Who can use this feature?
Available on:
All Culture Amp subscriptions that have an active subscription with Elmo.
Overview
You can connect your ELMO HRIS to Culture Amp to automatically sync employee data. This streamlines updates, reduces manual work, and helps maintain accurate employee records. The integration can run manually or on a daily schedule.
Key benefits
Reduces time spent on manual updates
Keeps employee data in Culture Amp up-to-date
Helps maintain hierarchy and reporting lines
Set Up Your ELMO Integration
Step 1: Connect to ELMO
Contact your ELMO Account Manager to confirm you have API access.
In Culture Amp, sign in as an Account Administrator or Employee Data Administrator.
Go to Settings > Data Integrations.
Click the ELMO tile.
Enter your ELMO Username, API Key, and Personal Access Token.
Click Validate credentials to confirm access.
Note: If you're unsure about your ELMO API details, contact your ELMO Account Manager.
2. Choose fields to sync
Mandatory fields that sync automatically:
Name
Email
Manager Email
Preferred Name
Date of Birth
Start Date
End Date
Additional fields (e.g., custom fields) will be listed under Additional Fields. Check the boxes to include them in your sync.
To add a new custom field, first create it in ELMO. Then, refresh the ELMO setup page in Culture Amp to see the updated field.
Note: The Name field will combine the first and last name from ELMO. The Preferred name will use the first name from ELMO only.
Advanced Mapping (Beta)
Toggle on Advanced Mapping to customize how fields from ELMO map to fields in Culture Amp. Only fields added will be included in future data syncs.
Check out the HRIS Integration Custom Mapping article for step-by-step instructions.
Syncing Manager Hierarchies
If you already have a validated employee hierarchy—or plan to set one up—it’s important to configure your Manager Email mapping correctly.
To ensure Manager Email syncs properly from ELMO:
Go to your Account Demographics page in Culture Amp and make sure the Manager Email demographic exists with that exact name.
In Advanced Mapping, back on your Data Integrations page, add the Culture Amp Manager field.
This process automatically links to the Manager ID field from ELMO. Culture Amp will then use this connection to populate the Manager Email and Manager Name demographics accordingly.
Note: These field names must remain exactly as listed and cannot be changed.
3. Exclude employees from syncing (optional)
In ELMO, create a custom field called Exclude from Culture Amp.
Set the value to Yes for any employees you don't want to import.
If you don't need to exclude specific people, you can skip this step.
Tip: When making exclusions, keep in mind how it affects managers. If a manager is excluded, their direct reports will no longer have a manager assigned.
4. Set Sync settings
Choose a primary email address to receive sync-related notifications (e.g., if credentials expire).
Toggle on daily syncs if you'd like the system to pull data automatically each day.
When enabled, daily syncs typically run around midnight, based on your account's timezone.
5. Save and Test your integration
Click Save integration. Your details will be saved, and data will sync on the next manual or scheduled sync.
After saving, you’ll be prompted to run a manual sync:
Follow the prompts to move through the upload process and review the import screen carefully — you can either Import or Exit if anything needs fixing first.
No emails will be sent to employees during the sync.
Note: Culture Amp only reads data from ELMO. No changes will be written back.
Manually Syncing Your HRIS Data
We recommend running a manual sync after setup to confirm everything is working as expected. You can also run a manual sync at any time to test your integration or troubleshoot data issues.
To trigger a manual sync:
In Culture Amp, go to Settings > Data Integrations and click Sync,
or go to Settings > Users > Import Users.Review the data on the import screen for any user import errors or hierarchy issues.
Click Import data to complete the sync.
Note: The sync may take a few seconds to a few minutes depending on the size of your data.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting
Switching from CSV Uploads to the Integration
Switching from CSV Uploads to the Integration
If you're switching from manual CSV uploads or another integration:
You may encounter duplicate employees during the first sync.
If demographic names differ between ELMO and Culture Amp and you haven’t set up custom mapping, new demographics will be created.
To avoid issues:
Use Advanced Mapping to align ELMO demographics with existing Culture Amp ones.
Go to Settings > Account Demographics and remove any outdated fields (this won’t impact historical data).
Duplicate Employees in Culture Amp
Duplicate Employees in Culture Amp
Culture Amp matches employees using Email and/or Employee ID.
If either of these differs between ELMO and Culture Amp, duplicates may be created.
Resolving Duplicates Before Sync is Applied
During sync setup, use the Review screen to preview changes.
If duplicates appear, cancel the sync.
Go to Users, locate the flagged profiles, update employee emails to match ELMO, then re-run the sync.
Resolving Duplicates After Sync
If duplicates were created:
Deactivate the duplicate (usually the newer record).
Remove the email, or assign a placeholder to allow saving.
Update the original profile with the correct ELMO email.
This ensures history and activity are retained on the original employee profile.
Sync Blocked to Protect Employee Privacy
Sync Blocked to Protect Employee Privacy
Daily syncs may be blocked if Culture Amp detects a possible identity mix-up.
This happens when key identifiers like Name, Date of Birth, or Email change—preventing someone from accessing another employee’s private data (like performance reviews).
If this happens, you’ll receive an email notification.
If the change was intentional, run a manual sync to review and process the import.
Limitations
Only custom text fields are supported via the ELMO API.
Menu or dropdown fields in ELMO cannot be synced.
FAQs
Can I include dropdown fields from ELMO?
No. Only custom text fields can be imported via the ELMO API.
What happens if an employee’s data changes in ELMO?
The next sync will update their record in Culture Amp. If key identifiers change (Email and/or Employee ID), the sync may be blocked to protect employee data.
Can I exclude certain employees from syncing?
Yes. Create a field called Exclude from Culture Amp and set it to Yes in ELMO.
How often does the sync run?
You can trigger it manually, or it will run daily if auto-sync is enabled.
Does the ELMO integration use a full or partial import?
ELMO uses a full import. This completely replaces existing user data in Culture Amp.
Any employees not included in the incoming data will be marked as inactive.
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