Online platforms, like Loxo Source, job boards, and digital networking portals have become a key part of sourcing candidates. Loxo Source will continue to be a driver for streamlined sourcing and screening candidates - though we realize that resumes and CVs still hold a place in the recruitment industry. Loxo makes it easy to forward a resume, so the candidate and data can be easily added to your database.
Read below to learn how to forward resumes into Loxo, along with how to parse resume data effectively.
This process is separate from and unrelated to a data migration from a previous provider. Resume parsing is not part of a free or standard data migration.
Find Your Resume Forwarding Email Address
Follow the steps below to identify the Loxo Resume Forwarding email address for your team.
NOTE: Only account admins can view General Settings where the Resume Forwarding email address is referenced.
Go to Settings > General.
The Resume Forwarding Address will be listed under your Agency Info.
Forward Resumes or CVs into Your Loxo Database
When you have a candidate's resume in your email inbox, you can add that person to your Loxo account with ease. In addition to the resume data, you can automatically apply tags to the person and add the candidate directly to a Job Pipeline.
To streamline the process, Loxo supports email-based batch resume submissions. This allows users to forward emails with up to 10-12 resumes attached, making multi-candidate uploads more efficient while maintaining reliable processing.
Follow the steps below to forward the resume attachment to your unique Loxo Resume Forwarding address to add the candidate to your database.
Click 'Forward' in your email provider to send the the attached resume via email.
Add your unique Resume Forwarding Address from Loxo in the 'To' field of your email.
To apply Tags to the profile in Loxo, use hashtags and keywords in the subject line of your email.
To add the candidate directly to a Job Pipeline, add the Loxo Job ID to the email's subject line. The # symbol is not necessary to include here, just the number itself. The job must be a job that has your default Job status. Inactive or other statuses will not allow for candidates to be added via the Resume Forwarding Address.
Note: The Loxo Job ID can be quickly referenced either (a) in the URL when viewing the Job Pipeline, or (b) next to your Job's Display Name in Loxo.
or
Add a source code to the subject line to automatically amend where the resume came from on the candidate profile:
Add [SOURCE=__] to the subject line with the blank space being the source. Use the codes below to ensure the source is logged correctly in Loxo:
Example: [SOURCE=other]
Name | Key |
Candidate Referral | candidate-referral |
Indeed | indeed |
Other | other |
Reed | reed |
Referral | referral |
Seek | seek |
ZipRecruiter | zip-recruiter |
Don't see a source that you need? Take a look at our larger list here. If you have a custom source added in your Settings or if you need the source code for one that is not listed above, please reach out to Loxo Support.
Note that when a Loxo user forwards a resume/CV into a job using the Resume Forwarding Address, it will automatically mark the candidate activity as "Resume Forwarded" unless the subject line contains [APPLIED] as described in the following section. Additionally, any text within the body of the email will be pulled into the candidate's Intake section of their profile automatically.
Send Applicant Resumes Directly into Loxo
If you plan to use a job board that sends email notifications for submitted applications, you can save yourself the process of having to forward the resumes to Loxo. To have candidates resumes or CVs sent directly into Loxo, follow the steps below.
Set up notification emails for each job board to be delivered whenever candidates apply.
Designate your Loxo Resume Forwarding Email Address to be the recipient of those notifications.
If the resume or CV comes in via the Resume Forwarding Address from a job application/job board, we will mark the candidate as "Applied."
If a team member or recruiter forwards a resume/CV manually, but still wants to mark the candidate as "Applied," they can forward the resume/CV with an altered subject line. Be sure to include the formatting below when forwarding a resume to populate the 'Applied' event in the Activity Feed.
Example Subject Line (with faux Job Requisition #): 1234567 [APPLIED]
The [APPLIED] designation must be in all caps, with square brackets. There are three alternate texts that can be used to trigger the "Applied" event when manually forwarding a resume/CV:
[APPLICATION]
[APPLICANT]
[APPLIED]
Note: Sending a resume to Loxo using this method will create a new record every time a resume is received. If that person has already been added to your team's database, it will create a duplicate record.
File types .pdf, .docx, .csv, .xlsx, .png, and .jpeg will work with the in-app resume preview. Read below for more details about parsing data from resumes into Loxo.
Proven Practice for Parsing Resumes or CVs into Loxo
Resumes can be formatted beautifully to the human eye, but are a jumbled mess when a computer reads them. Computers are big on facts and not interested in graphics, cleverness, and creativity. When resumes are brought into Loxo, they are read, parsed, and classified by a computer.
To get great results when parsing resumes, it is best to use consistent, text-based formats that present data in an easy-to-digest sequence. To ensure you are getting all of your resumes in properly, make sure you are staying under our 5000-per-month parsing limit. Adding too many resumes at once may lead to slowness in your Loxo account.
Additionally, while the monthly limit remains 5000 resumes/cvs parsed, it is recommended to limit attachments to around 10-12 resumes per email for optimal processing and to prevent potential errors.
You can read more about our recommendations in the below sections, or watch our helpful guide.
Simple Resume Formatting
We're here to help you better understand how the computer parses resumes and some common hinderances that we see with parsing. Formatting is a key factor for human review, though resume formatting may impact the way that a resume is parsed by our system. We understand that as a recruiter, you don't have much control over how candidates are formatting their resumes, but knowing the guidelines will help you know what to expect when you're dealing with a more... creative file.
For the best results, follow the below formatting guidelines when possible. Review resumes beforehand for proper formatting to minimize errors and ensure optimal data extraction during the parsing process.
Resumes parse better when they do not use headers or footers in their formatting.
Resumes parse better when there are no graphics. Graphics that represent data (including text boxes) may not parse completely.
Resumes parse better when there are no tables or multi-column formats.
Resumes parse better when a consistent font type and/or font size is used. This includes styling the text (such as E X P A N D E D T E X T or all caps when there is not a reason to do so), which may also impact parsing results.
For example, John's resume below includes graphics, columns, mixes of font types and sizes, as well as stylized font:
Consistent Data Sequence
When anything happens at a high volume, the process goes faster when the inputs are predictable and consistent. The same is true for parsing resumes. Using the same sequence to organize the data will yield better results than trying to parse resumes with data in different orders and formatting.
The resume/CV's data should be in a consistent order to give the best results when parsing. When data is organized in an inconsistent order, there may be slowness or missing information when parsing resumes.
For example, each job that is listed should be described in the same order. If one job is described as…
[Dates] [Position title] [Company][City], [State] [Description]
… then all of the other jobs should be written in the same style and sequence.
Data consistency is helpful for parsing resumes. When a resume/CV's work history dates are missing or not formatted properly, there may be missing information or challenges when parsing the resume.
Each role or position that is listed on a resume should include all related data. The best way to organize multiple roles within the same company is to list each role independently, following the data sequence, even if there is repeated information. The same is true for education or credentials from the same institution.
WRONG:
[Company]
[Date] [Position title 1] [Description]
[Date] [Position title 2] [Description]RIGHT:
[Date] [Company] [Position title 1] [Description]
[Date] [Company] [Position title 2] [Description]
Using Month Names in Dates
There is no universal numerical representation of dates, and getting the timing right on work experience can be important in the hiring process. To reduce any confusion, the proven practice for listing dates on resumes should be to include the month names rather than numerical month values.
Dates should not be represented exclusively by numbers. The best format for dates on resumes is to write the month name followed by the four-digit year, with both month and year on the same line.
WRONG:
05/06 - Present A Good Company, LLC, Atlanta, GA
RIGHT:
May 2006 – Present A Good Company, LLC, Atlanta, GA
Use Microsoft™ Word When Possible
There are a lot of programs that can manage resumes, and it is common practice to use PDF files in order to retain custom formatting. When it comes to resume parsing, however, text cannot always be correctly extracted from PDF files as they can be read as images instead of text. Specifically, if someone scans a .pdf via a scanner, the .pdf will be an image instead of text and the computer cannot decipher words.
Experience shows that Microsoft™ Word or .DOCX files provide high quality results for parsing resumes and .TXT file types should work as well. Using a PDF or Apple Page may produce mixed results.