Recruit CRM's proprietary resume parser helps recruiters add candidates faster by automatically extracting information from supported resume files and converting it into structured candidate data. This article explains common reasons why resume parsing may fail and how to troubleshoot issues such as unsupported file types, incomplete parsing, scanned or image-based resumes, and upload or internet connectivity problems.
Use this article when you:
Receive an error while trying to parse a resume in Recruit CRM.
Are unsure which resume file types are supported for parsing.
Find that a parsed resume is incomplete or missing information.
Are trying to parse scanned or image-based resumes and parsing fails.
Suspect that internet connectivity or upload speed is affecting the parsing process.
You can check these articles How does the resume parser work and Resume parsing on Recruit CRM to learn more about how it actually works!
Why does resume parsing fail in Recruit CRM?
Recruit CRM supports .DOC, .DOCX, and .PDF file types for Resume Parsing. If you try to parse a file in another format, Recruit CRM will display an error and the resume will not be parsed.
There are several reasons why parsing may fail even when the resume is in a supported format:
1. Unsupported file type
Recruit CRM's Resume Parser supports only PDF, DOC, and DOCX files. If a resume is saved or uploaded in another format, it will not be parsed.
2. Images embedded in the resume
If a .DOC, .DOCX, or .PDF resume contains information as an embedded image, the parser may not be able to extract the information from that image. This can result in some or all of the candidate information not being parsed correctly.
3. Image-based or OCR-generated PDFs
Resumes that were originally images and later converted into PDF files using OCR are supported in some cases. However, parsing may still fail if the text in the resulting PDF cannot be read or extracted properly.
For the best results, use a text-based version of the resume where the text can be selected and read rather than a PDF that consists primarily of scanned images.
4. Internet connection or upload speed
An unstable internet connection or slow upload speed while uploading a resume can interrupt the parsing process and cause it to fail. If this happens, try parsing the resume again when you have a stable internet connection.
You can check your internet connection's upload and download speeds using Speedtest.
Please note: If a resume in a supported format fails to parse, check whether it contains embedded images, was created from a scanned image, or was converted from an image into a PDF. If none of these apply, try uploading the resume again using a stable internet connection.
Troubleshooting
Problem: Resume parsing fails with an error message.
Problem: Resume parsing fails with an error message.
Likely cause: Unsupported file type.
What to check: Confirm the file extension is .doc, .docx, or .pdf. Any other file type is not supported by Recruit CRM’s resume parser.
Resolution: Save or export the resume into .doc, .docx, or .pdf format and upload it again.
Problem: Resume is in .pdf, .doc or .docx, but no data is parsed.
Problem: Resume is in .pdf, .doc or .docx, but no data is parsed.
Likely cause: The resume file contains only an embedded image (for example, a scanned resume) instead of real text.
What to check: Open the file and see if you can select and copy the text. If you cannot, the document is image-based.
Resolution: Request a text-based resume from the candidate or use a reliable OCR tool to convert the image into real text, then save again as .pdf, .doc, or .docx and re-parse.
Problem: Parsing fails intermittently, especially during uploads.
Problem: Parsing fails intermittently, especially during uploads.
Likely cause: Internet connection drop or very slow upload speed.
What to check: Test your internet connection and upload speed.
Resolution: Wait until your connection is stable, close other bandwidth-heavy activities, and then try uploading and parsing the resume again.
Problem: Resume parsing still fails after checking file type and content.
Problem: Resume parsing still fails after checking file type and content.
Likely cause: Combination of file formatting and connection issues, or edge cases in how the resume is structured.
What to check: Re-validate file type, confirm it is text-based, and retry on a stable network.
Resolution: If the issue persists, collect the error details and the problematic file and share them with your internal support contact or system administrator for further review.
FAQs
Q1: Which resume file types are supported for parsing in Recruit CRM?
Q1: Which resume file types are supported for parsing in Recruit CRM?
Recruit CRM’s resume parser supports .doc, .docx, and .pdf file types. Any other file type will return an error message and will not be parsed.
Q2: Will a scanned resume saved as a PDF be parsed correctly?
Q2: Will a scanned resume saved as a PDF be parsed correctly?
Not always. If the PDF only contains an embedded image of the resume, the parser might not parse any data. Parsing works best with text-based PDFs.
Q3: Why does parsing sometimes fail even when I use a supported file type?
Q3: Why does parsing sometimes fail even when I use a supported file type?
Parsing can fail if the document contains only images, has been poorly converted using OCR, or if your internet connection drops or is very slow during upload.
Q4: What should I do if parsing fails due to internet issues?
Q4: What should I do if parsing fails due to internet issues?
Check your connection and upload speed, wait until the connection is stable, and then try parsing the resume again.
Conclusion
Recruit CRM’s proprietary resume parser can significantly speed up adding candidates, but it depends on supported file types, text-based content, and a stable internet connection. By checking file formats, avoiding image-only documents, and ensuring reliable connectivity, you can resolve most parsing failures and keep your recruiting workflow running smoothly.