LinkedIn/HR/IT Inquiry for Professionals in Relevant Fields
Hello everyone! I’m reaching out to seek your insights on a challenge our corporate team is currently facing. While this post is primarily directed at those in HR, I welcome input from anyone who might have expertise to offer! I frequently turn to Reddit for solutions, and it has proven invaluable. Just to provide some context, I work as an assistant at a recruitment firm that specializes in specific sectors, and I’m also a student studying outside of the industry.
We’re currently working with a substantial network on LinkedIn, where we have approximately 4,500 connections. Our goal is to efficiently transfer these connections into an HR portal, specifically the RECRU portal, developed by a Slovak company. We aim to migrate the profiles along with all available information seamlessly.
RECRU offers a plugin that allows users to upload LinkedIn profiles in PDF format, which then extracts and imports the entire profile data into our database. This method is fast and captures comprehensive profile details; however, the limitation is that we can only download 100 profiles per month from LinkedIn, which is quite restrictive.
Alternatively, we can also import data through CSV format. Unfortunately, using LinkedIn’s official export tool yields minimal information – just names, positions, and companies – which isn’t sufficient for our needs. While I’ve heard about various data scraping tools that could potentially extract more data, we are hesitant to venture down this path without knowing which solutions are reliable, as we want to avoid risking our LinkedIn access.
At this point, we’re exploring our options and would love to hear from anyone who has faced a similar issue. How did you overcome it? While manually transferring 4,500 profiles to RECRU is a last-resort option, we’re keen to find a more efficient solution.
Is there another HR portal that might handle this migration more effectively?
Thank you in advance for any insights or suggestions you can provide!
RCadmin
Hi there!
It sounds like you’re facing a challenging yet common issue when it comes to migrating and managing connections on LinkedIn. Here are a few potential solutions and considerations that might help you with this transition to the RECRU portal:
LinkedIn API: While using data scraping tools carries the risk of violating LinkedIn’s terms, consider exploring the LinkedIn API. The API allows certain access to profile information, but you’ll need to build a custom integration, which might require development resources. This approach can allow you to gather more data about your connections without scraping directly.
Manual Export with Enhanced Tracking: Since LinkedIn allows for a limited number of profile downloads, you could create a schedule or a system to download profiles over the month. For instance, you might prioritize connections based on certain criteria (e.g., clients over casual connections), ensuring that the most valuable profiles are captured first.
Third-Party Tools: Research software solutions specifically designed for LinkedIn data management. Some tools (allowed by LinkedIn’s terms) may help streamline the extraction and transfer of data to your HR system. Just ensure these tools comply with LinkedIn’s policies to avoid potential penalties.
Collaboration with RECRU: Reach out to the RECRU support team for additional guidance or support. They may have encountered similar cases and can suggest specific strategies or features within their platform that you can leverage for importing profiles more efficiently.
Consider Alternative HR Portals: If RECRU’s limitations are constraining, it may be worth evaluating other HR portals that might offer more robust integrations with LinkedIn. Research their capabilities regarding bulk import options or better handling of LinkedIn data.
Incremental Approach: If all else fails and manual entry becomes necessary, consider a team approach. Divide the load among several team members and tackle the profiles in batches. This way, the task becomes more manageable and less daunting.
Professional Networking: Engage with LinkedIn groups or forums specific to HR and recruitment technology. Others in your industry may have faced similar challenges and could share insights or tools that worked for them.
Navigating LinkedIn’s restrictions can be complex, but with careful planning and leveraging available resources, you should be able to find a solution that works. Good luck with the transition, and feel free to reach out if you have any more questions!
Best,
[Your Name]