Overview
Understanding how employee data updates affect your Organization Structure (Org Structure) is crucial for managing your team effectively. At Culture Amp, we believe in making it easy to create and manage your Org Structure while ensuring that significant changes are made deliberately and cautiously. This includes receiving warning messages before making any major changes. This guide walks you through how importing or editing employee data impacts your Org Structure, helping you manage these changes effectively.
Your Organization Structure
Org Structure is linked to Goals (new). To see your current Org Structure, go to Settings and select Organization Structure under the Account menu. For instructions on building your structure, refer to our Organization Structure support guide.
🔑 Glossary
Imports: Bulk data coming from an external source, like SFTP, HRIS, or manual imports.
Demographic: A category or column name in an import file. It holds a group of values that belong together. For example, "Department".
Demographic Value: An entry in a column of an import. On the Culture Amp Account demographics page, we refer to Demographic Values as Demographic Options. For example, "Customer Success".
Organization Structure (Org Structure): The overall demographic level layout of your organization on the Organization Structure page. This structure helps classify and align goals (new) across different demographic groups.
Organizational Unit Type (Org Unit Type): Named after the selected demographic (e.g., Department), this represents a demographic in your Org Structure. It can appear multiple times in the Org Structure but only once in any branch.
Organizational Units (Org Units): These are demographic values in your Org Structure. They appear in the Org Structure only if there are matching employees. They are named after the demographic values of the selected demographic (e.g., Customer Success).
Managing employee data updates in your org structure
This section will help you understand how changes to your employee data—whether through user imports or updates on the Account Demographics page—affect both your Users page and your Org Structure.
Summary of Behaviors
Action | Platform User Page Behavior | Org Structure Behavior |
Data Imports/Syncs |
|
|
Importing data - new demographic values | The new demographic value will be added to the assigned users when a new value is provided. | If the demographic is in the Org Structure (as an Org Unit Type), then new Org Units will be created. |
Importing data - demographic (e.g., Department) left out of employee data file | Nothing changes. | Nothing changes. |
Importing data - demographic value unassigned from all employees | The Users page will unassign all employees from the demographic value. | Your Org Structure will remove employees from an Org Unit and its sub-units, but the structure remains unchanged. Org Units with zero members will be hidden but still exist in the Org Structure. |
Account Demographics Page Updates |
|
|
Admin deletes the demographic (e.g., Department) | The demographic is hidden from the Account Demographics page. | Org Structure does not react to this event as no employees have been unassigned from demographic values (e.g., Customer Success). This demographic can no longer be added to the Org Structure. |
Admin deletes the demographic (e.g., Department) AND creates the same demographic name | The Account demographics page creates a new demographic with the same name. | Org Structure treats this as a new demographic with new demographic values. The original Org Unit Type (e.g., Department) and Org Units (e.g., Customer Success) will no longer be updated. |
Admin renames a demographic (e.g., Department to Team) | The demographic name is updated on the Account demographics page. | Org Structure will change the Org Unit Type name. |
Admin deletes a demographic value (e.g., Customer Success) | Employees will be unassigned from the demographic value. | Org Structure will unassign all employees from Org Units (e.g., Customer Success) and delete Org Units matching the demographic value. |
Admin changes the value of a demographic value (e.g., Customer Success to Customer Group) | The name updates on the Account demographics page. | Org Structure will change the name of Org Units based on the updated demographic value. |
Refer to the detailed guidance below on effectively managing employee data updates within your Org Structure.
Creating a New Org Unit/Demographic Value
Creating a New Org Unit/Demographic Value
To create a new demographic value in your employee data:
Update Employee Data File: Change the demographic value in your employee data file. For example, update "HR" to "Human Resources" for all relevant employees.
Import Updated File:
Go to Settings > Users in Culture Amp.
Select Import Users.
When you upload the file, the platform treats "Human Resources" as a new, separate demographic value. If the overall demographic is in the OrgStructure (as an OrgUnitType e.g., Department), it creates a new Org Unit (e.g., Human Resources) in your Organization Structure.
Updating an Existing Org Unit/Demographic Value
Updating an Existing Org Unit/Demographic Value
To update an existing demographic value:
Access Account demographics:
Go to Settings in Culture Amp.
Select Account demographics.
Edit Demographic:
Click the pencil icon next to the demographic you want to edit, such as "Department."
In the pop-up, go to the Demographic Options tab.
Change the demographic value, for example, "HR" to "Human Resources."
Click Update to save.
This update affects all connected parts of the platform, including the Org Structure, and updates any associated role permissions. Your Org Structure will change the name of Org Units based on the updated demographic value. Ensure future imports match this new demographic value.
Deleting an Org Unit/Demographic Value
Deleting an Org Unit/Demographic Value
An Account Admin can delete demographic values:
Access Account demographics:
Go to Settings in Culture Amp.
Select Account demographics.
Delete Demographic:
Click the pencil icon next to the demographic you want to edit, such as "Team."
In the pop-up, go to the Demographic Options tab.
Click the trash can icon next to the value you want to delete, like "Engineering."
Click Update to save.
After deleting a demographic value, it will no longer be available in your Org Structure or tied to any role permissions. Note that demographic values cannot be deleted through an employee data import.
Reinstating a Deleted Demographic Value
Reinstating a Deleted Demographic Value
If you have deleted a demographic value, the employees would be removed from that Org Unit in your Org Structure however the structure would remain in place. To reinstate a deleted demographic value:
Update Employee Data File:
In your employee data file, find the relevant demographic, such as "Department."
Update the relevant employees back to the demographic value, for example, "Human Resources."
Import Updated File:
This will restore any associated settings including role permissions.
Merging Teams Into an Existing Team
Merging Teams Into an Existing Team
To merge two teams into one existing team:
Option 1: Update Individually in Platform
Go to Settings > Users.
Click each user profile.
Change the "Team" demographic to the new team.
Save to update.
Repeat for each user.
Option 2: Update in Employee Data File
In your employee data file, update the demographic values for each team member moving to the new team
Save and import the updated file.
Merging Teams Into a New Team
Merging Teams Into a New Team
To merge two teams into a new team there are two options:
Option 1:
Update Employee Data File:
In your employee data file, update the demographic values for each team member to the new team, such as "Business Operations."
Import Updated File:
Save and import the updated file.
Option 2:
Go to Settings in Culture Amp.
Select Account demographics.
Edit Demographic:
Click the pencil icon next to the demographic you want to edit, such as "Team."
In the pop-up, go to the Demographic Options tab.
Change the demographic value, for example, "Sales Operations" to "Business Operations."
Click Update to save.
Recovering a Deleted Org Unit Type
Recovering a Deleted Org Unit Type
When you delete an Org Unit Type from your Organization Structure page, it removes all levels, including the overall Org Unit Type.
To recover:
Reply with "Ask a Person" in a Support Conversation to speak with a Product Support Specialist.
Submit a request for the agent to "undelete" the Org Unit Type and its associated Org Units.
By understanding how demographic updates impact your Org Structure, you can ensure that your team information remains accurate and up-to-date and any aligned goals and permissions remain in tact.
Key resources
Admin:
Goals (new) migration information: Discover details about the key migration information for Goals (new), including key dates, feature comparisons with Goals (classic), and FAQs.
Organization structure: Learn how to add your organizational structure to Culture Amp using employee demographics.
Goals (new) employee usage report: Get an overview of goals across your organization with the Employee Usage Report.
📹 Launch goals (new): Review the video course for information on setting up your org structure, goal permissions, rollout tips, and communication templates for managing the transition.
Employee:
Getting started with goals (new): Ensure your employees are set up for success with our Goals (new) support guide, covering everything they need to know about accessing, creating, managing, and tracking goals efficiently.
📹 Set performance goals: for employees - (new): Use our video training to learn how to create and manage SMART goals to support your performance.
📹 Leverage goals with your direct reports: for managers (new): Learn how to support your direct reports' performance and development through our goal-setting training video.
💬 Need help? Just reply with "Ask a Person" in a Support Conversation to speak with a Product Support Specialist.