Have you ever caught yourself wishing your recruiting software worked seamlessly in all the half dozen countries your enterprise has offices?  English is great, but it’s not an end-all meet-all. If you want to open up your recruitment processes to everyone, whether or not they write their resumes in English, you need a multilingual resume parser.

But let’s back up here. What is a multilingual resume parser, and just how can it help you?

What is a Multilingual Resume Parser?

A multilingual resume parser is a piece of software that parses resumes. Think of it as an AI-powered bot that extracts the data from CVs, then uses that data to populate a user-friendly database such as the one in your ATS. Modern resume parsing tools like Affinda are built on all the latest advances in artificial intelligence, and they’re able to get at the semantic meaning of colloquial words and expressions through what is called natural language processing (NLP).

Rather than rely on template-based data extraction— the old, unreliable way of pulling data from resumes— modern parsing software actually ‘reads’ the words on the page. It uses both the visual structure and the words used to glean all the information you need from the resume. Then it translates that into structured data that any computer can understand. Structured data is data your applicant tracking system can make sense of: the data that populates your applicant profiles within the system.

What makes a multilingual resume parser special is that it doesn’t just read English. The AI brain behind it has been taught dozens of languages, and it can parse equally well in all of them. Do you need to process a couple dozen resumes from the Italian office, or three hundred from Spain? No problem; the multilingual resume parser will get it done.

Why Multilingual Matters

Is a multilingual resume parser for everyone? Yes, we think it is!

Let’s face it: we live in a global world. English is generally accepted as a lingua franca — lucky us! — but that doesn’t mean it’s ubiquitous: only about 5% of the world population speak English as a native language.

Relevance as a recruiter means meeting people where they’re at, in a language they’re comfortable in.  If you want to attract top talent wherever you have offices, you’ll want to accept resumes in whatever the local languages might be.

But maybe you’ve yet to expand to international locations, and all you do is hire small town English speakers who all share the same dialect of English. You want to accept nothing but English CVS for the time being— what does this multi-lingual business have to do with you?

Well, here’s something to think about.  Integrating a resume parsing tool into your systems is a significant decision, and you’ll want to go with software that can grow with you. A multi-lingual resume parser will still do a great job parsing your English resumes. When, someday, you decide to expand, it’ll be ready for you— no adjustments necessary.

Implementing a Multilingual Resume Parser

You’ve decided you need a multilingual resume parser, and the sooner it’s running, the better. But what is involved? While you can do a few quick parses using an online tool, most CV parsing tools are built as APIs, which means you integrate them into your existing systems.

It’s a job for your developer, but it’s a quick job and the integration is well documented.  You’ll want to go with a parser that has client libraries for the coding languages your developer already uses — for instance, if your system is built with Python, check to make sure your resume parsing software has Python client libraries. It’ll make the process that much easier.

Before you commit, you may want to request an API key and ask your developer to run a few dozen trials so you know it has the accuracy and reliability you’re looking for. A great resume parsing tool will be even more accurate than a human parser, and it’ll never get tired — not even on the 567th resume.

Once it’s integrated, using your resume parser will be as simple as clicking on an import or parse button within your applicant tracking system. Your resumes will automatically be imported into the system, no manual data entry required. You can also use a multilingual resume screener or resume redactor to screen resumes or redact irrelevant details if that would be helpful to you.

The Best Multilingual Resume Parser

There are definitely more than one CV parser that can process multilingual documents. We could name a half dozen off the top of our heads. But resume parsers aren’t all created equal, and we can’t vouch for the experience you’ll have with most of them.

There is one multilingual CV extractor we can stand behind — Affinda’s resume parser. Built on an incredibly robust neural network, this resume extractor uses deep learning to get at the semantic meaning of all the text on that resume-- no matter whether it's written in English, French, Turkish or Hindi. It extracts candidate data accurately and efficiently, then exports that in whatever format your systems need.

But Affinda's super-powered AI brain is not the only reason we recommend this CV parsing tool. Affinda isn't like other run-of-the-mill organizations where you're just a number on the client list-- they actually care about making your project a success, and they'll work with you to help you get there. The support team is friendly, approachable, and uber-knowledgeable. They have experience assisting with the integration of their software for HR professionals and businesses just like yours. In fact, they’ll stop at nothing to ensure that your Affinda experience is as good as it can be.Sound too good to be true? Give it a try and see. There's a no-commitment free trial available for anyone who wants to get it a spin, and a welcome team ready to chat with you today.