Who can use this feature?
Available on:
All Culture Amp subscriptions that have an active subscription with IntelliHR.
You can import employee data directly from IntelliHR into Culture Amp using a secure, one-way API connection. This ensures your employee list and demographics are always up-to-date.
Data Flow: Employee Data flows from IntelliHR into Culture Amp (one-way sync). Changes made in Culture Amp will not sync back to your HRIS.
Initial Setup Timeframe: Please note that due to the complexity and customization of IntelliHR, the full setup and validation process can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Please allocate sufficient time and internal resources for mapping and validation.
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.
Choosing Your Integration Method
We offer two primary ways to connect your employee data. The table below briefly outlines both and should help with the decision on which is the best approach for your organization:
Method | Type of Import | Best For | Key Difference |
Full Integration (API) | Full Employee Import | Organizations seeking real-time, daily automation of all employee data that the API supports. | Data transfer is handled automatically via a secure API connection. Users with an End Date in the HRIS become former employees instantly upon sync. If a user is simply removed from the sync report without an End Date, they will remain "Active" in Culture Amp until a manual sync is performed by our Culture Amp Support team. Properly terminating employees in your HRIS with an End Date is the only way to guarantee automatic deactivation. |
Partial Employee Import | Organizations that need complete control over file creation, have unique filtering requirements, or need to manage data fields not supported by the API. | You generate a file and securely transfer it to us at scheduled intervals. Users missing from the file are ignored, so must be included on the file with an end date, to become former. |
API Integration Checklist
Access Requirements & Terminology — Prerequisites and system logic.
Step 1: Connect & Authenticate — Locating and entering your API credentials.
Step 2: Field Mapping — Aligning your IntelliHR demographics with Culture Amp.
Step 3: Activate Integration — Establishing the technical connection.
Step 4: Run Your First Sync — Reviewing and importing employee records.
Troubleshooting & FAQs — Solving errors, duplicates, and sync blocks.
Before You Start: Access Requirements & Terminology
To set up the connection, you’ll need:
Access to your IntelliHR instance with the required role (see Permissions below).
Access to Culture Amp with Account Administrator or Employee data administrator permissions.
Important Considerations & Data Limitations
Important Considerations & Data Limitations
Exclusion Field Mapping Limitation: IntelliHR has limited functionality for custom fields, meaning a custom exclusion field is not available via the API. You can instead refer to the workaround.
Terminology Breakdown
Terminology Breakdown
When working with your technical IntelliHR administrator, these terms may be helpful for clarifying your data structure:
Term | Also Known As | Definition & Example |
Person | Employee / Staff Member | The "Identity" layer. It holds personal data like DOB and Work Email that stays with the individual throughout their tenure. Reference |
Job | Position / Role | The "Employment" layer. Because intelliHR is a date-effective system, an employee is only "Active" if they have an active Job record. This holds |
Supervisor | Reports To / Manager | The individual assigned to a specific Job record as the person's manager. |
Public API Access Key | API Token / Bearer Token | A unique string used to authenticate the connection between IntelliHR and Culture Amp. Reference |
Required Permissions & Rationales
Required Permissions & Rationales
Note: As of the current intelliHR API version (2026), permission scopes for API keys are not yet supported. This means any generated API key has "Full System Administrator" visibility by default.
Permission/Role | Permissions Needed in IntelliHR | Rationale |
System Administrator | Access to | Required to generate the API key needed to connect Culture Amp to your data. Reference |
Full System Access | API Key (Inherited Admin Permissions) | Because IntelliHR API keys do not currently support restricted scopes, the key will have full read/write access to all endpoints (People, Jobs, and Business Units) to ensure no demographics are blocked during the sync. Reference |
Step 1: Connect Your IntelliHR Account
Sign in to Culture Amp with an account that has Account Administrator access.
Navigate to your Settings > Account > Integrations page in the Culture Amp platform.
Select IntelliHR from the list of integrations and click Continue setup.
Click I am an admin to confirm your IntelliHR administrator permissions
You will see the request to read your IntelliHR employee data. Click Next.
Enter your IntelliHR subdomain, click Next
Follow the on-screen prompts to locate and enter your API key from your IntelliHR account. Once pasted, click Next.
🔑Accessing Your IntelliHR API Key
🔑Accessing Your IntelliHR API Key
Note: The steps below are sourced from IntelliHR. We recommend checking their official guide for the most current instructions: Accessing Your IntelliHR API Key.
Log in to the IntelliHR platform using your IntelliHR credentials.
From the left-hand navigation menu, go to Settings.
Under Settings, select Public API Access Keys.
Click Create Access Key.
When prompted, enter a name for the access key.
Copy the generated API key.
Paste the API key into the IntelliHR API setup page in Culture Amp to complete the setup.
Step 2: Setting Up Demographic Field Mapping
Once you have authenticated with IntelliHR, you will be prompted to map the demographic fields you would like to import into Culture Amp.
Core Demographics: Automatic Mapping
Core Demographics: Automatic Mapping
The table below outlines the standard "out-of-the-box" configuration for IntelliHR. While IntelliHR is designed for simplicity, it remains a customizable platform; therefore, while we list the most common UI labels, your specific environment may have been modified by your IntelliHR administrator to use different naming conventions.
This information is intended for your technical IntelliHR administrator to help ensure the API user has the required permissions and visibility for the data objects needed for the connection.
Note:
Do not manually map the fields below unless instructed by a specialist.
The "Typical IntelliHR UI Label" represents the default IntelliHR naming. Your systems administrator may have customized these labels (e.g., renaming "Employee ID" to "Staff ID")
If the data for these core fields is not pulling correctly, reply with "Ask a Person" in a Support Conversation for a back-end custom mapping solution.
Typical IntelliHR UI Label | Primary IntelliHR API Endpoint (Data Location) | Culture Amp Field (The Destination) |
Work Email |
| Email (Unique Identifier) |
Employee Number |
| Employee ID (Unique Identifier) |
Display Name |
| Name |
Preferred Name |
| Preferred Name |
Date Of Birth |
| Date of Birth |
Job Start Date |
| Start Date |
Termination Date |
| End Date |
Reports To (Work Email of referenced Manager) |
| Manager Email (Hierarchy demographic) |
Custom Demographics: Manual Mapping
Custom Demographics: Manual Mapping
If you track additional employee data in IntelliHR that you want to use as demographics in Culture Amp, follow these steps to set up custom mapping.
Step 1. Map Fields
Now that the initial authentication is complete, on your Integrations page, click Map fields.
Step 2. Select the Data Model
Select the data model for your target field (e.g., Employee).
Step 3. Set Details for the Target Field
Set the details for the field you are targeting in Culture Amp (the demographic name, e.g., Gender).
Step 4. Choose the Matching Field from IntelliHR
Select the matching IntelliHR field that contains the data.
Step 5. Save Mappings
You can Save mappings or click the + Field mapping icon to add more.
Alternatively, if you’re not ready to map fields yet, you can click Skip for now and return to mapping later.
Tip: If you are unsure of the correct IntelliHR field, please involve your technical IntelliHR administrator to locate the correct API name.
Note: Some HRIS APIs may limit access to specific custom fields. If you cannot find a required demographic field during mapping, you may need to:
Map an alternate custom field that contains similar data.
Manage the demographic outside of IntelliHR directly in Culture Amp via manual imports or SFTP.
Exclude Employees (Optional)
Exclude Employees (Optional)
IntelliHR does not support an exclusion field via the API. If you need to exclude users from your sync, you must use Culture Amp’s bulk deactivation feature as a workaround.
Allow the initial sync to import all users from IntelliHR, including those you want to exclude.
In Culture Amp, export a copy of your user list:
Go to Settings > Employee Data > Users > Import & Export > Export
Check the box for Include deactivated users
The export will contain a column labeled Employee Deactivated.
Update the
Employee Deactivatedcolumn in the exported file:Assign
"TRUE"to all users you want to exclude (they will be deactivated).Assign
"FALSE"to users who should remain active.
Save the file and perform a manual partial import:
Go to Settings > Employee Data > Users > Import & Export > Import users > Upload your file > Partial import.
Once complete, deactivated users will remain deactivated and will not be reactivated in future syncs.
Step 3: Activate Integration
After mapping your fields, click Sync, and the system will run an initial sync to connect your IntelliHR account details and mappings.
Note: This sync does not import employee data yet.
You will see a "Syncing data" message. This initial sync can take up to 12 hours to complete, depending on the size and complexity of your IntelliHR configuration.
Feel free to navigate away from the page. The process runs in the background.
The "Syncing data" message confirms the connection and mapping setup. Once this first sync completes, you can proceed to import your employee data through another sync.
Note: As part of our commitment to data security, only data relevant to your import and field mappings will be stored.
Step 4: Run Your First Employee Data Sync
Once the initial setup sync is complete, the Integrations page in Culture Amp will update. Follow these steps to run your first employee data import:
Click the Finalise sync button.
Click Get Started.
On the review page, ensure Sync is selected in the "Sync with merge" section (ignore the other options).
Culture Amp will validate the data. If there are no concerns, click Next.
Review the data: Carefully examine the review screen, which shows the number of new employees to be created, existing employees to be updated, and employees to be deactivated.
If the data looks correct, click Import Data to pull the employees into Culture Amp.
After the import is complete, click Go to Users to review the new users.
Note: If you see any unexpected numbers (e.g., too many employees being deactivated or created), do not proceed with the import. Check the Troubleshooting section or reply with "Ask a Person" in a Support Conversation to speak with a Product Support Specialist.
Once these steps are completed, you will see the green "Syncing data" notification appear on the Integrations page.
After syncing is complete, you will see the latest sync information, including the date and time of the last sync, and confirmation that your integration is Connected on the Integrations page.
Set Up Automated Daily Syncs
Set Up Automated Daily Syncs
By default, auto-syncs are Off. We recommend enabling daily syncing to ensure your employee demographics are kept up-to-date.
To enable: Go to Integrations, click on the Off button and toggle Auto-sync On.
To disable: Go to Integrations, click on the On button, then click Turn off auto sync.
Note: Auto-sync won’t run if the Finalise sync step is still displayed. Click Finalise sync to finish setup.
Troubleshooting/FAQs
If the fixes below don't resolve your issue, please remember that the high potential for customization in IntelliHR means complex mapping or sync problems often require a specialist. Please reply with "Ask a Person" in a Support Conversation to speak with a Product Support Specialist.
General Data Integrity & Import Management
The first step when investigating any data issue is to check the Import Summary Screen for your most recent import.
Go to Settings > Employee Data > Import History.
Select your most recent import to view details.
This screen provides information on the state of your integration, any specific errors, or will prompt you to run a manual sync to identify problems.
IntelliHR: Integration-Specific Errors
IntelliHR: Integration-Specific Errors
Issue | Cause | Suggested Fix |
Terminated Employees Still Showing as "Active" | The employee was removed from the IntelliHR sync report or deactivated without a populated End Date. | Immediate Fix: Re-add the user to the IntelliHR report with a valid End Date and sync again. Secondary Fix: If they cannot be re-added to the report, reach out to our Culture Amp Support team (via "Ask a Person") to request a manual sync to process the deactivation. |
Need to Edit/Delete Mappings | Mappings are locked in the Culture Amp platform once set up. Adding or editing custom mappings often requires a full back-end sync to be triggered by our Culture Amp support team for the changes to be reflected in the platform. | Contact Culture Amp Support:
|
Manager Email is Missing/Incorrect | The Manager (Supervisor) exists in intelliHR but does not have a Work Email populated on their own "Person" record. | The integration uses the Manager's ID to find their email. Action: Ensure the Manager has a valid Work Email address in their intelliHR profile. Without this, the hierarchy sync cannot link direct reports to that manager. |
Re-hired Employees creating duplicates | A re-hired employee was given a new Employee Number AND a new Work Email in IntelliHR, leaving no matching "anchor" to their old profile. | Culture Amp matches on both Email and Employee ID. If both change, a duplicate is created. Action: Ensure at least one identifier (Email or ID) matches the previous record in Culture Amp to allow the system to update the existing profile. |
Unable to Exclude Specific Employees | IntelliHR does not support a native "Exclusion" toggle or custom exclusion field that is readable via the API. | Workaround: You must use Culture Amp's Bulk Deactivation option. See the Exclude Employees (Optional) section above for full steps. |
Switching From CSV or Other Imports
Switching From CSV or Other Imports
If you are moving from CSV uploads or a different integration, keep the following in mind:
Demographic Consistency: When mapping fields, you must map the data to the exact same demographic field you used historically (e.g., mapping to "TEAM" is different from mapping to "TEAM NAME"). Using an incorrect or slightly different title risks discontinuity in your trended survey results.
Recommended Action: To avoid confusion, we recommend navigating to Settings > Employee Data Demographics and deleting the old, unused demographics after your first successful sync. (This won't impact any previous survey results.)
Handling Duplicate Employees
Handling Duplicate Employees
Culture Amp uses two fields as unique identifiers for user profiles: Email and Employee ID.
As long as at least one of these remains consistent between IntelliHR and Culture Amp, the sync will successfully update the existing profile rather than creating a new one.
Duplicate Risk: If you change both the Email and the Employee ID simultaneously in IntelliHR, the sync will not find a match and will create a duplicate profile.
If you see a duplicate profile error flag during your import, take the following steps:
Scenario | Action to Take |
A. Before Changes Are Applied | During the first sync review screen, stop the sync. Update the employee emails in Culture Amp to match those in IntelliHR.
|
B. After Changes Are Applied | Clean up the duplicate:
|
Further Guidance | Check out our dedicated support guide for further information on duplicate employee clean-up. |
Sync Blocked to Protect Employee Privacy
Sync Blocked to Protect Employee Privacy
Your automated daily sync might be blocked if Culture Amp detects a high-risk change for an employee. You will receive an email notification if this occurs.
When It Happens: The sync is blocked if a combination of an employee's Name, Date of Birth, or Email is changed simultaneously.
Purpose: This prevents one employee from accidentally getting access to another employee's private information (like performance reviews).
Fix: If you've intentionally changed the employee's details, you can run a manual sync to push the change through. Go to Settings > Employee Data > Users, click Import data, and select Sync. Culture Amp will guide you through the rest.
Redaction of Sensitive Data
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 reply with "Ask a Person" in a Support Conversation to speak with a Product Support Specialist.
💬 Need help? Just reply with "Ask a Person" in a support conversation to speak with a Product Support Specialist.