Import problems
Bulk upload adds candidates to a manual job from resumes or a spreadsheet. Nobody is added, or called, until you review the rows and confirm. Here is what each problem means and how to fix it.
Before you start
- A manual job. See Add candidates.
What you can upload#
| What | Limit |
|---|---|
| Resume files | PDF, DOCX, JPG or PNG, or a ZIP of them |
| Size of one resume | 15 MB |
| Size of a ZIP | 100 MB |
| Resumes in one upload | 300 (Scout sends them in groups of up to 30) |
| Spreadsheets | CSV or XLSX, one per upload, up to 10 MB |
| Candidates in one spreadsheet | 2,000 rows |
There’s no Add candidates button#
+ Add candidates appears only on manual jobs. An ATS job’s candidates come from your ATS, so add them there; Scout syncs them in. Trying it anyway shows Job Not Manual.
A file can’t be read#
| Message on the row | Fix |
|---|---|
| Only PDF, DOCX, JPG and PNG resumes can be read | Save the resume as PDF or DOCX and upload it again. |
| Old Word (.doc) files can’t be read | Save it as PDF or DOCX and upload again. |
| file is larger than 15 MB | Compress the file or save a smaller PDF. |
| password-protected / a zip inside a zip / not a readable zip | Unzip it, remove the password or the nested ZIP, and zip the resumes again. |
| No text in this file | Scout couldn’t read any text. Type the candidate’s phone number on the row. |
A spreadsheet can’t be read#
Scout shows Sheet Can’t Be Read with the reason:
- “Old Excel (.xls) files can’t be read”: open it in Excel or Sheets and save it as .xlsx or .csv.
- “This file couldn’t be read as a spreadsheet”: the file is damaged or isn’t really a CSV or XLSX. Export it again.
- “This sheet is empty”, or “has headers but no candidates under them”: add the candidates’ rows below the headers.
- “at most 2000 candidates in one sheet”: split the list into smaller files.
Pick the columns#
After reading a spreadsheet, Scout guesses what each column holds. Before you can continue, the mapping needs:
- A phone column: “Pick the column with phone numbers — Scout dials them.”
- Names or emails: “Pick a column with names or emails.”
- Each detail in one column only: “… is picked for more than one column.”
Fix the choices, or click Use a different file. Scout shows Pick The Columns when a mapping can’t make candidates.
Rows without a usable phone number#
- “Missing phone — add one to continue”: open the row and type the candidate’s number.
- “… isn’t a mobile number Scout can dial — add its country code”: add the code, like +91. Numbers without a code are read as the country set in Account settings › Calling › Country for numbers without a code.
- “No email — they can still be added”: an email is optional.
- “Already in Scout as …”: their details will be updated. “Same person as …”: only one of the two rows can be added.
Confirming many calls#
If the Initial stage for these candidates has an agent, adding people to it contacts them. When that’s more than 20 people, Scout asks you to choose:
- Add without calling: they’re added with no stage, and you move them in when you’re ready.
- Add and start now: they go into the stage and calls start right away, within calling hours.
Scout shows an estimate of how long the calls will take with your lines and calling hours. If Scout shows Confirm The Calls, make this choice and confirm again.