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How to sync HRIS data from PeopleHR using the Merge API
How to sync HRIS data from PeopleHR using the Merge API

Set up an integration between PeopleHR and Culture Amp with the Merge API.

Jessie Walsh avatar
Written by Jessie Walsh
Updated over a week ago

Who can use this feature?

Available on:

  • All Culture Amp subscriptions.

This integration is powered by Merge API, a trusted sub-processor who has partnered with Culture Amp to offer more integration options for our customers. We can import data directly from PeopleHR. The setup process is straightforward and can be completed quickly without technical support.

This integration is currently in Beta


This is a new HRIS integration that is currently in Beta. Beta means you’re one of the first to try out our latest integration before its full launch. During this phase, we're actively seeking your feedback to refine and improve the integration experience further. While it's fully functional and secure, you may encounter occasional bugs or changes as we fine-tune the experience. Your input is invaluable in shaping the final version, so please don't hesitate to share your thoughts and experiences with us via this survey.

How it works

  • Employee Data will flow from PeopleHR into Culture Amp. Changes to employee data in Culture Amp will not flow back to PeopleHR.

  • Any employees already in Culture Amp but not imported from PeopleHR will be made inactive as former employees with their End Date set to the date of import.

Note: The default behavior for users left off your HRIS sync file is to set their end date to the import date, categorizing them as former employees. If you prefer that these users are treated as deactivated instead, just contact Culture Amp Support, and we can adjust the default setting.

Before you start


Ensure that you have access to the following accounts when setting up the integration:

Step 1: Connect your PeopleHR Account


  1. Sign in to Culture Amp with an account that has Account Administrator or Employee data administrator access.

  2. Navigate to your Settings > Data Integrations page in the Culture Amp platform.

  3. Select PeopleHR from the list of integrations.

4. Click Continue setup

5. You will now be shown a screen indicating that a PeopleHR Administrator role is required to complete this sync. If this is true, click I am an admin

6. You will see the request to read your PeopleHR employee data. Click Next

7. You will be prompted to insert your API key from your PeopleHR account. If you already do not have one, follow the steps outlined on the screen. If you require more detailed steps with screenshots, please follow the guide supplied by Merge here.

Once pasted, click Next

8. Merge will then proceed to set up your account.

Step 2: Setting up field mapping


Once you have authenticated with PeopleHR, you can map fields you would like to import into Culture Amp.

Note: On your end, you will not be able to delete or edit the field once it has been set-up. If you would like to make changes, please contact our Culture Amp Support team via email: support@cultureamp.com or ask to speak with a support specialist during your chat conversation.

Just a heads-up: while the following screenshots are for the Paycor integration, the process is exactly the same for EmploymentHero.

If you would like to map additional fields, follow the steps below:

  1. Select Map fields.

  2. Select Employee from the target field drop down.

  3. Set the details for the field you would like to target. For this example, we will use the Date of birth field.

  4. Select the matching field from EmploymentHero and click Save.

  5. You can Save mappings or click the + Field mapping icon to add more.

Step 4: Active integration


Once everything's set up, you'll see the integration screen. Data syncs happen automatically, but the first one might take 5 to 60 minutes; during this time, you won’t be able to sync data into Culture Amp. Feel free to navigate away from the page, as data syncing will continue to happen in the background. You can return to check on the progress later. After that, you can manually sync data whenever you need to.

Step 5: Sync data


After connecting PeopleHR and Culture Amp, perform a manual sync. Click Finalise sync to begin:

Next:

  1. Click Get Started.

  2. At the top of the page, in the Sync with merge section, select Sync (ignore the Select Import and Import your user data sections as they are not applicable for an integrated sync).

  3. Culture Amp will validate the data. If there are no concerns, select Next.

  4. Review the data. If there are any issues, check the troubleshooting section below or ask our Culture Amp Product Support team for help.

  5. Hit Import Data to import the employees into Culture Amp.

  6. After importing, click Go to Users to review the new users.

Once these steps are completed, you will see the "Syncing data" notification appear on the Data Integrations page.

After syncing is complete, you will see the latest sync information, including the date and time, and confirmation that your PeopleHR integration is Connected.

To perform another manual sync, click Sync and follow the same steps as above.

Setup Automated data syncs


You can set up daily auto-syncing of your employee data with CultureAmp. Auto-syncs help ensure your data is always up to date.

By default, auto-syncs are Off when you set up a new Merge Integration account.

To switch on auto-syncs:

  1. From the Data Integrations page, click on the Off button.

  2. A pop-up will appear. Confirm by clicking Turn on auto sync.

  3. Once enabled, your data will sync daily during Merge's next cycle.

To turn off auto-syncing:

  1. From the Data Integrations page, click the On button.

  2. A pop-up will appear. Confirm by clicking Turn off auto sync.

  3. Your auto-sync will be turned off.

Troubleshooting integration issues


To explore troubleshooting for common user import errors not addressed below, please refer to our guidance here.

For any hierarchy errors such as your import being blocked because there are employees assigned to managers that are not in your employee list, check out our support guide for troubleshooting assistance.

For further troubleshooting tips, check out our guidance below:

Switching from CSV Uploads to Integration

If you already have existing data in Culture Amp as a result of doing CSV uploads or using a different integration, then there are a few things to pay attention to:

  • When doing your first sync via the PeopleHR integration, you could see errors related to matching employees. Please review the troubleshooting information in the Duplicate Employees section below.

  • When doing field mapping during the integration setup it is very important construct target demographics/fields accurately. For example: If you have historically used a demographic “TEAM” it is critical to map your data to that specific demographic. If you map to a field title that is similar but not exact e.g. “TEAM NAME” there is a risk that you will not see continuity in your data over time in the platform. This is possible to remediate but may initially be confusing if this error occurs. We would recommend keeping this in mind if you trend results in surveys for demographic groups over time. To avoid confusion from users about which demographic to use, we would recommend navigating to the Settings >Account demographics page and deleting the old demographics after your first sync (this will not impact any previous survey results or comparisons).

Duplicate employees in Culture Amp

Culture Amp will match employees in PeopleHR to employees in Culture Amp based on the employees email address. If the same employee has a different email address in Culture Amp and PeopleHR, duplicate employee profiles will be created in Culture Amp. Here is how to reconcile the duplicates:

Before changes are applied:

During the first sync, you'll get feedback on all employees to be created, updated, or deactivated on the Review screen. At this point, ideally, you'd stop the sync and update employee emails in Culture Amp to match those in PeopleHR.

To update emails in Culture Amp:

  1. Go to the Users page.

  2. Click on the name of the employee you want to update.

  3. Update their email.

  4. Click Save and Exit to update.

  5. Repeat for all duplicated employees.

  6. Then, try the integration sync again.

Check out our support guide for further information.

After changes are applied:

If you didn't handle the duplicates during the first sync and duplicate employee profiles were created, you can clean the data using the following steps:

  1. Deactivate the newest employee profile and remove their email (you'll need to assign a fake ID/email to Save).

  2. Update the original user profile to match emails in PeopleHR. This keeps the history on the existing employee record.

Check out our support guide for further information.

Sync blocked to protect employee privacy

Your automated daily sync might be blocked if Culture Amp suspects that one of your employees may have had their details mixed up with another. You will receive a notification of this via email.

If a combination of an employee's Name, Date of Birth, or Email is changed, the sync will be blocked. This is to prevent an employee from accidentally getting access to another employee's private information, such as performance reviews.

If you've intentionally changed the employee's details, you can run a manual sync to push through the change. Simply click Import data from the Settings > Users page and select Sync. Culture Amp will guide you through the rest.

Redaction of sensitive data

As part of this integration, Culture Amp has the ability to redact sensitive data at your request. If you need any fields to be disabled/redacted for your account please contact our Culture Amp Support team via email: support@cultureamp.com or ask to speak with a support specialist during your chat conversation and they will assist you in actioning this redaction.

Investigating and resolving any data issues

Once the first integration has been performed and the integration history has been created, the first step when investigating data issues is to check the Import Summary Screen for your most recent import. This will provide information about the state of your integration.

To find this information, go to Account Administration > Import History and select your most recent import.

If there was a problem with your last import, you will either be able to view errors on this page or you will be prompted to run a manual sync to identify any problems.


💬 Need help? Just reply with "Ask a Person" in a support conversation to speak with a Product Support Specialist.

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