Who can use this feature?
Available on:
All Culture Amp subscriptions.
You can sync employee data directly from BambooHR into Culture Amp using a secure, one-way connection. This ensures your employee list and demographics are always kept up-to-date without the need for manual CSV imports.
Data Flow: Employee Data flows from BambooHR into Culture Amp (one-way sync) as a full import. Changes made in Culture Amp will not sync back to your HRIS.
Initial Setup Timeframe: The full setup and validation process for BambooHR typically takes 1–2 weeks. Timelines are good-faith estimates and fluctuate based on the complexity of your data model and the responsiveness of internal technical stakeholders during testing. We recommend involving your Bamboo HR administrator early in the process to ensure report and credential configurations are set up correctly.
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 Native Integration | Full Employee Import | Organizations seeking real-time, daily automation of all employee data that the integration supports. | Data transfer is handled automatically via a secure native integration.
If an employee has an End Date in the HRIS, they will automatically be marked as a former user on that date.
If an existing Culture Amp user is removed entirely from the HRIS report (with no End Date provided), they’ll be marked as a former user upon sync, and their End Date will be set to the day before the import. |
Partial Employee Import | Organizations requiring manual control over file creation or highly unique filtering requirements. | You generate a data file and securely transfer it to Culture Amp at scheduled intervals. Unlike the native integration, users missing from an SFTP file are ignored rather than deactivated, unless an explicit End Date is included in the file. |
Integration Checklist
Use this checklist to navigate the BambooHR integration setup. Each step links to a more detailed section below.
Access Requirements — Prerequisites and system logic.
Step 1: Create Custom Report — Setting up the custom report in BambooHR.
Step 2: Save Your Report — Find and Save Your Report ID
Step 3: Generate API Key — Creating the API Key for connection in BambooHR
Step 4: Connect Integration — Entering credentials into Culture Amp.
Step 5: Set Exclusion Rules — Choose who should be included in the sync.
Step 6: Run First Sync — Reviewing and importing employee records.
Troubleshooting/FAQs — Solving errors, workarounds, and useful tips
Before You Start: Access Requirements
Setting up a Bamboo integration requires a "handshake" between two different systems. You will likely need to coordinate between a Culture Amp Administrator and a Bamboo (HRIS) Administrator.
Platform | Role / Component | Required Access | Rationale |
Culture Amp | Admin Role | To access Integration settings and save the credentials/report URL. | |
BambooHR | API Access | "Manage Settings" or "Admin" | Allows the user to generate the API Key, which acts as the secure "handshake" between systems. |
BambooHR | Reporting | "Create" & "Edit" Custom Reports | Necessary to build the specific data set (Report) that Culture Amp will pull from. |
BambooHR | Data Visibility | "View" access for Job & Personal categories | The API key inherits the permissions of the user who generated it. If a field (e.g., Ethnicity) is restricted for that user in BambooHR, it will appear as a Blank Value in Culture Amp. Verify that the user account has "View" access to all required fields and no restrictions on specific employee types, departments, or locations. |
Important Considerations & Data Limitations
Important Considerations & Data Limitations
Full Import Process: BambooHR uses the "Full Import" method. This means any active employee in Culture Amp who is not included in your BambooHR report will be deactivated in Culture Amp upon sync.
API Rate Limits: BambooHR imposes daily API request limits. We recommend scheduling your sync daily to ensure consistent performance.
Historical Data: The API sync pulls current "Point-in-Time" data. Historical changes (e.g., a department change from 3 months ago) will not be captured retroactively. Do not tick "show history" for any fields when setting up the custom report.
Step 1. Create a Custom Report in BambooHR
Culture Amp pulls employee data from a specific Custom Report in BambooHR. This report defines which employees are synced and which data fields (demographics) are imported.
Report Configuration
In BambooHR, navigate to Reports > New Report and ensure the following settings are applied:
Report Type: Custom Report.
Population: Typically set to "All Active Employees." Use the Filters tab in the report builder to exclude specific groups (e.g., Contractors).
Format: Ensure the Show History checkbox is unchecked for all fields. Culture Amp only requires the most current value for each person.
Core Demographics: Field & Data Requirements
Ensure your Bamboo Report uses the exact column headers below. Refer to the Employee Data Template for full formatting and requirements.
Typical BambooHR Field Label | Culture Amp Field Name (Destination) | Notes |
| Name | Enter the users full name. Use the format:
Important: Remove Last Name, First Name from the report. Display Name must be used instead. |
| Preferred Name | If provided, this is used for all survey and cycle communications. Found in the "Personal" section. |
| Employee ID | Acts as a secondary identifier (alongside Work Email) for data integrity. ID must be unique for each individual. Found in the Job section.
Important: Only include Employee ID in the report if you populate it in Bamboo HR. If a user has a blank Emplolyee ID, it will populate a BambooHR ID instead. |
| Primary unique identifier for all platform communications. Found in the "Personal" section. | |
| Date of Birth | Unlocks age-based reporting. Found in the Personal section. |
| Start Date | Used for "New Hire" surveys and unlocks tenure banding. Found in the Job section. |
| End Date | Used for deactivations and the "Exit Survey".
Important: BambooHR's default "Termination Date" field does not support future dates. To sync future departures, you must create a custom "End Date" field in BambooHR instead. |
Custom Demographics
Include additional fields (e.g., Department, Division) to enable granular reporting. To prevent duplicate demographics, match your BambooHR Column Names to your existing Culture Amp Account Demographic labels exactly.
Customizing Field Names in BambooHR
Customizing Field Names in BambooHR
If you want to control how a custom field appears in Culture Amp, adjust the Column Name within the BambooHR report builder:
Add the field to your report.
Hover over the field name and click the Settings (cog) icon.
Rename the field in the Column Name text box.
Click Save. Culture Amp will ingest this custom name as the demographic label.
To unlock full platform functionality, we also recommend including the following demographics in your report:
Field Name | Notes |
Language | Sets the employee’s preferred platform language Use the appropriate two-letter System Code (e.g., |
Supervisor Email or Supervisor ID | The Hierarchy Anchor: Automatically builds your organizational structure. Must be added via the "Calculated Fields" section in the report builder.
Mapping: This will appear as |
Reports To | Required for Supervisor Email to function. Ensure every employee has a manager designated in their Employee Profile > Job > Job Information section. |
Status | Indicates if a user is |
Exclude from Culture Amp | An optional dedicated field used to manually bypass the sync for specific individuals (see Option 2 under Step 4). |
Tip: Exclusions are optional. If you want to sync your entire BambooHR directory, you do not need to set up filters or an exclusion field. If you do need to exclude people (e.g., contractors), choose only one of the two methods mentioned in Step 4.
Adding Supervisor Email/ID (Organizational Hierarchy)
Adding Supervisor Email/ID (Organizational Hierarchy)
To automatically build your organizational tree, you must use Calculated Fields to pull manager data:
Verify "Reports To": Ensure every employee has a manager assigned in their BambooHR profile (Employee Profile > Job > Job Information).
Add Calculated Field: In the report builder, navigate to the Calculated Fields section and add Supervisor email (recommended) or Supervisor ID.
How it works: BambooHR "looks up" the person in the Reports To field and pulls their email address into this specific column.
Data Check: Ensure the ‘Supervisor email’ or ‘Supervisor ID’ field appears in the Selected Fields section of the BambooHR report.
In your report ensure every employee has a manager designated in their "Reports To" field (Person > Job Information).
Step 2: Find & Save Your Report ID
Once you have finalized your report, identify its unique Report ID to link BambooHR to Culture Amp.
Open your custom report in BambooHR.
Locate the URL in your browser's address bar. It will look like this:
https://acme.bamboohr.com/reports/report.php?id=123.Identify the Report ID: This is the numerical string at the very end of the URL (e.g., in the example above, the ID is 123).
Step 3. Create an API Key in BambooHR
To securely connect BambooHR with Culture Amp, you must generate a unique API Key. For maximum security, we recommend creating this key from a dedicated Admin user account that only has access to the specific data fields you wish to sync.
Note: Ensure the custom report created in Step 1 is shared with this specific user account before proceeding.
Sign into BambooHR using the specific user account you want associated with this integration.
Click your Profile Image in the bottom-left corner of the dashboard.
Select API Keys from the menu.
Click + Add New Key.
Copy the API Key immediately: It will appear as a long string (e.g.,
333e42ef58a08...). Store this securely, as you cannot view it again once you close the window.
Step 4. Connect & Authenticate in Culture Amp
Now that your report is configured and you have your credentials ready, follow these steps to establish the technical connection.
Navigate to your Settings > Account > Integrations in Culture Amp.
Select the BambooHR tile from the list of integrations.
Enter your Credentials:
API Key: Paste the key generated in Step 2.
Report ID: Enter the numerical ID from Step 1.
Subdomain: Found in your BambooHR URL (e.g., if your URL is
https://acme.bamboohr.com, your subdomain is acme).
Click Validate Credentials
Configure Sync Settings:
Filters: Use these to exclude specific groups from the sync.
Daily Sync (Recommended): If enabled, data syncs automatically every day between midnight and 4:00 AM (International Date Line West).
Notification Email: Select an Account Administrator or Employee data administrator) to receive alerts regarding blocked syncs or integration errors.
Click Save Integration > Finish
When will my data sync? Once Daily Sync is enabled, your data refreshes automatically once every 24 hours. You can view your specific 4-hour sync window (e.g., Midnight to 4:00 AM UTC) by navigating to Settings > Data Integrations > Configure Integration > Edit and scrolling to Step 4.
Step 5: Choose Who to Include in the Sync (Optional)
If you have certain individuals in BambooHR that you do not want to sync into Culture Amp (such as contractors, temporary, or inactive staff), you have two primary options for exclusion.
Option 1. Set Filter Rules in Culture Amp
Option 1. Set Filter Rules in Culture Amp
Use this if you already have a demographic in your report (like "Status" or "Employment Type") that identifies the group you want to skip.
Scroll to Step 2: Optional - Create a custom field to exclude specific people
Click Add Filter and select Exclude or Include, then choose your field (e.g., Status) and the value (e.g., Inactive).
If you need to set up multiple rules, click Add Filter and repeat the process.
Click Save Integration. These rules will be applied during your next sync.
Example: If you set Exclude when Status is Inactive, any employee with an "Inactive" status in BambooHR will be skipped during the sync and will not be created or updated in Culture Amp.
Option 2. Create a Dedicated Exclusion Field in BambooHR
Option 2. Create a Dedicated Exclusion Field in BambooHR
Use this if you don't have an existing demographic that easily identifies who should be skipped, and you'd prefer to flag individuals manually in BambooHR.
In BambooHR: Create a field titled exactly Exclude from Culture Amp.
Set Values: Use Yes and No.
Assign Logic: Set to Yes for anyone who should be excluded.
Update Report: Ensure this field is added to your custom report. Culture Amp will automatically skip any record marked "Yes" during every sync.
Step 6. Sync Your User Data
You can now begin syncing your employee data. Even if you have enabled daily syncs, we recommend running a manual sync initially to verify your mapping and data health.
Click Sync on the Data Integrations page
Review the Import History to ensure all users and demographics are accounted for.
Verify Hierarchy: Confirm that your manager data is flowing correctly. If you have an existing hierarchy, the "Supervisor Email" from BambooHR must populate the exact field identified by the hierarchy icon on the Account Demographics page Culture Amp.
Finalize: If the data looks correct, click Confirm. If errors appear, click Cancel to troubleshoot any flagged issues.
Add or Update Your Hierarchy (Optional)
The process for managing your hierarchy depends on whether you have previously validated a hierarchy demographic in Culture Amp.
1. Confirm Your Path
1. Confirm Your Path
Existing Hierarchy: If you already have a validated hierarchy (e.g., titled "Manager Email"), you must use the "Settings (cog)" icon in your BambooHR report to rename your calculated "Supervisor email" field to match your existing title verbatim.
New Hierarchy: If this is your first time setting up a hierarchy, leave the field name as-is. As long as Supervisor email (or Supervisor ID) has been set up as a calculated field Culture Amp will automatically map this to a field titled "Manager's email (Supervisor email) or Manager's ID (Supervisor ID). Once the sync is successful, follow our Add Your Hierarchy guide to perform the one-time validation.
2. Technical Requirements
2. Technical Requirements
To ensure the sync builds your organizational tree correctly, your BambooHR report must adhere to these rules:
Identifier Type: Use Supervisor Email (recommended) or Supervisor ID calculated field in Bamboo. Hierarchy cannot be built using Manager Names.
Data Completeness: Every employee must have a manager assigned in their BambooHR "Reports To" field. If a manager is missing from the sync file, their direct reports cannot be placed in the hierarchy.
Top Leader: Leave the "Reports To" field blank for your CEO or top-level leader to identify the "top" of your tree.
Verbatim Matching: Check your Account Demographics page for the hierarchy symbol (three connected nodes) to verify your current title. Your BambooHR Column Name must match this exactly (including casing).
Troubleshooting/FAQs
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.
Common BambooHR Integration Errors
Common BambooHR Integration Errors
Error Message / Issue | Potential Cause | Suggested Fix |
"We couldn't import that data - there's a problem connecting to your HRIS" | The API key is invalid, or the Admin who set up the integration has left the company. | 1. Verify the Report ID: Ensure the ID in Culture Amp matches your BambooHR report. 2. Test Report Access: In your browser, take any BambooHR report URL and replace the ID at the end (e.g., 3. Refresh API Key: If access is confirmed, generate a new API key in BambooHR (Profile > API Keys). 4. Update in Culture Amp: Go to Settings > Data Integrations > Configure > Edit, select Change Credentials, and paste the new key. Still seeing connection errors?Try creating a brand-new custom report in BambooHR and updating both the Report ID and the API Key in Culture Amp at the same time. Also feel free to 'Ask a person' during a Support Conversation to check for any potential outages. |
"Column with ID ‘-#' Does Not Exist" | Unsupported Calculated Field. | Some calculated fields only exist in the BambooHR UI and can't be pulled via the API. Remove the calculated field from the report and use a standard "List" or "Text" field instead. |
Future Termination Dates are missing | BambooHR custom reports do not support syncing future term dates. | The default "Termination Date" in BambooHR does not support future dates. Create a custom field in BambooHR titled "End Date" to house these values; Culture Amp will then recognize and sync them correctly. |
Missing fields or specific employees | The API key creator has restricted permissions in BambooHR. | The Admin who created the API key must have "View" access to all Personal and Job categories for all employees. Ensure there are no "limit by" restrictions for specific employee types or locations |
Demographic titles don't match | The BambooHR column header doesn't match your Culture Amp demographic name. | Use the Settings (cog) icon in your BambooHR report builder to change the "Column Name" to match your Culture Amp demographic label verbatim (e.g., "Manager Email"). |
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 Inactive Employees
Handling Inactive Employees
BambooHR utilizes Culture Amp's Full Import logic, which means the data file sent from BambooHR is treated as the single source of truth for your active employee list. The default behavior for users left off your HRIS sync file is to set their end date to the day before the sync date, categorizing them as former employees.
Scenario | System Behavior |
Past End Date | The employee is automatically marked as a Former Employee and made inactive in Culture Amp instantly. |
Future End Date | The employee remains active until the specified date is reached, at which point they are transitioned to Former Employee status, at the end of that day (11.59 PM in the timezone set for the account) |
Employee Missing from Sync | Any employee active in Culture Amp but not present in the BambooHR sync file will be made inactive as a former user instantly, with an end date assigned as the day before the sync. |
Updates to Inactive Users | Demographic updates (such as a changed end date) can still be applied to inactive records during a sync. |
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 BambooHR 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 Workday, 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 BambooHR.
|
B. After Changes Are Applied | To clean up the duplicated profiles:
|
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.
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