// Recruitment Technology

Salesforce to Atlas Migration: What Agency Recruiters Need to Know

When you first adopted Salesforce, it was probably seen as a smart investment. As a CRM market leader (customer relationship management system), it is powerful for storing contacts, tracking activity, and managing client pipelines. But for many Salesforce users and recruitment agencies, the reality soon sets in: it is not built for end-to-end recruitment.

Recruiters need speed, automation, and candidate-focused workflows. Salesforce records, while flexible, often require layers of customisation, external apps, or costly development work just to mimic the functionality of an ATS (applicant tracking system). And even then, the experience rarely feels seamless, especially for smaller organisations. Instead of freeing recruiters to focus on placements, it can add user training, unnecessary admin, and slow the process down.

That’s why more agencies are making the move from Salesforce to Atlas. Atlas is an ATS designed specifically for agency recruiters, bringing everything you need into one platform without having to rely on additional database connections to manage your pipeline. 

From automated note-taking during calls, to resume (CV) parsing that creates structured candidate profiles instantly, to AI-powered agents that chase feedback and send reminders—Atlas does the heavy lifting so recruiters can spend more time with clients and candidates.

Let’s explore why Salesforce isn’t always the best fit for agency recruitment, what makes Atlas a stronger alternative, and exactly how a migration works. By the end, you’ll know what to expect when moving your agency from Salesforce to Atlas, and why your last migration might just be your smartest one.

Why Salesforce falls short for recruitment agencies

Salesforce is one of the most well-known CRM (customer relationship management systems) in the world. It’s highly flexible, with endless ways to customise fields, objects, and dashboards. That flexibility is its strength—but also its weakness for recruitment agencies.

Recruiters don’t just manage relationships. They manage people, jobs, and placements, all at speed. Here’s why Salesforce often falls short when used as a recruitment platform.

Built for sales, not recruitment

Salesforce is primarily designed for sales teams and customer service operations. This means:

• Candidate pipelines are treated like sales funnels, which rarely match real hiring stages.
• Jobs are stored as “opportunities” or “custom objects,” requiring complex configuration.
• Day-to-day recruiter tasks, such as CV (curriculum vitae) parsing or interview scheduling, aren’t available out of the box.

Heavy dependence on customisation

To make the CRM usable for recruitment, agencies often need:

• Custom Salesforce objects and fields – for candidates, jobs, placements, and activities.
• Third-party plugins – to parse resumes or track applications.
• Developers or admins – to maintain workflows, validation rules, and dashboards.

This results in higher running costs and a reliance on technical staff instead of empowering recruiters directly.

Limited automation for recruiters

Recruitment requires constant communication and admin support. In Salesforce:

• Notes from interviews or calls must be typed in manually.
• Candidate progress has to be updated by hand.
• Feedback from clients often gets lost in long email threads.

This means that Salesforce stores information but doesn’t actively support recruiters in moving candidates forward.

The case for data migration to a recruitment ATS like Atlas

If Salesforce is a general-purpose CRM, Atlas is a specialist tool: an ATS (applicant tracking system) built specifically for recruiters. Instead of forcing recruiters to adapt their workflows to a sales platform, Atlas is designed to eliminate admin and streamline the entire recruitment lifecycle.

Here’s how Atlas helps agencies recruit smarter, not harder.

What is an applicant tracking system?

An ATS (applicant tracking system) is recruitment software built to manage candidates, jobs, and placements. Unlike a CRM that simply stores contacts and activities, an ATS:

• Tracks candidates through every hiring stage.
• Automates repetitive admin tasks.
• Provides built-in tools for sourcing, shortlisting, and client communication.
• Keeps all candidate and client information in one central, recruiter-friendly system.

For agency recruiters, an ATS is the source system and backbone of their day-to-day work.

Atlas features that transform recruitment workflows

Atlas combines the structure of an ATS with the intelligence of AI (artificial intelligence). Key features include:

24/7 AI note taking

• Automatically record and transcribe recruiter calls and interviews.
• Ensures candidate insights are never lost with your AI note taker.
• Frees recruiters from typing while they speak to candidates.

Zero-click resume (CV) parsing

• Extracts key candidate information from CVs in seconds.
• Creates structured candidate profiles without manual data entry.
• Saves hours of admin when processing high application volumes.

Customisable executive search reports

• Generates client-ready shortlists and executive search reports instantly.
• Provides polished, professional documents without needing spreadsheets or manual formatting.
• Strengthens the recruiter’s position as a trusted advisor.

End-to-end AI agents

• Intelligent recruitment assistants that automate follow-ups, chase feedback, and send reminders.
• Reduce candidate drop-off and client “ghosting.”
• Keep jobs moving forward with minimal recruiter input.

Why recruiters choose Salesforce data migration to Atlas

By switching to Atlas, agencies gain:

• Less admin – more time speaking to candidates and clients.
• Automation built-in – no need for expensive third-party tools.
• Recruitment-first workflows – no custom development required.
• Confidence in data – everything from CVs to client notes captured automatically.

For recruiters, this means fewer late nights updating systems and more placements delivered on time.

Migrating data: From Salesforce to Atlas

Switching recruitment software can feel daunting. However, by using the integrated Salesforce data migration tools to export your data and follow a clear, structured process, your agency’s data can safely be transferred to a new ATS, and your recruiters can keep working without disruption.

At Atlas, we use a three-phase approach to migrate customer data: Plan → Execute → Verify.

Plan: Data mapping for a smooth transition

Before any business data moves, Atlas works with your team to map out the migration and data selection:

1. Kick-off session – to review your Salesforce data quality, setup, including custom objects, fields, and workflows.
2. Data assessment – checking all your data for the same fields, outdated entries, or inconsistent formats.
3. Scope confirmation – agreeing on what and how much data is being migrated from your source Salesforce instance (candidates, jobs, placements, notes, attachments).

This preparation stage ensures there are no surprises once the source data transfer begins.

Execute: Moving the data

Once the plan is in place, Atlas handles the process of transferring data:

• Data export from Salesforce – typically through Salesforce Data Loader or report downloads, exported as CSV files in the right format.
• Data staging – the exported CSVs are mounted in a secure staging environment.
• Data transformation – Atlas maps Salesforce fields (including non-standard fields) to Atlas fields, ensuring accuracy.
• AI resume injection – resumes (CVs) are parsed and structured intelligently during import, enriching candidate profiles automatically.

Recruiters don’t need to worry about technical processes—the Atlas migration team takes care of transferring everything to the target system.

Verify: Ensuring data accuracy before go-live

Once data is imported into Atlas, a thorough validation process follows:

1. Sample checks – your recruiters review candidate records, job histories, and notes to confirm if any data cleansing is needed.
2. Parallel run – both Salesforce and Atlas can be accessed in tandem, giving teams time to adjust.
3. Final cutover – once everything is confirmed, the agency fully transitions to Atlas, usually over a weekend to minimise disruption.

Ongoing support

Migration doesn’t end at go-live. Atlas provides:

• Training sessions for recruiters.
• Post-migration checks to ensure no data was missed.
• Continuous support as teams embed Atlas into daily use.

With a clear structure, recruiter-first communication, and minimal downtime, migrating from your Salesforce environment to Atlas is far less complex than many agencies expect.

What recruitment agencies gain by switching

For recruiters, the choice to leave Salesforce isn’t just about moving systems. Rather, it’s about upgrading to software designed specifically for recruitment. An ATS (applicant tracking system) like Atlas gives agencies more than a database. It provides speed, accuracy, and automation that directly impact revenue.

Faster placements

• Candidate data is instantly searchable and structured through resume parsing.
• AI agents keep jobs moving by chasing feedback and sending reminders.
• Recruiters spend less time updating records and more time closing deals.

Cleaner data and better visibility

• Automated resume parsing ensures candidate profiles are complete.
• Notes and client feedback are captured automatically.
• Managers get real-time analytics on consultant performance and pipeline health.

Less admin, more candidate time

• The AI Note Taker records calls and interviews, removing the need for manual note entry.
• Consultants gain hours back each week to focus on conversations, not admin.

Stronger client relationships

• Executive Search Reports are generated instantly, keeping clients informed with polished updates.
• Consistent communication and quicker turnaround times strengthen trust with clients.

Switching from Salesforce to Atlas gives recruitment agencies a platform that reduces admin, increases productivity, and strengthens both client and candidate relationships.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about migrating from Salesforce to Atlas

Next Steps: Switching from Salesforce to Atlas with Confidence

Salesforce is a strong CRM (customer relationship management system), but it was never built with recruitment agencies in mind. For recruiters, the daily reality is too much admin, too many workarounds, and not enough automation to support fast, people-focused hiring.

Atlas provides the alternative that agency recruiters have been waiting for. As a purpose-built ATS (applicant tracking system), it combines recruitment-specific workflows with AI-powered automation—from resume parsing to interview note-taking, executive search reports, and intelligent AI agents that keep jobs moving.

The result is a platform that reduces admin, improves candidate and client experiences, and helps recruiters focus on what matters most: making placements.

If your agency is ready to move beyond Salesforce, now is the time to explore Atlas. Book a demo today and see how Atlas can transform your recruitment process. Start here >>