A successful data migration from Carerix to HubSpot: the Fellowfield case

Fellowfield, a recruitment agency for finance professionals, worked with the ATS/CRM system Carerix for years. But the limits of that system were getting in the way of growth. The biggest challenge was the data, which was locked into an outdated structure with no standard export options. Even so, we managed to move everything across to HubSpot safely and in usable shape, from contacts to application history. Thinking about moving to a modern CRM yourself? Then this blog is worth a read, so you know what to watch out for in a smooth data migration.

In this article we go through the whole data migration: the problems, the approach, the scripts, the validation and the results.

Why a data migration was necessary

For years, Carerix was at the heart of Fellowfield's day-to-day operations. But its limitations became clearer and clearer. The data sat trapped in a complex structure and left far too little room for more efficient marketing, sales and service. Fellowfield had no clear overview, reporting was limited and the system was hard to connect to marketing tools.

A missed opportunity for Fellowfield: "We had good data, but we could do less and less with it. That is why we moved to HubSpot. This CRM is flexible, it has a user-friendly interface and it can bring CRM and ATS (Applicant Tracking System) together in one system," says Fellowfield's project team.

Looking for a way out of a tangle of recruitment data in an old system? Then read our earlier article about improving recruitment processes with HubSpot:
ATS recruitment automation with HubSpot

From source data to a usable structure

A direct one-to-one conversion turned out to be impossible. So we drew up a custom mapping document in which we translated every data set from Carerix into a logical equivalent in HubSpot. The project team brought in structure by separating the data into CRM records, vacancies, applications and notes. For the more complex relationships we created custom objects.

The order of the import mattered a lot: companies and contacts first, then vacancies, applications and supporting data such as notes and attachments. That approach made sure the relationships between records survived, which is essential for insight into client and candidate history.

Data ready to use

We started the migration with a 1.6 GB database dump from Carerix, based on PostgreSQL, because a standard export was not available. Everything had to be extracted with SQL queries and then structured into CSV files. It was like searching through a filing cabinet with no index: the data was unstructured, fragmented and hard to make sense of.

After an intensive selection process, a set of 30 clean, usable files was left. By filtering carefully and stripping out the noise, we kept what mattered: the relevant fields, real contact details and application data. Data and insights ready to turn into opportunities in HubSpot.

The tech: smart automation and checks

To keep the workload manageable, we went for a combination of bulk imports through CSV files and specific connections through the HubSpot API. The API proved especially valuable for rebuilding the relationships between objects, which meant matches between candidates and vacancies could be carried over exactly.

We also built Python scripts to:

• Clean up faulty or empty notes
• Restore missing links
• Check the data for consistency and duplicates

One extra script runs as a monitoring tool, so new records stay correctly linked automatically, including after go-live.

Test first, migrate second

Quality came first. That is why every step was tested in a HubSpot sandbox environment, where we checked that fields were mapped correctly, that relationships stayed intact and that the system performed well with the new data. We paid particular attention to edge cases such as special characters and empty fields.

After the full import, Fellowfield got a week to work through the system themselves. Based on what they found, we made a few extra corrections, such as removing redundant lists and improving reports.

The result: CRM data you can actually use

The move to HubSpot produced an environment where CRM and ATS data are both clear and usable. All the historical relationships between candidates, clients and vacancies have been kept. Real-time dashboards now make it easy to see the status of candidates at a glance.

Because HubSpot is so easy to use, the Fellowfield team was up and running on its own quickly, with minimal training.

Considering a data migration? Get some guidance

For a lot of organisations, migrating feels like a big step. That is understandable, because it involves sensitive, business-critical information. And often there is not enough time, knowledge or capacity to do it properly.

That is why we guide companies like Fellowfield step by step:

• We analyse your current system and map out the data
• We design a data structure in HubSpot that fits your organisation
• We carry out the migration itself through secure processes
• And we test, correct and support you after go-live as well

No technical knowledge needed, with maximum certainty and smooth collaboration.

Thinking about a migration to HubSpot yourself?