Who can use this feature?
Available on:
All Culture Amp subscriptions.
You can import employee data directly from UKG Ready 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 UKG Ready 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 custom Security Profiles and Service Accounts, the setup and validation process for UKG Ready typically takes 2–4 weeks. We recommend involving your technical UKG administrator and IT Security lead early in the process to authorize the necessary Web Service permissions.
Choosing Your Integration Method
We offer two primary ways to connect your employee data. For UKG Ready, the API integration is the standard, recommended approach. The table below briefly outlines both options to help with decision-making:
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 |
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 UKG Ready 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
Ensure that you have access to the following accounts when setting up the integration:
Access to your UKG Ready instance
Culture Amp account with Account Administrator or Employee data administrator access.
Important Considerations & Data Limitations
Important Considerations & Data Limitations
Manager Hierarchy Logic: UKG Ready allows multiple managers/advocates to be assigned to a single employee. The integration is designed to pull the first manager listed in the UKG Ready "Managers" section. To ensure your hierarchy is accurate in Culture Amp, verify that the primary supervisor is the first entry in the UKG manager array.
Cost Center (Department) Names: Due to API limitations, organizational groupings like Cost Centers may sync as codes rather than text names (e.g., "100-2" instead of "Sales"). If you require full text names, you may need to manage these demographics via a manual user import.
Exclusion Field Setup: UKG Ready does not have a native "Exclude" toggle. To exclude users, you must manually create a field in HR Custom Fields titled exactly
Exclude from Culture Amp.Modular Data Permissions: UKG Ready data is split across different modules (Demographics, HR Custom Fields, etc.). If certain fields (like Date of Birth) appear blank while others sync correctly, it is almost always due to the API Service User lacking "View" permissions for that specific sub-module.
Initial Setup Timeframe: Due to the requirement for custom security profiles and potential field mapping overrides, the integration setup typically takes 2-4 weeks. We recommend involving your technical UKG administrator early in the process.
Terminology Breakdown
Terminology Breakdown
When working with your technical UKG Ready administrator, these terms may be helpful for clarifying your data structure:
Term | Also Known As | Definition & Example |
Employee Profile | Member Record | The central container for all worker data. In UKG Ready, this is split into sub-tabs like "Demographics" and "HR Custom Fields." |
Manager Array | Manager List | UKG Ready allows multiple people to be listed in the "Managers" section (e.g., a primary Manager and an Advocate). Note: The integration syncs the first person listed in this array as the manager in Culture Amp. |
Cost Centers | Departments / Business Units | The primary organizational groupings used in UKG. These are imported as Organizational Demographics to help you filter survey results. |
HR Custom Fields | Extra Information | A specific section for user-defined data. This is where you must create the "Exclude from Culture Amp" field for the sync workaround. |
Required Permissions & Rationale
Required Permissions & Rationale
UKG Ready is highly permission-sensitive. Even if the integration is "Connected," specific fields will return blank if these sub-permissions aren't granted to the API Service User.
Permission/Role | Needed in UKG Ready | Rationale (Data it unlocks in Culture Amp) |
API Service User | Web Services Admin | Required to establish the initial secure handshake between UKG and Culture Amp. |
Employee Profile |
| Unlocks the "Anchor" data: Name, Work Email, Employee ID, and Hire Date. |
Demographics |
| Unlocks "Personal" data: Date of Birth and Preferred Name. |
HR Custom Fields |
| Required for the Exclusion Toggle workaround and any custom demographics. |
Cost Centers |
| Unlocks Organizational Demographics like Department or Location. |
Step 1: Connect & Authenticate Your UKG Ready Account
Sign in to Culture Amp with an account that has Account Administrator or Employee data administrator access.
Navigate to your Settings > Account > Integrations page in the Culture Amp platform.
Select UKG Ready from the list of integrations.
Click Continue setup
Click I am admin to confirm your UKG Ready administrative permissions
You will see CultureAmp’s request to read your UKG Ready employee data. Click Next
Enter your UKG Ready Domain from the URL.
Enter your UKG Ready Company Short Name by following the step-by-step directions given on screen.
Enter your UKG Ready Web API key in this step, following the details given on screen.
Enter the UKG Ready API User credentials
🔑 Locate Your UKG Ready Credentials & API Key
🔑 Locate Your UKG Ready Credentials & API Key
To authenticate your UKG Ready account, you will need to provide the following information:
Domain
Company Short Name
API Key
User ID
Password
Note: The steps below are sourced from Merge, our integration partner. We recommend checking their official guide for the most current instructions: Merge UKG Ready Account Linking Guide
Prerequisites:
Please ensure you fulfill all the requirements to set up the integration:
You are an Administrator in your company's UKG Ready instance, or someone has shared their access with you.
Instructions:
Step 1: Enter your Domain in the linking flow
For example, if you sign in at "acme.com/ta/Default.login", enter "acme.com"
Step 2: Find your Company Short Name
1. Log into your UKG Ready account and open the menu in the upper left. Then, go to your settings icon and click on Global Setup, followed by Company Setup
2. Open Company Info
3. Scroll down to find Company Short Name under Company Address. Copy your Company Short Name
4. Paste your Company Short Name in the linking flow and click Submit
Step 3: Find your API Key
1. In your Company Setup page, go to Login Config
2. Scroll to find API Keys and click the eye icon to reveal the key. Copy the API Key and store it in a secure place
If there is no key, you can click GENERATE to create one. If there are existing integrations using this key, DO NOT click generate
3. Paste your API Key in the linking flow and press Submit
Step 4: Create a security profile
1. In your menu on the left, go to Settings, Profiles/Policies, and then Security. Click NEW SECURITY PROFILE on the upper right-hand side
2. In this profile, we want to ensure all relevant permissions are enabled for the following endpoints.
Note that these permissions may be different based on your specific use case.
In your HR Tab:
Find Employee Management, Base Compensation. Select View from the drop-down menu.
Find Benefit Management (Plans). Select View.
Find Cost Centers. Select View.
Find Total Compensation. Select View.
Find HR Custom Values. Select View.
Under Leave of Absence Management near the bottom, select Manage Requests (if applicable)
In your Modules tab (if applicable):
Scroll to Rest API Resources. Select:
Employee Demographics
Employee HR Custom Fields
Employee Profiles
Employee Pay Information
Employees
Employees (Changed)
Employees (me)
In your Global tab (if applicable):
In Global Setup, find Company EINs, Cost Center Definitions and Leave of Absence Custom Fields Definitions. Select View for them
In Object Lists, find Company EINs, Cost Centers, Leave of Absence Categories, and Pay Period Profile and select View for all
In your Payroll tab (if applicable):Find the Payroll section. Click Create/Edit Payroll and View/Edit/Add next to payroll adjustment
Select Payroll Prep Process
Step 5: Create your service account
1. From Settings > Global Setup > Company Setup, go to Edit Tabs
2. From the Available Windows box on the right side of the screen, scroll down to Service Accounts. Drag it to the Top section in the middle. Click Save
3. Click Add Service Account. To create a new account, enter the username and password you chose. Then, enter the Security Profile you created. Click the magnifying glass for Account Groups and select All Company Employees
Step 6: Add your service account to the linking flow
Type in your service account User ID and Password to complete the linking flow.
Step 2: Setting Up Demographic Field Mapping
Once you have authenticated with UKG Ready, 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 UKG Ready administrator. The following fields will sync automatically from UKG Ready to Culture Amp.
Note: While the "Typical UKG Ready UI Label" shows the common reference field in UKG Ready, exact UI labels and underlying field names may vary by tenant and configuration.
Typical UKG Ready UI Label | Primary UKG Ready API Endpoint (Data Location) | Culture Amp Field (The Destination) |
Work Email |
| Email (Unique Identifier) |
Employee ID |
| Employee ID (Unique Identifier) |
Full Name |
| Name |
Preferred Name |
| Preferred Name |
Date of Birth |
| Date of Birth |
Hire Date |
| Start Date |
Termination Date |
| End Date |
Managers (Work Email of referenced Manager/Primary entry in Manager Array) |
| Manager Email (Hierarchy demographic) |
Custom Demographic: Manual Mapping
Custom Demographic: Manual Mapping
If you track additional employee data in UKG Ready 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 UKG Ready
Select the matching UKG Ready 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’re unable to find a demographic to map, even though you’re sure it’s an employee-defined field, it may be because view access to HR Custom Fields hasn’t been granted in UKG Ready. Refer to the Troubleshooting section for full steps.
Note: Not all UKG Ready fields can be synced due to API limitations (e.g., Cost Center endpoint). If you're unable to sync a desired demographic, you may need to:
Map an alternate custom field that contains similar data.
Manage the demographic directly in Culture Amp via manual imports.
Excluding Employees (Optional)
Excluding Employees (Optional)
You can configure your integration to exclude certain employees when importing data via UKG Ready.
Step 1: Create the Exclusion Field in UKG Ready
You must create a specific type of custom field for the integration to recognize it. In the HR Custom Fields section of UKG Ready, create a new field titled "Exclude from Culture Amp" with Yes/No values.
Step 2: Start Mapping
After the basic field mapping has been set up, in Culture Amp, navigate to the Integrations page and click Map fields to begin the workflow.
Step 4: Select the Exclusion Field
Locate the Exclude from Culture Amp target field.
Search for and select the corresponding field you created in UKG Ready (e.g.,
excludeFromCultureAmp).Click Save mappings.
Step 3: Activate Integration
After mapping your fields, click Sync, and the system will run an initial sync to connect your UKG Ready 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 UKG Ready 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.
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 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: If you leave the "Finalise sync" message on the "Data Integrations" page, the autosync feature will not work. You must click the "Finalise sync" button to enable autosync.
Troubleshooting/FAQs
If the fixes below don't resolve your issue, please remember that the high potential for customization in UKG Ready 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.
UKG Ready: Integration Specific Errors
UKG Ready: Integration Specific Errors
Issue | Cause | Suggested Fix |
Terminated Employees Still Showing as "Active" | The employee was removed from the active employee list or deactivated without a populated Termination Date. | Immediate Fix: Re-add the user to the UKG Ready 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:
|
Wrong Manager syncing for employees | UKG Ready allows multiple managers/advocate. The sync automatically pulls the first person listed in the "Managers" tab. | Action: In UKG Ready, go to the employee's Managers tab and ensure the primary supervisor is the first entry in the list. |
Custom Field missing from Mapping dropdown | The API Service User does not have "View" permissions for the HR Custom Fields module in UKG Ready. | Action: Update the Security Profile assigned to your Culture Amp Service Account.
|
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 UKG Ready 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 UKG Ready, 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 UKG Ready.
|
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.