Clean candidate data in a CSV
To clean candidate data, remove duplicate applicants by email, then split the full-name column into separate first and last name fields your ATS can map. Sigmera does both in your browser — candidate names and emails are never uploaded to a server, so applicant PII stays GDPR-safe by design.
Last updated: June 2026
Messy applicant lists slow down hiring
Candidates arrive from job boards, referrals, and your careers page, each in a slightly different shape. The same person applies to two roles and shows up twice. Names come in as one “Full Name” column, but your ATS wants first and last name separately and rejects the import or mangles the mapping. The result: duplicate candidate records, broken merge tags in your outreach (“Hi Jane Smith,” instead of “Hi Jane,”), and recruiters wasting time fixing data instead of talking to people. Cleaning the file first makes every downstream step — screening, scheduling, reporting — faster and less error-prone.
Step by step: clean your candidate list
- 1. Export your applicant list to CSV. Download it from your job board, spreadsheet, or ATS as one CSV file.
- 2. Remove duplicate applicants. Open the duplicate remover and match on the email column, ignoring case and spacing, so repeat applicants appear once.
- 3. Split the full-name column. Open the name splitter to break “Full Name” into first and last name fields your ATS can map.
- 4. Preview and download. Check the deduplicated, split result and download the clean CSV for import.
Before and after
| Raw applicant export | ATS-ready | |
|---|---|---|
| Name fields | “Jane Smith” (one column) | First: Jane · Last: Smith |
| Duplicate applicants | 2 rows, same email | 1 row (latest) |
| ATS import | Rejected / mis-mapped | Clean import |
| Outreach merge tags | “Hi Jane Smith,” | “Hi Jane,” |
🔒 Candidate data stays on your device. Both tools run in your browser’s memory — no file is uploaded, which keeps applicant PII GDPR-safe by design.
Frequently asked questions
- Why do I need to split candidate full names?
- Most applicant tracking systems store first name and last name as separate fields and reject or mis-map a single full-name column. Splitting names into first and last before import means candidates land in the right fields, so search, merge tags, and interview scheduling all work correctly.
- Is it safe to clean candidate data this way?
- Yes. Both the duplicate remover and the name splitter run entirely inside your web browser using client-side JavaScript. Candidate names, emails, and applications are never uploaded to a server and never leave your device, which is important for handling applicant PII and keeps the process GDPR-safe by design.
- How do I handle candidates who applied more than once?
- Deduplicate on the email column. A candidate who applies to two roles or reapplies will share the same email, so matching on email collapses them to one row. Keep the most recent copy to retain their latest application details, then review before importing.
- What about names with middle names or two surnames?
- The name splitter handles middle names with an optional middle-name field and treats the remaining words as the last name, so compound surnames like 'van der Berg' stay together. Always preview the split and fix any edge cases before downloading.