LinkedIn/HR/IT Query for Industry Professionals
Hello everyone,
I’m reaching out to tap into the collective knowledge of this community regarding a challenge we’re currently facing at our recruiting firm. This post is primarily aimed at those in HR and related fields, but anyone is welcome to chime in! I often turn to Reddit for guidance, and I know there’s a wealth of expertise here. Just a quick note: I’m an assistant here and also studying at a university outside of the recruitment industry.
Our corporate team is looking to streamline the transfer of our extensive network on LinkedIn (currently around 4,500 connections) to a new HR portal called RECRU. This portal, developed by a Slovak company, has a feature that allows for easy importing of LinkedIn profiles in PDF format, but unfortunately, there’s a limit of only 100 profile downloads per month, which isn’t practical for our needs.
While we can also import data via CSV spreadsheets, LinkedIn’s official export tool provides minimal information—only names, positions, and companies—making that option less than ideal. We’ve considered using data scraping tools, but we lack experience and are wary of the risk of being banned from LinkedIn, which could jeopardize our operations.
We’re exploring our options and would appreciate any insights from others who might have faced similar challenges. Manual entry of all 4,500 profiles is really our last resort. Also, if anyone knows of other HR portals that might offer a better solution, we’re all ears!
Thank you in advance for your help!
RCadmin
Hi there,
This sounds like a challenging situation you’re navigating! Here are a few suggestions that might help you efficiently transfer your LinkedIn connections to the RECRU portal:
API Integration: While you mentioned concerns with scraping, if you’re tech-savvy or have access to technical resources, consider looking into LinkedIn’s API. Although its usage is heavily regulated, it allows for more comprehensive data extraction within terms of service. You’d need to check if RECRU can integrate with this API for a more automated solution.
LinkedIn Automation Tools: There are several tools out there (like Phantombuster or LinkedIn Sales Navigator) that can help pull data in a compliant way. However, you should proceed with caution and fully understand LinkedIn’s policies to avoid risk.
Web Scraping with Caution: If you decide to explore web scraping, consider tools like Octoparse or ParseHub, which have user-friendly interfaces. Just ensure you’re familiar with LinkedIn’s terms of service to mitigate the risk of being banned.
Third-Party Data Services: There are companies that specialize in data extraction and integration. They can help you move data while ensuring compliance. This might be a worthwhile investment if manual entry is the last resort.
Evaluate Other HR Portals: If RECRU is proving to be extremely limiting, it might be worth exploring other HR portals that have more robust import functionalities and see if they align better with your needs. Some platforms might have better ways to integrate datasets or allow integration via APIs.
Reach out to LinkedIn Support: While this may not yield a quick solution, it could be worth inquiring about potential options for business accounts, or see if they can provide any assistance in bulk exporting contacts.
Community Forums and Support: Engaging with communities of HR professionals or tech forums where others may have faced similar challenges could lead to innovative solutions. LinkedIn Groups or platforms like Reddit can yield practical advice based on first-hand experiences.
Remember to document any process you find works well for you, as it will not only help your company but also serve you well in your studies. Good luck with the transition!
Best regards!