Handing duplicated candidates in the CEM
Table of Contents
If you are notified of a duplicated candidate, then this means that the system has identified that a candidate's information matches an existing candidate entry. A resolution workflow will then be triggered so that the system has only one clean candidate record while still capturing all applications, conversations, and compliance-related cases.
Duplicate candidate checks
The system automatically checks for duplicate candidates during:
- Candidate registration
- Manually candidate creation
- Bulk/CSV uploads
- E-Verify case creation
Duplicates are primarily detected by matching email address and/or phone number. For E-Verify use cases, the system will also check the candidate's Social Security Number.
Duplicate candidate detected
If the system finds that a candidate is duplicated, it stops creating a new record and starts a duplicate resolution flow.
Duplicated Candidate modal
When a potential duplicate is detected, users see a Duplicated Candidate modal that provides users information on the duplicated entry and the following available actions:
-
Merge – Selecting this will attach new data, such as a new application or conversation linked to the candidate, to the existing Candidate Profile. The system may create or update the primary profile/application to maintain a single, coherent history.
- Use Merge when:
- The existing record clearly belongs to the same person (same email/phone, matching name, etc.).
- The candidate is known to be returning or reapplying.
- Use Merge when:
-
Don’t Merge – Selecting this will leave the existing Candidate Profile(s) unchanged and return you back to the candidate creation slide-out drawer where you will be required to update the duplicated candidate details in order to add a new candidate without issue.
- Use Don't Merge when:
- You are not confident that the duplicated entry is the same person.
- The match may be coincidental (e.g., shared phone number, reused email).
- Use Don't Merge when:
Note: If you truly need a new, distinct profile for a person sharing contact details (rare edge case), follow your team’s approved exception process before proceeding (e.g., adjust email/phone via the your team's HRIS/ATS or internal configuration).
Scenario‑based behavior
Candidate reapplying to the same job
When a candidate reapplies to the same job using the same credentials, the system detects the existing application and prompts them to continue their previous application or start over (if allowed by configuration).
CSV/bulk candidate uploads
When a CSV upload contains candidates already in the system, then the system will:
- Check each row for a matching email/phone number.
- Merge records with existing candidates rather than creating new profiles.
E‑Verify duplicate handling
For E‑Verify, the system runs a duplicate check using the candidate’s SSN before creating a new case. If a possible duplicate case is found, the system does not immediately create a new case, but rather creates a task prompting the user to:
- Connect to an existing E‑Verify case, or
- Create a new case, if appropriate