Summary of attributes – Personio

This article provides a summary of attributes in Personio. It explains attribute categories and types and lists all preset attributes and their functions. It also includes custom attribute examples. Use this article to understand preset attributes and review common custom attributes.

Attribute types

Every attribute in Personio has a type that determines what data it stores. The tables below show each attribute type and how it stores data.

Text attributes

Attribute type	Description
Single line text	An attribute type for entering short text values. It has a maximum length of 2,000 characters.
Multiline text	An attribute type for longer text entries, like comments or notes. It has a maximum length of 2,000 characters.
Link (URL)	An attribute type for storing web addresses. Links open in a new browser window when you click them.

List of options attributes

Attribute type	Description
Single selection (radio button)	An attribute type for selecting one option from a predefined list of choices.
Multiselection (checkbox)	An attribute type for selecting multiple options from a predefined list.

When you create an option in a list of options attribute, Personio assigns it a database value. You can rename the option in the UI, but you cannot change the database value after creation. Learn how to troubleshoot option values in exports and reports.

Numbers attributes

Attribute type	Description
Number	An attribute type for entering whole numbers (without decimals). Large numbers have separators for better readability. For postcodes or similar data, use the Single line text field to make sure the formatting is correct.
Number with decimals	An attribute type for entering numbers with one or two decimal places. This is suitable for monetary values, percentages, or allowances. You can configure up to two decimal places in the attribute type options. Some preset attributes, like Weekly hours, can include up to three decimal places.
Date	An attribute type for entering dates. You can display only the day and month to users with view-only permissions by selecting the option to restrict year visibility. When this option is active, users with propose or edit access can still see the year.

Relationships attributes

Attribute type

Description

Person

An attribute type that creates a relationship with another person in Personio. Use Person for non-supervisory connections like mentors.

Learn about the differences between relationship types.

Additional supervisor

An attribute type that creates a relationship with another person in Personio. Use Additional supervisor for dotted-line reporting.

Learn about the differences between relationship types.

Preset attributes

Personio creates preset attributes in your account because they connect to core functionalities. Personio requires and defines these attributes, and you can't remove or archive them. You can identify preset attributes by the lock icon in the Person Information page. You can't edit or delete preset attributes, and Personio predefines some values.

Personio automatically translates these attributes into all supported languages. It also links them to predefined placeholders in document templates.

Integration-specific attributes

If you manage a payroll integration in your account, you likely have an additional set of system-managed attributes. Personio translates them automatically.

You can’t edit, delete, or archive them.
They show a lock icon.
You can apply them to specific legal entities.

All preset attributes

The table below shows which Personio features depend on each attribute. Personio requires some preset attributes for core functions like payroll, reporting, and permissions.

Name	Description	Connected functionality
Status	A person's current work state. This affects their access rights and visibility of their profile across Personio.	Your Personio plan, as inactive employees don't count. Accessibility and findability of employees in all Personio interfaces. By default, users can only access active employees. Users need permission to the Status attribute to access employees in Onboarding, Leave, or Inactive status. Preparatory payroll, as it excludes inactive employees.
First name (legal)	Enter the official given name, exactly as on legal ID.	Payroll identification
Last name (legal)	The official surname as shown on legal ID. You use this for payroll, contracts, and other legal purposes.	Payroll identification
Name (preferred)	Personio displays this where the legal name is not required. Examples include the employee profile and Org chart. The preferred name needs to be at least three characters.	Time off calendar People list (optional) Employee profile Employee profile header Global search Org chart Public API Recruiting Tasks, notifications, and reminders
Gender	The official gender as recognized by authorities and used in legal documents.	Gender variables in Personio document templates.
Email	The unique address used for logging in, receiving notifications, and more.	You need this to import salary data, attendances, time off, and employee data (if no other attribute is a Unique ID). The initial Personio invitation and employee logins. Tasks, notifications, and reminders.
Weekly hours	Expected weekly working hours as specified in someone's contract. It affects their full-time equivalent (FTE) and effective salary calculation. It can include up to three decimal places.	Attendance data, as Personio requires it to set the employee's part-time work schedule. Reports, as it contributes to the full-time equivalent (FTE) of the company.
Full-time hours	How many hours count as a full-time schedule if the employee works full-time. It can include up to three decimal places.	Attendance data, as Personio requires it to set the employee's part-time work schedule. Reports, as it contributes to the full-time equivalent (FTE) of the company.
Position	A specific role or job title a person holds within your organization.	The Recruiting app
Team	A group of people working together on specific projects or tasks. Teams can have members from various departments.	Org chart Permissions
Birth date	A person's birthdate as shown on official identification documents.	Reminders
Workplace	A designated location where a person performs their work. This might be remote.	Org chart Permissions
Legal Entity	A distinct part of an organization that the law treats as separate for tax and legal purposes.	Preparatory payroll Org chart
Employment type	This is a classification of the work relationship. It describes if a person is an internal employee or external to the organization. External people include freelancers, contractors, financial advisors, and workers employed through a temp or staffing agency. When you add a new employee, you need to choose whether the employee is internal or external.	Reports, as they pre-filter by internal employees by default. Preparatory payroll, as it includes only internal employees.
Hire date	The official date that a person started working with the organization.	Attendance data, as Personio uses it to assign a time off policy to an employee. Preparatory payroll, as employees with no hire date don't appear. The onboarding functionality, as it determines the due date for onboarding to-dos. Reports, as employees with no hire date don't appear.
Contract ends	The planned end date of the employment agreement. It doesn't automatically terminate employment.	These connect to different functionalities, such as terminating employment.
Termination date	The official end date of employment. The person's status automatically changes to Inactive at 00:00 the following day.	Employee status (it changes to inactive on the termination date). Vacation entitlement. Salary of the last month of employment. Time off periods after the termination date (Personio deletes them).
Noticed announced	The date when the person or the organization officially communicated the intent to end the employment.	Personio can reference this in different areas.
Last day of work	The final day the person works at the organization. This date might precede the official termination date.	You can use this for exit interview scheduling and offboarding workflows.
Type of termination	The reason for ending employment, like collective layoff, dismissal, retirement, or contract expiration.	You can use this in attrition analyses.
Termination reason	Extra notes to provide context for the termination.	You can use this in attrition analyses.
Voluntary termination	Voluntary termination is when an employee chooses to leave the organization. Involuntary termination means the employer initiated the termination.	You can use this in attrition analyses.
Regretted termination	Regretted termination is when someone leaves an organization that wants to keep them.	You can use this in attrition analyses.
Position to be backfilled	The intention to hire someone new for this position after the current person leaves the organization.	Tracks whether you plan to hire someone for this role after the employee leaves. It doesn't trigger any actions in other parts of Personio, like Recruiting or Position Management.
Supervisor	The person someone directly reports to.	Permissions and approval processes. Org chart, as employees appear linked to their supervisor. Onboarding, as supervisors can take responsibility for certain tasks.
Length of probation	The duration of the trial period for evaluating a new hire's performance and fit. The employee's contract contains this information.	Reports
Children	Information about a person's children, including names and birthdates. You can add maternity protection details if they apply to the person’s location.	The maternity protection function
Cost center	The unit where you allocate a person's costs. A person can have more than one cost center.	Preliminary payroll

Note:
If you have a Payroll integration, Personio adds extra integration-specific preset attributes. These help you manage the integration.

Custom attributes

You create custom attributes in Personio to fit your specific needs. You can edit, delete, and archive these attributes. You can also customize their values. You see them without a lock icon in the Person Information page.

Personio doesn't automatically translate these into all supported languages. These attributes link to custom placeholders in document templates.

If you have multiple legal entities, you can specify which custom attributes apply to which entity. This in turn affects which attributes appear in an employee’s profile. Learn more about legal entity-specific attributes.

Examples of custom attributes

Name	Definition	Attribute type
Emergency contact	The primary person to contact in case of an emergency involving the employee.	Single line text
Previous experience	A brief text outlining the employee’s previous experience.	Multiline text
LinkedIn	Link to the LinkedIn profile.	Link
Occupation type	Occupation type based on the work schedule. The predefined options are Full-time, Part-time, Minijob, Apprentice, Student, and Intern. You can edit these options.	Single selection (radio button)
Languages	Languages spoken by the employee.	Multiselection (checkbox)
Parking Spot Number	The parking space number assigned to each employee.	Number
Annual bonus percentage	The percentage of the employee’s annual salary awarded as a bonus, including decimal values.	Number with decimals
Visa expiration date	The date when the employee’s visa expires.	Date
Project Lead	An additional supervisor of the person to map dotted-line reports. You can use this in roles and permissions.	Additional supervisor

Preset attributes for new accounts

The following attributes are preset for accounts created from July 2025. This helps to streamline setup and ensure consistency across organizations. For accounts created before July 2025, these attributes remain as custom fields.

Name	Definition
Mobile phone number	Employee telephone number
Personal email address	Employee personal email address
Employee ID	Employee number

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