Migrate from Softgarden to Crelate

Softgarden Bewerber records map to Crelate Person. The Softgarden applicant base data (name, contact fields, profile picture URL) maps to Crelate Person fields. The PerRecord API call pattern applies: we query Softgarden per applicant record and create per Person in Crelate. The German field label bewerber_vorname maps to Person.FirstName and bewerber_nachname to Person.LastName. We resolve the German-language field labels during the discovery phase by reading a sample of Softgarden records to build the translation matrix before bulk extraction begins.

Softgarden Bewerbung links a Bewerber to a Stellen (position) and tracks the pipeline stage. We split on status: Bewerbungen in active pipeline stages map to Crelate Job Order records; Bewerbungen in Hired, Onboarding, or similar terminal stages map to Crelate Placement records. The Softgarden application identifier becomes the external_id on the Crelate record for deduplication if the migration is re-run. Application creation timestamps and status-transition timestamps migrate as Crelate date fields for pipeline audit history.

Softgarden Stellen (job postings) map to Crelate Job records. The position title, description, department, and publication status migrate directly. Active versus archived positions from Softgarden map to Crelate Job.Status field (Open, Closed, On Hold). The Softgarden Stellen identifier becomes the external_id on the Crelate Job for cross-reference during the application mapping phase.

Softgarden attachments—CVs (Lebenslauf), profile pictures, and general application documents—migrate as Crelate Document records linked via ContentDocumentLink to the parent Person or Job Order. The API provides dedicated endpoints for attachment retrieval and upload. We migrate binary attachments directly from the Softgarden attachment API rather than relying on system-generated applicant PDFs, which are only available when a candidate enters a configured trigger status.

Softgarden tracks which channel (job board, direct, referral) each application originated from via application sources (Katalogwerte). We map these catalog values to Crelate's source field on the Person or Job Order record. If the customer has custom-named sources in Softgarden, we configure corresponding source values in Crelate during schema setup before migration begins. Custom source names that have no direct Crelate equivalent become Tags in a 'ApplicationSource' tag category.

Softgarden uses configurable workflow stages (New, Screening, Interview, Offer, Hired, Onboarding). We preserve stage names and transition timestamps in Crelate. Each Softgarden pipeline stage becomes either a Crelate status value or a Tag depending on whether the customer's pipeline has branching or conditional stages. Crelate's field mapping feature (documented in Crelate Help Center) allows custom form answers to map directly to parent record columns, which we use for stage name migration.

Softgarden uses Katalogwerte for structured dropdowns (location, department, employment type, salary band). The API exposes a dedicated endpoint for resolving catalog values. We enumerate all active catalog values during discovery, then configure equivalent picklist fields in Crelate before migration. If the customer has dozens of active catalog values, we batch-create the Crelate picklist options as a pre-migration configuration step so that record import does not trigger picklist validation errors.

Softgarden's system-generated applicant PDF—including all attachments—only becomes available via the Applicant Data Export PUSH interface when a candidate enters the configured trigger status. We migrate raw CV and document attachments directly from the attachment API instead of relying on the composed PDF, because candidates still in early pipeline stages may not yet have a generated PDF. The raw attachments provide the same content without the status-trigger dependency.

Softgarden does not publish a dedicated API endpoint to enumerate all custom fields and their types. We discover active custom fields by querying a representative sample of application and position records during the discovery phase and inferring the schema from field presence across the dataset. Discovered custom fields are then created as equivalent Crelate custom fields (Short Answer, Picklist, Date, Numeric, etc.) before record migration begins. This discovery step adds modest time to scoping but is required before any data moves.

Softgarden Owners (assigned recruiters, hiring managers) map to Crelate User records. We resolve by matching the email address. If a Softgarden Owner has no corresponding Crelate User, the record is held in a reconciliation queue for the customer's admin to provision the User account before record import resumes. This is identical to the reconciliation pattern used in Crelate's own documented migration approach.

If Softgarden's application workflow includes a candidate scoring or rating field (configured via custom fields), we map it to a Crelate custom numeric field or a Crelate 1-5 star rating field (a built-in field type within Crelate's custom field options). The star rating field provides a visual representation and is fully searchable in Crelate's interface.

Softgarden's acquired absence.io module (personnel files, absence management, time recording) sits in a separate product instance not accessible via the main Softgarden ATS API. We do not migrate absence.io data. If the customer needs absence and time recording data in Crelate, they must use Crelate's native absence features (if available in their plan) or a dedicated HRIS integration post-migration.