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What to consider when migrating your recruitment CRM

Switching recruitment CRM systems is one of the most important moves a recruitment agency can make. Whether you're scaling, merging, or simply outgrowing your current setup, a CRM migration opens the door to better workflows, stronger insights, and real performance gains. 

Without the right plan, it can just as easily lead to disruption, data loss, and staff frustration. 

This guide breaks down what to consider when switching your recruitment CRM; covering timing, cost, data migration, and the questions you should be asking before, during and after your move. 

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Written by Alex Johnstone-Rogers.

Updated 05/06/2025

Is it time to switch your recruitment CRM?

Not sure whether your current CRM is holding you back? Here are some signs that it's time for a change: 

  • You’re constantly building workarounds to fix broken processes 
  • Your team is spending more time on admin than on placements 
  • Reporting is inconsistent, unreliable or missing altogether 
  • Integrations with your recruitment website, screening tools or payroll don’t work as they should 
  • You’re paying more for add-ons, support or licences than you expected, without seeing the ROI 

 

If this sounds familiar, it’s likely your recruitment CRM has hit its limit and the cost of doing nothing may already be higher than the cost of switching. 

Recruitment CRM migration: what’s involved?

Recruitment CRM software migration isn’t as simple as swapping platforms, it’s a strategic, cross-functional project that affects every part of your business, from BD and compliance to marketing and delivery. 

Here’s what a successful recruitment CRM migration typically includes: 

  • Planning: Setting goals, creating a migration timeline and involving the right stakeholders 
  • Data audit: Reviewing existing data to decide what to keep, clean or archive 
  • Data migration: Moving records across (ideally with help from your new vendor) 
  • Customisation: Setting up custom fields, pipelines, dashboards, templates and branding to match how your consultants actually work 
  • Configuration: Assigning user roles, permissions, and system-wide settings to reflect your team structure and processes 
  • Testing: Running QA to ensure everything’s working as it should 
  • Training and launch: Equipping your team to hit the ground running 

The best recruitment CRM providers will guide you through this journey, so you’re not left navigating it alone. 

What to ask before switching your CRM

Before making the leap, it pays to ask the tough questions. A recruitment CRM migration isn’t just a technical project, it’s a business transformation. Get clarity on: 

  • What pain points are we solving? Is it about better UX? Stronger analytics? Less admin? More placements? Know what success looks like. 
  • Who needs to be involved? Bring in leaders from sales, marketing, operations and compliance early. The smoother the input, the better the outcome. 
  • What happens to our data? Check what data can be migrated, how clean it is, and whether there’s a cost involved. A good vendor will help you scope and support this. 
  • How long will the project take? Understand your migration timeline and what downtime, if any, to expect. 
  • What onboarding and training is included? Will your team be trained on how to use the new system? What support do you get after go-live? 
recruitment crm migration

Your recruitment CRM migration checklist

Every agency’s needs are different, but here’s a simplified recruitment CRM migration checklist to help you stay on track: 

Pre-migration 

  • Review current CRM performance 
  • Define goals and success metrics 
  • Align internal stakeholders 
  • Audit and clean data 
  • Shortlist CRM vendors and request demos 

During migration 

  • Finalise system configuration 
  • Set user roles and permissions 
  • Map and migrate data (with QA at every step) 
  • Run internal testing across functions 
  • Provide user training and sandbox access 

Post-launch 

  • Monitor adoption and usage 
  • Review metrics after 30/60/90 days 
  • Use vendor support and customer success resources 
  • Iterate workflows and reporting based on feedback 
  • Celebrate the wins and share results internally 

Choosing the right partner to manage your recruitment CRM migration

Not all CRM vendors offer the same level of support when it comes to implementation. Look for one that provides: 

  • Dedicated onboarding and implementation teams 
  • Clear, documented migration processes 
  • Data mapping and validation support 
  • Custom configuration aligned to your workflows 
  • Post-launch training and change management 
  • Ongoing customer success and account management 

At Access Recruitment, we’ve helped hundreds of agencies move to better CRMs, without the downtime, data loss or disruption. Whether you’re switching from spreadsheets, outdated software or a legacy system, our team will guide your migration from start to finish. 

Why switching your recruitment CRM is a growth decision, not just a tech one

Migrating your CRM isn’t about replacing one tool with another, it’s about choosing the right recruitment CRM to support your next phase of growth. 

Done right, a modern recruitment CRM can: 

  • Eliminate inefficiencies across teams 
  • Improve visibility into performance and pipeline 
  • Make compliance and reporting easier 
  • Reduce manual tasks and duplicate data 
  • Help you make faster, smarter decisions 

With a clear plan, the right partner, and a focus on long-term value, not just short-term costs, a recruitment CRM migration becomes an investment that pays off faster than you think. 

Ready to switch your recruitment CRM?

If you're ready to switch to a recruitment CRM that can actually keep up with your agency, we’re here to help. 

Access Recruitment offers two CRM solutions: 

Whichever route you choose, our migration experts will help you plan, launch and embed your new system, quickly and confidently. 

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