HRMS migration

Migrate from Varbi Recruit to Crelate

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

Varbi Recruit logo

Varbi Recruit

Source

Crelate

Destination

Crelate logo

Compatibility

83%

10 of 12

objects map 1:1 between Varbi Recruit and Crelate.

Complexity

BStandard

Timeline

3-5 weeks

Rollback included Accuracy guarantee Field-level validation

Overview

What this migration involves

Moving from Varbi Recruit to Crelate is a migration shaped by two different design philosophies: Varbi Recruit is purpose-built for Nordic and Benelux public-sector and higher-ed hiring with ISO 27001-certified data handling, competency-based scoring, and GDPR-first records; Crelate is a recruiter-first ATS and CRM platform with AI-powered sourcing, a Living Platform that continuously enriches candidate records, and a flexible pipeline model designed for agencies and in-house talent teams that scale. We extract candidate records, job adverts, applications, interview scorecards, and competency frameworks from Varbi Recruit via CSV export or documented API endpoints, pre-process custom fields that do not conform to a standard schema, and load them into Crelate's structured record types. We flag social security number fields for explicit customer consent before including them in the migration payload, and we deliver a written map of Hiring Process stages and Competency configurations requiring manual rebuild in Crelate because these are configuration objects rather than importable data records.

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

Varbi Recruit logo

Varbi Recruit

What's pushing teams away

  • Workflow rigidity frustrates teams with non-standard hiring processes — the platform's opinionated stages do not flex easily for creative, volume, or executive hiring.
  • AI features are minimal across tiers, with screening and matching relying heavily on manual recruiter effort compared to AI-native ATS alternatives.
  • Nordic public-sector focus limits relevance for organisations expanding outside the region, with multi-country compliance and language support gaps emerging at scale.
  • Growing teams report outgrowing the platform's feature set, particularly around advanced analytics, integrations, and collaborative hiring workflows available in enterprise alternatives.

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 Varbi Recruit objects map to Crelate

Each row shows how a Varbi Recruit 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.

Varbi Recruit

Candidate

maps to

Crelate

Contact

1:1
Fully supported

Varbi Recruit Candidate profiles map directly to Crelate Contact records. We extract all standard contact fields (name, email, phone, address) plus any flat custom fields defined on the Candidate object. National identity numbers (such as Swedish personnummer) migrate only with explicit customer consent documented during scoping; without consent these fields are excluded from the payload. Multi-select and nested custom fields are flattened into delimited columns before import to avoid schema violations in Crelate's Contact model.

Varbi Recruit

Job Advert

maps to

Crelate

Job

1:1
Fully supported

Varbi Recruit Advert records (title, description, department, location, employment type, application deadline) map to Crelate Job records. Advert metadata including publishing status and responsible recruiter maps to Crelate Job fields. Active and closed advert states are preserved so that Crelate reflects the correct open/closed status at import time.

Varbi Recruit

Application

maps to

Crelate

Application

1:1
Fully supported

Each Varbi Recruit Application links a Candidate to a Job Advert with a specific Hiring Process and Stage. We preserve the stage history, timestamps, and application status in Crelate's Application record. Stage history is stored as a custom text or JSON field in Crelate where the native model does not support full stage audit trails; the customer's admin reviews the staging logic during sandbox sign-off.

Varbi Recruit

Hiring Process

maps to

Crelate

Pipeline + Stage

lossy
Fully supported

Varbi Recruit Hiring Process definitions (stage sequence, responsible users, deadlines) are organization-configured with no canonical stage names. We audit the full stage list during scoping, map each source stage to an equivalent Crelate pipeline stage, and flag stages with no clear Crelate equivalent for hiring manager sign-off before committing the mapping. Stages are collapsed or expanded based on admin decision to avoid misrepresenting candidate progression.

Varbi Recruit

Competency Framework

maps to

Crelate

Custom Fields (Contact/Application)

1:1
Fully supported

Varbi Recruit Competency profiles define structured interview criteria and scoring rubrics. Crelate does not have a native Competency object. We export competency definitions and their values as custom fields on the Contact or Application record in Crelate, prefixing them with competency_ for identification. Competency ratings migrate as integer or decimal values against each named competency field. If the customer requires a structured interview form, we document the competency framework for manual rebuild in Crelate Forms.

Varbi Recruit

Interview Scorecard

maps to

Crelate

Custom Fields + Notes

1:1
Fully supported

Varbi Recruit Interview Scorecards capture structured ratings and notes against Competencies per interview stage. Crelate's native data model does not include a dedicated scorecard object. We migrate scorecard data as a combination of custom fields (for structured ratings) and Note records (for qualitative interviewer comments), linked to the relevant Contact and Application in Crelate. The customer reviews the scorecard representation during sandbox validation and may elect to rebuild using Crelate Forms with field mappings.

Varbi Recruit

Custom Fields

maps to

Crelate

Custom Fields

lossy
Mapping required

Varbi Recruit allows arbitrary custom fields across Candidates, Applications, and Adverts with no enforced schema standard. During scoping we audit all custom fields, categorize them by data type (text, number, date, picklist, multi-select, Boolean), and flatten multi-select fields into delimited text columns before import. Any fields that cannot be flattened and must be recreated manually in Crelate are documented in a custom-field gap report for the customer's admin.

Varbi Recruit

Attachments

maps to

Crelate

Documents

1:1
Mapping required

CVs, cover letters, portfolios, and other documents attached to Candidate profiles in Varbi Recruit export as binary files alongside record metadata. We export the full attachment set, store them in a mapped folder structure organized by Candidate, and push the document URLs or file references into Crelate's document fields or linked records. Binary attachment integrity is verified by hash comparison before and after migration.

Varbi Recruit

Offer and Contract

maps to

Crelate

Opportunity (placement)

1:1
Fully supported

Varbi Recruit Offer records (offer letter metadata and attached documents) link to Candidates at the offer stage. We migrate offer record metadata to Crelate Opportunity or a designated custom object, preserving the offer value, status, and responsible recruiter. Offer document attachments migrate as Crelate documents linked to the record. Note that offer workflow automation in Crelate is not migrated; the customer's admin configures any offer-stage automation post-migration.

Varbi Recruit

User and Hiring Manager

maps to

Crelate

User

1:1
Fully supported

Varbi Recruit user accounts (recruiters, hiring managers, approvers) map to Crelate User records. We export the user directory including email, role, and team assignment, and match by email against Crelate's User table. Any Varbi user without a matching Crelate User is held in a reconciliation queue for the customer's admin to provision before record import resumes.

Varbi Recruit

Tags and Labels

maps to

Crelate

Tags / Static Options

1:1
Mapping required

Varbi Recruit tags on Candidates and Adverts are tenant-defined labels for segmentation, sourcing channel, or internal categorization. We export tags as flat label arrays and map them to Crelate's Tags on the Contact or Job record, or to a multi-select picklist field if the customer prefers structured categorization. Tag strategy is confirmed during scoping based on the customer's use of tags for reporting or filtering.

Varbi Recruit

Onboarding Records

maps to

Crelate

Not migrated

1:1
Not supported

Varbi Recruit's digital onboarding module is a separate product layer triggered after a candidate accepts an offer. Onboarding task lists, workflow states, and document collection do not belong to the ATS data model and are not included in the standard candidate or advert export. We document this boundary during scoping so the customer treats onboarding as a separate workstream and does not expect these records to flow automatically into Crelate.

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.

Varbi Recruit logo

Varbi Recruit gotchas

High

Custom fields must be audited and flattened before migration

Medium

Pipeline stage names are tenant-defined and require 1:1 re-mapping

Medium

Onboarding data lives outside the standard ATS export scope

High

Social security number handling requires explicit customer consent

Low

Active candidate re-engagement is necessary post-migration

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

  • Custom fields require flattening before import

    Varbi Recruit allows organizations to define arbitrary custom fields across Candidates, Applications, and Adverts with no enforced schema standardization. Multi-select fields, nested objects, and fields with tenant-specific formats cannot be imported directly into Crelate without pre-processing. We run a custom-field audit during scoping, categorize every field by data type, flatten multi-select values into delimited text columns, and document any fields that cannot be flattened and must be recreated manually in Crelate. Skipping this step results in import failures and orphaned records in Crelate.

  • Pipeline stage names require explicit 1:1 re-mapping

    Each Varbi Recruit organization configures its own Hiring Process stage names and sequence with no canonical set. When migrating to Crelate, we must map each source stage to an equivalent Crelate stage. Stages with no clear Crelate equivalent are flagged as collapsed or expanded for hiring manager sign-off before the mapping is committed. Crelate's pipeline and stage configuration is flexible but must be designed before record import; loading records against a misconfigured stage set produces incorrect application status in Crelate.

  • Social security number handling requires documented consent

    Varbi Recruit stores national identity numbers (such as Swedish personnummer) within EU systems when employers require them for background checks. These are sensitive data under GDPR Article 9. We do not include social security fields in the standard migration payload without explicit customer sign-off during scoping. The consent decision is documented and a separate secure transfer path is configured if the customer elects to move this data. Failing to obtain consent creates a GDPR compliance risk at the point of data transfer.

  • Interview scorecards lack a native Crelate object

    Varbi Recruit's structured interview scorecards capturing competency ratings and qualitative feedback have no direct equivalent object in Crelate's native data model. We migrate scorecard data as custom fields (for structured ratings) and Notes (for qualitative comments), but this representation differs from a dedicated scorecard interface. The customer reviews this during sandbox validation and may choose to rebuild structured interviews using Crelate Forms with field mappings; we document the required form configuration as part of the migration deliverables.

  • Active candidate re-engagement is necessary post-migration

    Once candidates and applications are imported into Crelate, candidates will not receive automatic notifications of their updated status in the new system. Crelate does not send outbound communications to imported candidates by default. We flag this during migration planning and recommend that the customer sends a proactive re-engagement email to active candidates shortly after cutover to avoid candidate experience gaps. This communication is the customer's responsibility; we provide the candidate contact list and merge field guidance if the customer uses Crelate's email tools.

Migration approach

Six steps for a successful Varbi Recruit to Crelate data migration

  1. Discovery and scoping

    We audit the source Varbi Recruit instance across all objects (Candidates, Job Adverts, Applications, Hiring Processes, Competencies, Scorecards, Custom Fields, Attachments, Offers, Users, Tags), estimate record volumes, and identify any GDPR-sensitive fields requiring consent. We pair this with a Crelate configuration review to understand the target pipeline structure, custom field setup, and user provisioning status. The discovery output is a written migration scope document including the custom-field flattening plan, stage re-mapping table, and GDPR consent decision tracker.

  2. Custom field audit and flattening

    We extract the full custom-field schema from Varbi Recruit, categorize each field by data type, and pre-process any multi-select, nested, or non-standard fields into flat delimited columns suitable for Crelate import. Multi-value fields are stored as pipe-delimited strings or split into multiple single-value fields with a naming convention the customer approves. Any fields that cannot be flattened are listed in the custom-field gap report for manual Crelate recreation.

  3. Sandbox migration and reconciliation

    We run a full migration into Crelate's sandbox or test environment using production-like data volume. The customer's hiring operations lead reconciles record counts (Candidates in, Jobs in, Applications in, Users in), spot-checks 25-50 random records against the Varbi Recruit source, reviews the stage re-mapping for accuracy, and validates scorecard representation. Any mapping corrections and stage configuration adjustments happen in sandbox before production migration begins.

  4. User provisioning and owner reconciliation

    We extract every distinct Varbi Recruit user referenced on Candidate, Application, and Job records and match by email against Crelate's User table. Users without a matching Crelate account go to a reconciliation queue. The customer's Crelate admin provisions any missing users before record import resumes, because Owner and recruiter assignment fields on Applications and Jobs require a valid Crelate User reference.

  5. Production migration in dependency order

    We run production migration in record-dependency order: Users (manual, validated), Jobs (advert records without external dependencies), Contacts (Candidate data, with consent-gated identity fields excluded where applicable), Applications (with ContactId and JobId resolved), Custom Fields (after parent record insert), Scorecards and Notes (linked to Contact and Application), Attachments (linked to Contact or Job), Offers and Opportunities. Each phase emits a row-count reconciliation report before the next phase begins.

  6. Cutover, validation, and handoff

    We freeze writes to Varbi Recruit during cutover, run a final delta migration of any records modified during the migration window, then enable Crelate as the system of record. We deliver the Hiring Process stage map, Competency framework document, and Workflow/automation inventory as a written handoff to the customer's admin team. We support a one-week post-go-live window for reconciliation issues raised by the recruiting team. We do not rebuild Hiring Process workflows or competency interview frameworks in Crelate as part of the migration scope; these require manual rebuild in Crelate's pipeline and Forms configuration.

Platform deep dives

Context on both ends of the pair

Varbi Recruit logo

Varbi Recruit

Source

Strengths

  • ISO 27001-certified information security with GDPR-compliant data handling across all EU-stored records.
  • Competency-based structured interview framework built natively into the hiring workflow, valued in public-sector and academic contexts.
  • Multi-language support covering Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, German, and others — reducing friction for multinational Nordic hiring teams.
  • Customisable recruitment processes allow each organisation to configure stages, fields, and templates to match internal governance without developer involvement.
  • CSV and API export options give migration teams flexibility in how data is retrieved and ingested into the destination ATS.

Weaknesses

  • Minimal AI features compared to AI-native ATS alternatives — screening, matching, and candidate communication rely heavily on manual recruiter effort.
  • Workflow rigidity makes it difficult to accommodate non-standard hiring processes such as high-volume, executive, or contract hiring.
  • Limited enterprise analytics on lower tiers, with reporting features requiring premium access, limiting data-driven hiring insights for smaller teams.
  • Geographic and cultural focus on Nordic public-sector hiring can create friction for organisations expanding into other regions or sectors.
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 Varbi Recruit 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

    Varbi Recruit: Rate limit details are not publicly documented by Varbi. We recommend conservative polling intervals and implement exponential back-off during export to avoid triggering throttling..

  • Data volume sensitivity

    B

    Varbi Recruit doesn't expose a bulk API — REST + parallelization used for high-volume runs.

Estimator

Estimate your Varbi Recruit 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 Varbi Recruit to Crelate data migrations

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

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Most migrations land between three and five weeks for accounts under 20,000 Candidates and 3,000 Applications with no complex multi-select custom fields and straightforward stage re-mapping. Migrations with nested or multi-value custom fields requiring flattening, competency scorecard history, large binary attachment volumes, or GDPR-sensitive identity data requiring consent coordination move to six to ten weeks because of pre-processing time and explicit sign-off requirements. Crelate also has its own migration backlog; we confirm the target start date during scoping.

Adjacent paths

Related migrations to explore

Ready when you are

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