Organisation import template guide

Organisation import template — column guide 

A full reference for every column in the organisation import template, across the Departments, Offices, and Teams tabs. 

Overview 

The organisation import template has three tabs — Departments, Offices, and Teams. Each tab is independent. This article explains what every column in each tab expects, how to format it correctly, and what happens if you get it wrong. 

Note: Your PS consultant runs the actual import. This guide is for filling in the template correctly so the import succeeds first time. 

Departments tab 

Name 

The name of the department. 

Format: Plain text, must be unique across all rows in this tab 

Example: Head department, Operations Department, IT Operations 

Common mistakes: 

Using the same department name twice — every name must be unique 

Using a different spelling here than in the employee import template — names must match exactly, including capitalisation 

Description 

An optional short description of the department. 

Format: Plain text 

Example: All technology operations 

Parent department 

The name of the department one level above this one in your hierarchy. Leave blank for top-level departments. 

Format: Plain text — must exactly match a name already listed in column A of this tab 

Example: If IT Operations sits under Operations Department, enter Operations Department in this column for the IT Operations row 

Tip: Add parent departments in the rows above their sub-departments to make the hierarchy easier to follow. 

Common mistakes: 

Referencing a parent department that is not listed in column A 

Spelling the parent department name differently than it appears in column A 

Leaving this blank for sub-departments — without a parent, all departments sit at the top level 

Department leader 

The full name of the person who leads this department. Optional — used to display the department lead in Simployer One and, if you use Employee Surveys, determines who sees the survey results for that department. 

Format: Full name (FirstName LastName) 

Example: Anna Anderson 

Common mistakes: 

Using a name that does not match the employee’s first and last name exactly as they appear in Simployer One 

Leaving this blank when you use Employee Surveys — the department leader is the person who sees the results 

Offices tab 

Name 

The name of the office location. 

Format: Plain text, must be unique across all rows in this tab 

Example: London HQ, Oslo Office 

Common mistakes: 

Using a different spelling here than in the employee import template — names must match exactly, including capitalisation 

Adding duplicate office names 

Email 

An optional email address for the office. 

Format: Valid email address 

Example: office@company.com 

Phone 

An optional phone number for the office. 

Format: Must include the country prefix and + sign 

Example: +44123456789 

Note: If you forget the + sign, it will be added automatically. 

Country 

The country where the office is located. 

Format: Two-letter ISO country code 

Example: NO, SE, GB, DK 

Common mistakes: 

Writing the full country name instead of the code 

Using three-letter codes like NOR or GBR 

Teams tab 

Name 

The name of the cross-functional team. 

Format: Plain text, must be unique across all rows in this tab 

Example: Crossfunctional Team1 

Common mistakes: 

Using a different spelling here than in the employee import template — names must match exactly, including capitalisation 

Using semicolons in team names — semicolons are used in the employee template to separate multiple team assignments 

Description 

An optional short description of the team. 

Format: Plain text 

Example: We do this in our team 

Background colour 

The background colour used to display the team badge in Simployer One. This field is mandatory. 

Format: Must be one of these exact values — no variations accepted: 

Light Red · Light Blue · Light Green · Light Yellow · Light Cyan · Light Purple · Light Pink · Dark Green · Light Gray · Dark Gray 

Common mistakes: 

Using a colour not on the list 

Using lowercase or different capitalisation (e.g. light blue instead of Light Blue) 

Leaving this blank — background colour is mandatory for every team row 

Text colour 

The text colour used to display the team badge in Simployer One. This field is mandatory. 

Format: Must be one of these exact values — no variations accepted: 

Dark Red · Dark Blue · Dark Green · Dark Yellow · Dark Cyan · Dark Purple · Dark Pink · Light Mint · Medium Gray · Off White 

Common mistakes: 

Using a colour not on the list 

Using lowercase or different capitalisation (e.g. dark blue instead of Dark Blue) 

Leaving this blank — text colour is mandatory for every team row 

Tip: Make sure the text colour is readable against the background colour you choose. For example, Dark Blue text on Light Blue background works well; Off White on Light Yellow may be hard to read. 

Team leader 

The full name of the person who leads this team. Optional — used to display the team lead in Simployer One and, if you use Employee Surveys, determines who sees the survey results for that team. 

Format: Full name (FirstName LastName) 

Example: Emily Thompson 

Common mistakes: 

Using a name that does not match the employee’s first and last name exactly as they appear in Simployer One 

Leaving this blank when you use Employee Surveys — the team leader is the person who sees the results 

FAQs 

Do all three tabs need to be filled in? 

No. Only fill in the tabs relevant to your company. Empty tabs are ignored during import. 

Can I reference a parent department that hasn’t been imported yet? 

No. The parent department must already exist in column A of the Departments tab in the same file. You cannot reference a department from a previous import as a parent. 

What happens if I use a colour value that isn’t on the allowed list? 

The import will fail for that team row. Copy the colour values exactly as shown in this article. 

Can I add more teams or departments after the import? 

Yes — departments, offices, and teams can all be created and edited manually in Simployer One at any time after the import.