidates who are also current or former employees in isolved's HR module, we preserve the Employee record separately from the Applicant record. isolved stores these as distinct records; Crelate uses a single Contact object for both scenarios, with an Employee Status custom field distinguishing current, former, and candidate states. SSN and sensitive tax identifiers are extracted under encryption but are not imported into Crelate's standard fields; we create a masked reference field for compliance audits only.

isolved

Job Requisition

maps to

Crelate

Job

1:1
Fully supported

isolved Job Requisitions map to Crelate Job records. Fields include job title, department, location (city/state), employment type (full-time, part-time, contract), salary range (min/max), and job description. The requisition status (open, filled, on-hold, cancelled) maps to Crelate's Job status field. Crelate's Job object requires a Name field; we populate it from the requisition title to satisfy this required attribute.

isolved

Application / Submission

maps to

Crelate

Job Submission (linked Activity)

1:1
Fully supported

isolved applications submitted against a Job Requisition map to Crelate Job records linked to a Contact record via a submission relationship. The application date, stage in the hiring pipeline, and interviewer assignments migrate as Crelate Activity records attached to the Job-Contact pair. Pipeline stages from isolved (applied, screening, interview, offer, hired, rejected) map to Crelate's workflow stage values via the mapping matrix produced during discovery.

isolved

Defined List: Job Code

maps to

Crelate

Crelate Tags (Job Category)

lossy
Fully supported

isolved Job Codes are employer-defined classification picklist values with no direct Crelate equivalent. We export the full Job Code picklist table from isolved, then create corresponding Crelate Tags under a 'Job Category' tag key. Each candidate's applicable Job Code becomes a Tag on the Contact record; each requisition's Job Code becomes a Tag on the Job record. This approach bypasses Crelate's 20-field soft limit for structured custom fields while preserving the taxonomy.

isolved

Defined List: Work Location

maps to

Crelate

Crelate Tags (Location)

lossy
Fully supported

isolved Work Locations drive tax withholding, workers comp codes, and benefit eligibility in the HR module. In the recruiting context, we map Work Location to Crelate Tags under a 'Work Location' category. The actual address details (street, city, state, zip) also migrate to the Job record's location fields for candidate-facing display.

isolved

Defined List: Pay Type

maps to

Crelate

Crelate Tags (Compensation Type)

lossy
Fully supported

isolved Pay Types (hourly, salaried, commission-only, contractor) map to Crelate Tags under a 'Compensation Type' category on both Job and Contact records. Salary ranges stored as min/max in isolved migrate to Crelate custom monetary fields (Salary Min, Salary Max) on the Job record.

isolved

Interview / Scheduler

maps to

Crelate

Event + Activity

1:1
Fully supported

isolved interview events and scheduling records map to Crelate Event records linked to the relevant Job and Contact. The interview type (phone screen, on-site, panel, technical), scheduled time, interviewer participants, and interview notes migrate as Event records with attendee links via Crelate's EventRelation lookup convention.

isolved

Candidate Notes

maps to

Crelate

Note

1:1
Fully supported

Recruiter notes attached to candidates in isolved ApplicantPro map to Crelate Note records linked to the Contact. Notes preserve body text and author attribution. We attach notes via Crelate's ContentDocumentLink pattern if the note includes attachments, or directly to the Contact record for text-only notes.

isolved

Candidate Documents

maps to

Crelate

Attachment (ContentDocument)

1:1
Fully supported

Resume files, cover letters, portfolio attachments, and offer letters stored in isolved migrate as Crelate Attachments linked to the Contact record. We export document blobs with metadata (file name, MIME type, upload date) and import via Crelate's file attachment API. Binary document format compatibility is verified during staging validation.

isolved

Source / Referral

maps to

Crelate

Source Tag + Custom Field

lossy
Fully supported

isolved tracks application source (employee referral, job board, direct apply, agency) as a defined field on the application record. We map this to Crelate's native Source field and also create a Tag under 'Application Source' to allow multi-dimensional filtering. For agency-sourced candidates, the agency name migrates as a related Contact lookup if the agency exists in Crelate as a Company record.

isolved

Workflow / Automation (ApplicantPro)

maps to

Crelate

No migration (inventory delivered)

lossy
Fully supported

isolved ApplicantPro workflow rules (auto-stage progression, email triggers, reminder automations) are not migratable as code. We audit every active workflow, document its trigger conditions, actions, and recipients, and deliver a written workflow inventory with recommended Crelate workflow equivalents. The customer's admin rebuilds these in Crelate's workflow builder post-migration.

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.

isolved logo

isolved gotchas

High

PEPM billing model inflates post-migration costs silently

High

Payroll tax and deduction history requires SSAE-18 audit trail handling

High

Proprietary API with no publicly documented endpoint reference

High

Custom defined lists (Job Codes, Work Locations, Pay Types) must be exported and remapped

Medium

Implementation fee of 10–25% of annual contract plus contract lock-in

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

  • Picklist fields must convert to Crelate Tags

    Crelate enforces approximately 20 structured custom fields per record with specific field types (short answer, date, numeric, picklist). isolved ApplicantPro stores classification data as employer-defined picklists (Job Codes, Work Locations, Pay Types, Workers Comp Codes) that have no direct Crelate equivalent. We convert these picklist values to Crelate Tags using a key-value tag structure during the transform phase, which preserves the taxonomy without consuming structured field slots. This requires exporting the full picklist table from isolved and building a mapping matrix before any candidate records are processed.

  • No production API for isolved requires batch-file ETL

    isolved does not publish a developer API portal or REST endpoint reference for ApplicantPro data extraction. Integrations are brokered through partner platforms and the benefit services module supports plan/rate import via spreadsheet only. We extract applicant data via isolved's partner batch file format and import through Crelate's documented REST API. This ETL approach is slower than direct API-to-API migration and requires batch sequencing with SSN and banking fields masked in transit. The batch file size limits and field encoding must be validated during discovery.

  • Duplicate records and empty fields accumulate in staging

    Crelate's own migration documentation warns that duplicate records, outdated contacts, and empty fields accumulate over time in legacy ATS platforms and transfer into the new system without upfront cleanup. We perform a deduplication audit during discovery that identifies duplicate Contact records (matched by email, phone, or name proximity), records with missing required fields (Contact requires a Name; Job requires a Name), and orphaned application records with no linked candidate or job. Deduplication runs as a pre-migration step so that the import produces a clean Crelate instance.

  • Crelate lookup fields require Id or FirstName+LastName

    Crelate's API lookup convention requires either the target record's Id field or both FirstName and LastName for contact lookups. If the Id is blank and names are provided, Crelate creates a new contact record. This means parent-record resolution during migration must be precise: every candidate linked to a job via an application must have the Crelate Contact Id resolved before the link is written. We build the Id resolution map during the transform phase and validate all lookups against Crelate's staging environment before production import.

  • Workflows and automations do not migrate

    isolved ApplicantPro workflow rules, sequence automations, and stage-triggered actions are not migratable to Crelate's workflow builder. These are fundamentally different automation models. We deliver a written inventory of every active isolved ApplicantPro workflow with its trigger conditions, actions, and a recommended Crelate equivalent. The customer's recruiting admin rebuilds these post-migration. Custom reports and dashboards similarly do not migrate; we document the existing report inventory for the admin to recreate in Crelate's reporting module.

Migration approach

Six steps for a successful isolved to Crelate data migration

  1. Discovery and data audit

    We audit the isolved ApplicantPro module to establish the migration inventory: total candidate records, job requisitions (open and closed), application submissions, custom defined lists (Job Codes, Work Locations, Pay Types), document attachment volume, workflow rule count, and active recruiter user accounts. We also identify duplicate candidates, records with missing required fields, and any historical data (prior year applications) the customer wants preserved. The discovery output is a written scope with record counts, a preliminary field mapping matrix, and an estimated timeline.

  2. Field mapping design and tag taxonomy

    We design the Crelate field mapping covering every candidate attribute, job field, and application field. isolved picklist values (Job Codes, Work Locations, Pay Types) are exported and converted to a Crelate Tag taxonomy with key-value pairs. We define which isolved fields map to Crelate native fields, which become custom fields, and which become Tags. This mapping matrix is reviewed with the customer before any data moves. Crelate's API requires certain fields (Name on Contact, Name on Job); we define fallback values for any isolved records missing these required attributes.

  3. Staging environment setup and sample migration

    We create a Crelate staging environment and run a sample migration with 50-100 candidate records, 10-20 job records, and associated applications. The customer validates record appearance, field accuracy, tag assignment, and document attachment integrity. Crelate's staging verification process includes side-by-side comparison of source records against migrated records. Any mapping corrections are documented and applied before the full production migration begins.

  4. Deduplication and data cleanup

    We run deduplication against the full candidate dataset using email, phone, and name-proximity matching. Duplicate records are flagged for customer review with a recommendation on which record to retain (typically the most recently updated). Records with missing required fields receive placeholder values that the customer approves. Orphaned application records are linked to the nearest valid candidate or job record where a logical relationship exists, or flagged for the customer's admin to resolve.

  5. Production migration in dependency order

    We run production migration in record-dependency order: Jobs first (because they are referenced by applications), then Contacts (candidates), then Job Submissions (application records linking Job to Contact), then Activities (interviews, notes, calls, emails), then Documents (attachments linked to Contact records), then Tags (applied after all records are created to avoid tag-loss on failed inserts). Each phase emits a row-count reconciliation report showing records attempted, succeeded, failed, and skipped. Failed records are retried with corrected data before the next phase begins.

  6. Cutover, validation, and workflow handoff

    We freeze isolved ApplicantPro writes during cutover and run a final delta migration of any records modified during the migration window. We perform a final reconciliation comparing total candidate count, total job count, and total application count between isolved and Crelate. The customer signs off on the migrated data. We deliver the workflow inventory document and the custom report inventory to the customer's recruiting admin. We offer a one-week hypercare window for reconciliation issues raised by the recruiting team. We do not rebuild isolved ApplicantPro workflows in Crelate as part of the migration scope; that is a separate engagement.

Platform deep dives

Context on both ends of the pair

isolved logo

isolved

Source

Strengths

  • Full HCM suite integrating payroll, HR, benefits, time, talent, and performance under one vendor
  • PEPM pricing accessible for mid-market companies with 50–1,000+ employees
  • Multi-state compliance and tax filing coverage across all 50 US states
  • Auto-syncing time tracking with overtime calculation directly into payroll runs
  • Dedicated partner network providing localized implementation and ongoing support

Weaknesses

  • Interface navigation described as confusing and non-intuitive by multiple reviewers
  • Limited reporting and analytics compared to enterprise HCM competitors
  • Hidden implementation fees of 10–25% of annual contract plus migration charges
  • Workflow and reporting customization require isolved support rather than self-service
  • Talent acquisition module (ApplicantPro) lags behind dedicated ATS platforms in search and analytics
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?

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

B

Overall complexity

Standard migration

Derived from compatibility, mapping clarity, API constraints, and data volume across isolved 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

    B

    isolved: Not publicly documented.

  • Data volume sensitivity

    A

    isolved exposes a bulk API — large-volume migrations stream efficiently.

Estimator

Estimate your isolved 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 isolved to Crelate data migrations

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

Can't find your answer?

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Straightforward migrations under 10,000 candidates and 500 job requisitions with clean field mappings complete in three to five weeks. Migrations with large candidate databases, extensive deduplication needs, picklist-to-tag conversion for dozens of defined lists, or multi-year application history move to eight to twelve weeks because of staging validation, cleanup effort, and Crelate API batch sequencing. The deduplication and staging validation steps are the primary timeline drivers for ApplicantPro migrations.

Adjacent paths

Related migrations to explore

Ready when you are

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