This article explains how to import employee data into Personio using our import file.

Tip:
Users can create or update employees if they have access rights to employee data import. They can update employees and attributes only in profile sections they have edit rights for. To create employees, users also need add new employee access rights.

Set up sections and employee attributes before importing

Before importing data, configure the necessary custom sections and attributes for employee management. The Personio employee profile includes sections with attributes that specify the data stored. Learn more about attributes and custom sections.

Notes:
▶︎ You must create custom sections and attributes in the account's default language. The default language is the one selected during the initial company information setup. You can later add translations for these attributes in other relevant languages.
▶︎ The format and function of attributes depend on their type.

Follow these steps to create and configure sections:

1. Go to Settings > Employee Information.
2. Edit the sections on the left and their corresponding attributes on the right.
3. Optional: Add more sections by clicking Create Section, and click Add Attribute to create custom attributes within the sections.
4. Name the attribute and choose the appropriate attribute type.
5. Optional: If needed, add translations for the custom attributes in all relevant languages.

Download and fill out the import template with the employee's data

The Employees Excel template is tailored to your account during the testing phase and includes all relevant attributes. It reflects your company language settings, and any error messages will be in your personal account language. To download the template, do the following:

1. Log into your Personio account and go to Imports.
2. Select the file type Employees.
3. Click this template next to Download template to download the file.

Once you have the Employees Excel template, follow these steps to complete it:

1. Open the Excel template and read the Guideline worksheet.
2. Enter your employee data in the columns, following our best practices below.
3. To add custom employee attributes, insert additional columns. The file can accommodate up to sixty columns.
4. Save the completed Excel file.

Best practices for your template preparation

Use these best practices when completing your import template:

• Each row is for one employee, identified by their email. Fill in the yellow-highlighted columns, as these are required for new employee profiles. 
• Email addresses are unique identifiers. You must provide an email for every employee, as Personio uses it for data import. Avoid importing multiple identifiers at once.
• The attribute names and values in the table must match those in your Personio account; otherwise, the import will fail.

  Note: For List of Options attributes, include the original names for each option (database values) in the import file. For instance, if your Personio account is in English and you have a List of Options attribute for “Favorite color,” you must list the option names in English for all employees ("Red", "Blue", "Green"), regardless of any translations you may have set up.

• If you can't fill in all columns initially, you can update the template later. Just provide a unique ID and the attributes you want to import. There's no need to include attributes or system attributes you've already filled out.
• In the import templates, column titles for attributes saved as lists of options in Personio are in italics.
• To import relationship attributes (for example, multiple supervisors), you need to add the email address of the related employee. If you want to import multiple related employees, use a semicolon to separate the emails.
• You cannot designate two employees as each other's supervisors. If an employee (like a CEO) has no supervisor, leave that column blank. If an employee has multiple supervisors, create a new relationship-type attribute in Personio and add a column to the spreadsheet with the same attribute name.
• Only one cost center can be imported per employee. You can manually add multiple cost centers later in the employee's profile.
• To import inactive employees, include the attributes: Status, Termination date, and Termination type. To prevent errors in step three, ensure you add both Termination date and Termination type.
• To import tag attributes, separate the individual values with a comma. Don't use a semicolon.

Import employee data with the filled-out template

After completing the first two steps, you can import your employee data. Here's how:

1. Go to Imports.
2. Choose the import type Employees and click Select File.
3. Either click to select a file or drag your file into the window.
4. Pick the worksheet you want to import and click Open.
5. You may need to select the first row of your sheet to match the attributes with Personio. Click Next.
6. Match the columns in your Excel file to the corresponding attributes in Personio, then click Next.
7. If there are errors, a pop-up will show on the right. Review and correct each error. Once resolved, a message will confirm that the file is ready for import.

   Tip: If you see cell requires attention, click the field to highlight it, then double-click to edit the value.

8. Click Import to complete the process.

Before moving on to the next module, use Quality check: employee profile to make sure you have set up everything correctly.