Who can use this feature?
Available on:
All Culture Amp subscriptions.
You can import employee data directly from Paycor 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 Paycor 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 requirement for specific API credential generation and backend mapping of unique identifiers, the setup process typically takes 1–3 weeks. We recommend involving an account administrator with full system permissions and a member of your IT team to assist with credential generation.
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 unless you include an end date. |
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 Paycor 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 Paycor instance with the required role (see Permissions below).
Access to Culture Amp with Account Administrator or Employee data administrator access.
Important Considerations & Data Limitations
Important Considerations & Data Limitations
Legal Entity Scoping: Paycor data is partitioned by Legal Entity. If your organization operates under multiple Legal Entities, the API user must be granted permissions for each one. If an entity is not selected during the "Handshake" process, those employees will be missing from Culture Amp.
Department Name Limitation: The integration does not currently support all additional fields in Paycor, such as the Department field which houses department name values.
The Issue: While the Department URL and ID fields can be included in the sync, you won't be able to sync Department names at this time.
Recommendation: If Department names are important for your reporting, we recommend managing that data manually in Culture Amp via a manual user import or SFTP.
Hierarchy Sync: The sync pulls the manager's unique ID from the employee record via the employee endpoint. It then performs a lookup to find that manager's email. For this to be successful, the manager must also be an active record within a synced Legal Entity.
Terminology Breakdown
Terminology Breakdown
Term | Also Known As | Definition |
Legal Entity | Company / Tenant | The highest level of organization in Paycor. Most sync issues are caused by missing permissions for specific Legal Entities. |
App Creator | API User | The specific type of Paycor account required to generate the credentials used for this integration. |
Required Permissions & Rationales
Required Permissions & Rationales
Permission/Role | Needed in Paycor | Rationale |
App Creator Account | Web Services / Developers Portal access | Required to generate the Client ID and Secret used to authenticate the API. |
Legal Entity Access | "All Existing and Future Clients" | Ensures that as your company grows, new legal entities are automatically included in the sync. |
Employee Census | View Permissions | The integration can only pull data fields that are visible in the standard Employee Census report. |
Step 1: Connect and Authorize Your Paycor Account
Sign in to Culture Amp with an account that has Account Administrator or Employee data administrator access.
Navigate to the Settings > Account > Integrations page in the Culture Amp platform.
Select Paycor from the list of integrations.
Click Continue setup
You will now be shown the option to either use sandbox data or your own production data. Select Production data
You will see Culture Amp’s request to read your Paycor employee data. Click Continue
Follow the prompts to generate your Paycor credentials.
Enter your Paycor company ID and click Submit.
🔑 Authenticate Your Paycor Account
🔑 Authenticate Your Paycor Account
Note: The steps below are sourced from Merge, our integration partner. We recommend checking their official guide for the most current instructions: Merge Paycor Account Linking Guide
To authenticate Paycor, you will need to provide the following information:
Company ID
Username
Password
This guide will walk you through finding or creating those credentials within Paycor.
Prerequisites:
Please ensure you fulfill all the requirements to set up the integration:
You have a Paycor username & password with access to AppCreator. The Developer Portal is available to all Paycor clients, however, you must have an HR/Payroll/Company Admin create an App Creator account to utilize the API.
Instructions:
Step 1: Log in to your Paycor Portal
Go to developers.paycor.com
Click on “Sign In” in the upper-right hand corner and log in using your username and password
Return to the landing page at developers.paycor.com and select “Join”
Select “Get Started” below “Are you an existing Paycor Client”
Select the Client IDs you would like to be eligible for this App Creator account. Alternatively, select All existing and Future Clients
Step 2: Find your Company ID
Click on the ☰ menu icon, then click on Company > Departments
Retrieve your company ID from the top left. It will look something like "290180"
Step 3: Enter information in the linking flow
Back in the linking flow, select either Paycor Sandbox or Paycor Production Account, depending on the URL that you use to log into the Paycor instance
Next, enter the Company ID you created from step 2.2 above
A new window will pop up. Log in using your Paycor username and password
Note: It is not currently possible to add multiple company IDs to a single linked account. Instead, you would need to create a linked account for each company ID as described in Linking Multiple Linked Accounts in a Single API Category
Step 2: Setting Up Demographic Field Mapping
Once you have authenticated with Paycor, you will be prompted to map the demographic fields you would like to import into Culture Amp.
Note: Core demographic fields map automatically and should not be manually configured unless instructed by a Culture Amp specialist. Please note that once these fields are set up, they cannot be edited or deleted. If you need to make changes, reply with "ask a person" in a support conversation to speak with a specialist.
Core Demographics: Automatic Mapping
Core Demographics: Automatic Mapping
This table is intended for your technical Paycor administrator. The following fields will sync automatically from Paycor to Culture Amp.
Note: While the "Typical Paycor UI Label" shows the common reference field in Paycor, exact UI labels and underlying field names may vary by tenant and configuration.
Typical Paycor UI Label | Paycor Endpoint (Data Location) | Culture Amp Field (The Destination) |
Email Address |
| Email (Unique Identifier) |
Employee Number |
| Employee ID (Unique Identifier) |
First Name / Last Name |
| Name |
Preferred Name |
| Preferred Name |
Birth Date |
| Date of Birth |
Hire Date |
| Start Date |
Termination Date |
| End Date |
Reports To (Work Email of referenced Manager) |
| Manager Email (Hierarchy) |
Custom Demographics: Manual Mapping
Custom Demographics: Manual Mapping
If you track additional employee data in Paycor 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 for the Target Field
From the target field dropdown, select Employee.
Step 3. Set Details for the Target Field
Specify the details for the field you want to target (e.g., pronoun).
Step 4. Choose the Matching Field from Paycor
Select the matching field from Paycor and click Save.
Step 5. Save Mappings
You can either Save mappings or click the + Field Mapping button to add more.
Tip: Not all demographic fields can be synced via the API due to API limitations (specifically, access is limited to fields in the Employee Census report). If you are unable to map a required demographic, your options are:
Use an alternate field that contains similar data.
Manage the demographic outside of Paycor directly in Culture Amp via manual imports or SFTP.
Excluding Employees (Optional)
Excluding Employees (Optional)
To exclude specific employees, you must first specify them in your Paycor system (e.g., by creating a custom field or using an existing one) and set the value of this field to "Yes" for the employees you want to exclude.
Step 1. Start Mapping
Click on Map fields to begin the workflow.
Step 2. Select the Exclusion Field
You will see a field mapping for Exclude from Culture Amp in the workflow.
Search for the corresponding field from your HRIS under the Exclude from Culture Amp field.
Ensure that employees you want to exclude are marked as "Yes" in your HRIS.
Step 3. Save Mappings
Click Save mappings
Note: Only demographics that use "Yes" values can be attached to the Exclude from Culture Amp mapping in your integration settings. It is not possible to map an existing demographic like Job Title and tell the system to exclude all participants whose Job Title is 'Contractor'.
Step 3: Activate Integration
After mapping your fields, click Sync, and the system will run an initial sync to connect your Paycor 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 Paycor 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 "Syncing data" notification appear on the Integrations page.
After syncing is complete, you will see the latest sync information, including the date and time, and confirmation that your Paycor integration is Connected on the Integrations page.
Set Up Automated Daily Syncs
Set Up Automated Daily Syncs
Note: If you leave the "Finalise sync" message on the "Integrations" page, the autosync feature will not work. You must click the "Finalise sync" button to enable autosync.
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.
Troubleshooting/FAQs
If the fixes below don't resolve your issue, 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.
Paycor: Integration Specific Errors
Paycor: Integration Specific Errors
Issue | Cause | Suggested Fix |
Terminated Employees Still Showing as "Active" | The employee was removed from the Paycor sync report or deactivated without a populated End Date. | Immediate Fix: Re-add the user to the Paycor 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:
|
Missing Employees | The API user lacks access to specific Legal Entities. | Check Permissions: In Paycor, verify the App Creator account has access to all Client IDs. If a Legal Entity is missing, its employees will not sync |
"Employee Not Found" for Hierarchy | The manager is assigned to a Legal Entity that hasn't been synced. | Verify Hierarchy: Ensure both the employee and their manager are part of a synced Legal Entity and that the manager has a valid work email. |
Custom Field Missing | The field is not included in the Employee Census report. | Action: Ensure the desired custom field is enabled for API access within Paycor's Web Services configuration. |
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 Paycor 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 Paycor, 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 Paycor.
|
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.
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.