Importing employee master data (unedited)

Import employee master data 

Get your employee data into Simployer One quickly and correctly — your PS consultant handles the import once you’ve filled in the template. 

Overview 

Before your employees are invited to Simployer One, their data needs to be imported. You download the employee import template, fill it in with your data, and upload it to your account. Your Simployer Professional Services consultant then runs the actual import on your behalf. 

Getting this right the first time saves a lot of back-and-forth — the template is strict about formatting, and errors will cause the import to fail. 

Key things to know before you start 

You fill in the template, your PS consultant imports it — do not attempt to import the file yourself 

Employees won’t be notified until you explicitly invite them, so you can take your time reviewing the data after import 

The template has two rows before data starts — row 1 is column headers, row 2 is instructions, your data starts at row 3 

Departments, offices, and teams must match exactly between the employee template and the organisation template — including capitalisation 

How to import employee master data 

Step 1: Download the template 

Go to https://simporter.simployer.com/ 

Download the file employee-import-template.xlsx 

Note: Do not create your own spreadsheet or rename columns. The import will only accept the official template. 

Step 2: Fill in the template 

Open the file and fill in your employee data starting from row 3. Row 2 contains instructions for each column — read these carefully before entering data. 

The mandatory fields are: 

Employee number — must be unique per employee; if left blank, numbers are assigned automatically from 1 upwards 

First name — legal first name 

Last name — legal last name 

Work email — must be unique; this is used to identify the employee in the system 

All other fields are optional, but the more complete your data, the less manual work after import. 

Important: Do not delete any columns, even if you’re leaving them empty. Removing columns will cause the import to fail. 

Step 3: Follow the formatting rules 

Incorrect formatting is the most common reason imports fail. The key rules are: 

Dates — use the format YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., January 15th, 2024) 

Country codes — use two-letter ISO codes (e.g., NO, SE, GB) 

Phone numbers — must include the country prefix and + sign (e.g., +4712345678) 

Employment type — must be one of the exact allowed values: permanent_employment, probation_employment, fixed_employment, temporary_employment, special_fixed_term_employment, intern, consultant, hourly_employment 

Employment rate — enter a number between 0 and 100 (e.g., 100 for full-time, 50 for half-time) 

Compensation currency — three-letter ISO code (e.g., NOK, SEK, EUR) 

Note: If you’re filling in compensation data, the compensation.effectiveDate field becomes mandatory. 

Step 4: Upload the completed file 

Log in to Simployer One 

Go to your profile page 

Navigate to My documents 

Upload the completed employee import template 

Step 5: Notify your PS consultant 

Once the file is uploaded, let your Simployer PS consultant know. They will review the file and run the import. If there are errors in the data, they will contact you before proceeding. 

Important: Do not invite employees to Simployer One until your PS consultant has confirmed the import is complete and you’ve verified the data looks correct. 

Step 6: Verify the imported data 

After the import, check that employee profiles have been created correctly before sending out invitations. Key things to verify: 

Names and email addresses are correct 

Department and team assignments are accurate 

Employment type and rate are as expected 

FAQs 

What happens if I delete a column by mistake? 

The import will fail. If you’ve accidentally deleted a column, download a fresh template from https://simporter.simployer.com/ and start again rather than trying to re-add the column manually. 

Can I update employee data after the import? 

Yes — employee profiles can be edited directly in Simployer One after import. The import template is only used for the initial bulk load. 

Will employees be notified when they’re imported? 

No. Employees are only notified when you explicitly invite them to Simployer One. You’re free to review and correct data after the import before sending invitations. 

What if departments or teams don’t match between my files? 

The import will fail for those employees. Department, office, and team names must be spelled identically in both the employee and organisation templates — including upper and lower case letters. 

What does “employment type” mean and which value should I use? 

Use permanent_employment for standard open-ended contracts, fixed_employment for fixed-term contracts with a defined end date, and probation_employment for trial periods (maximum 6 months — the end date is mandatory for this type). When in doubt, check with your PS consultant.