Import employee details

Use a template to import multiple new employees or to update details of existing employees in Sage HR.

Janice Bell avatar
Written by Janice Bell
Updated over a week ago

Once you have downloaded and completed your import template, you can import this data into Sage HR.

⚠️CAUTION: If you're using the Import template to update details of employees that already exist in Sage HR, the email address must match. If it doesn't, a new duplicate employee profile will be created.

📎NOTE: Sage HR integrated with Sage 50 Payroll only

If you add employees this way, they won't be linked to a record in payroll until they're added to Sage 50 Payroll and their payslips are uploaded for the first time

If you're using the template to update employee details, this won't work for their name or email address.


Step 1 - Download and complete import template

If you haven't already, download and complete your import template. This is what you need to complete the next step.


Step 2 - Select Import file to import

When your import file is ready, you can import it.

  1. On the main menu, click Company, then click Directory, then click Import.


  2. Click Select file and locate and select your Excel import file, then click Open.


    📎NOTE: If you have the Leave Management module, you also have an option at this point to assign all employees listed in the import file to the relevant time off policies.

  3. Once done, click Import.


  4. Allow time for your employee details to show in Sage HR.

📎NOTE: Employees aren’t invited at this stage. You only send out welcome emails to your employees once you have set everything up.


Step 3 - Check your imported data

After the import is complete, you need to check the details you've imported are correct.

  1. On the main menu, click Reports, then Employee Data.

  2. Click Custom reports, then click New.

  3. In the title enter Employee data.


  4. Select the fields to include in this report.

  5. Scroll down and click Save.

  6. Check the details of your employees are correct.

⚠️CAUTION: The email address must be correct, otherwise the employee can't log in.


Step 4 - Correct any mistakes

If you spot a mistake or spelling mistake, you should correct it at this stage:

  1. Click the first name of the relevant employee.

  2. Correct the relevant information in their profile then, click Save.


Next steps

Finish setting up the employee

If you've already set up your company, you should finish setting up the employee for anything that wasn't included in the import template.

Send welcome email to employee(s)

When the employee is fully set up in Sage HR, send them their welcome email to set up their access to Sage HR.

📎NOTE: If you use Sage HR integrated with Sage 50 Payroll, imported employees will have a 'Missing payroll information' message under their name in the company directory, and 'We can't find [employee name] in Sage 50 Payroll' in their profile.

These messages disappear after they're added to Sage 50 Payroll, and their payslips are uploaded to link their Sage HR and Sage 50 Payroll records together.

If the employee doesn't need to be in payroll, you can select the This employee doesn't need to be in Sage 50 Payroll option on their profile.


Return to Set up Sage HR

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