HR import CSV site settings
  • 03 Nov 2023
  • 9 minutes to read

HR import CSV site settings


Article Summary

This page covers the configuration options for the CSV upload settings on your Totara site. Please see the HR import CSV files available fields page for guidance on the values you can add to your CSV files for HR import. 

File details

You can configure options related to the incoming source data.

SettingDescriptionNotes

CSV file encoding

This option allows you to select the encoding for the CSV file. The default is 'UTF-8' but this can be changed.  

Source file encoding will be converted to the target database encoding, providing the correct encoding for the source that has been chosen for this setting.

Delimiter

This field allows you to select the delimiter used in the CSV file. Options include:

  • Comma (,)
  • Semicolon (;\)
  • Colon (:\)
  • Tab (\t)
  • Pipe (|)

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Fields to import

Decide which fields you would like to import. The fields available in this section vary depending on the element. 

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Field mappings

Allows you to enter the column title for each field if these vary from the default. The fields available in this section vary depending on the element.

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Fields to import 

All sources include the Fields to import section. For each element, there are mandatory default fields that need to be included and there are additional optional fields that can be imported. Tick the checkbox next to each field that will be included in the source.

Custom fields in hierarchies can have matching short names if they are defined within different hierarchy types. This means that when you import custom fields for positions, organisations and competencies, you might have a heading in the CSV file which corresponds to two different custom fields.

Competency

There are a number of both mandatory and optional fields for the Competency source.

Competency type custom fields can also be included in the Competency source. These are displayed by the custom field name with the competency type in parentheses. For example 'Example date time (Analytical)' or 'Example location (Strategic)'.
FieldDescriptionNotes

idnumber

This is the competency item ID number.

Mandatory field.

fullname

The full name of the competency item.

Mandatory field.

timemodified

A Unix timestamp that confirms the last time the competency details were changed.

Mandatory field.

If you want records to be updated every time an import is performed and not take the Unix timestamp value into account, you can specify a value of zero (0) for this field. This will effectively force HR Import to import the data every time and ignore changes in Unix timestamp values.

deleted

This is required if Source contains all records is set to No. In your source, specify the value 1 if the competency is to be deleted or the value 0 to create or update the competency.

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frameworkidnumber

The ID number of the competency framework in which the competency items should sit.

Mandatory field.

aggregationmethod

The aggregation method that will be applied to this competency item. 

  • Specify the value 1 is the All option is required
  • Specify the value 2 is the Any option is required
  • Specify the value 3 is the Off option is required

Mandatory field.

shortname

The competency item short name.

Optional field.

description

The competency item description.

Optional field.

parentidnumber

The ID number of the competency item's parent item.

Optional field.

typeidnumber

The ID number of any competency types you may have created. Note that only one type per item may be specified.

Optional field.

Job assignment

If you don't update the CSV with a different timemodified value (e.g. you leave the last entry unchanged) within the job assignment source and a user's job assignment is edited manually, their job assignment will not be overwritten on any following HR Import run. This behaviour differs from the other import sources.

There are a number of both mandatory and optional fields for the Job assignment source.

FieldDescriptionNotes

idnumber

This is the job assignment's ID number.

Mandatory field.

useridnumber

This is the ID number for the user.

Mandatory field.

timemodified

A Unix timestamp that confirms the last time a user's details were changed.

Mandatory field.

If you want records to be updated every time an import is performed and not take the Unix timestamp value into account, you can specify a value of zero (0) for this field. This will effectively force HR Import to import the data every time and ignore changes in Unix timestamp values.

deleted

This is required if Source contains all records is set to No. In your source, specify the value 1 if a job assignment is to be deleted or the value 0 to create or update the job assignment.

-

fullname

The full name of the job assignment.

-

startdate

The date the job assignment starts.

Optional field.

enddate

The date the job assignment ends.

Optional field.

orgidnumber

The organisation ID number.

Optional field.

posidnumber

This position ID number.

Optional field.

manageridnumber

The ID number for the user that will be assigned as manager.

When making a user a manager of another user, the manager user is assigned Staff Manager role permissions and will have the capability to manage their team members.

managerjobassignmentidnumber

The ID number for the specific job assignment involved in the manager relationship.

This field is mandatory if manageridnumber is set to on and updateidnumbers is off (i.e. you're using more than just the first jobs).

appraiseridnumber

The ID number for the user that will be assigned as an appraiser.

Optional field.

Organisation

There are a number of both mandatory and optional fields for the Organisation source.

FieldDescriptionNotes

idnumber

A unique identifier must be specified for each record being imported.

Mandatory field.

fullname

The full name of the organisation item being imported e.g. 'Head Office'.

Mandatory field.

frameworkidnumber

The ID number of the framework the organisation items are being imported to.

Mandatory field.

You need to create your organisation framework and specify an ID number before importing. If not, HR import will not know where to import the organisation data to and this will result in an error during import.

timemodified

A Unix timestamp that confirms the last time a user's details were changed.

Mandatory field.

If you want records to be updated every time an import is performed and not take the Unix timestamp value into account, you can specify a value of zero (0) for this field. This will effectively force HR import to import the data every time and ignore changes in Unix timestamp values.

deleted

If Source contains all records is set to No, the deleted flag must be provided. In your source, specify the value 1 if a user is to be deleted or the value 0 to create or update the user. 

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shortname

The position short name.

Optional field. Must have Display hierarchy shortnames enabled in Configure features

description

The position description.

Optional field.

parentidnumber

The ID number of the position's parent item. This is useful if you want to create sub-items, or children, of a position.

Optional field.

typeidnumber

The ID number of any position types you may have created. Note that only one type per item may be specified.

Optional field.

Position

There are a number of both mandatory and optional fields for the Position source.

FieldDescriptionNotes

idnumber

A unique identifier must be specified for each record being imported.

Mandatory field.

fullname

The full name of the position item being imported e.g. 'CEO'.

Mandatory field.

frameworkidnumber

The ID number of the framework the position items are being imported to.

Mandatory field.

You need to create your position framework and specify an ID number before importing. If not, HR import will not know where to import the position data to and this will result in an error during import.

timemodified

A Unix timestamp that confirms the last time a user's details were changed.

Mandatory field.

If you want records to be updated every time an import is performed and not take the Unix timestamp value into account, you can specify a value of zero (0) for this field. This will effectively force HR import to import the data every time and ignore changes in Unix timestamp values.

deleted

If Source contains all records is set to No, the deleted flag must be provided. In your source, specify the value 1 if a position is to be deleted or the value 0 to create or update the position. 

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shortname

The position short name.

Optional field. Must have Display hierarchy shortnames enabled in Configure features

description

The position description.

Optional field.

parentidnumber

The ID number of the position's parent item. This is useful if you want to create sub-items, or children, of a position.

Optional field.

typeidnumber

The ID number of any position types you may have created. Note that only one type per item may be specified.

Optional field.

User

There are a number of both mandatory and optional fields for the User source. 

Any custom user profile fields created will also be available.
FieldDescriptionNotes

idnumber

A unique identifier must be specified for each record being imported. It will not be possible to import data for users who have been added manually and have not been assigned an ID number.

By assigning these manually added users with an ID number it will then make it possible to sync their data by including them in the CSV sync file. You will also need to tick the HR import checkbox within a user's profile to allow them to be updated in the sync/import process.

Mandatory field.

This checkbox will only become visible in a user's profile once you've enabled/clicked the eye-icon for the User import option in HR import > Elements> Manage Elements.

timemodified

A Unix timestamp that confirms the last time a user's details were changed.

Mandatory field.

If you want records to be updated every time an import is performed and not take the Unix timestamp value into account, you can specify a zero (0) value for this field. This will effectively force HR import to import the data every time and ignore changes in Unix timestamp values.

username

The username of the user being imported.

Mandatory field.

deleted

If Source contains all records is set to No, the deleted flag must be provided. In your source, specify the value 1 if a user is to be deleted or the value 0 to create or update the user. 

-

firstname

The first name of the user who is being imported.

Mandatory field.

lastname

The last name of the user who is being imported.

Mandatory field.

email

The email address of the user who is being imported.

Mandatory field.

password

A new or replacement password.

When users are created using the CSV import process and the password column is not included (or the password column is included and fields are left empty), a random password will be generated and will be sent to users in a welcome email. The user will then be required to change this password the first time they log in.

firstnamephonetic

The phonetic spelling of the user's first name.

Optional field.

lastnamephonetic

The phonetic spelling of the user's last name.

Optional field.

middlename

The middle name(s) of the user being imported.

Optional field.

alternatename

An alternate name of the user being imported.

Optional field.

emailstop

Disables non-essential system-generated email notifications.

Use 1 to disable and 0 to leave active. 

Optional field.

city

The city or town of the user being imported.

Optional field.

country

The country of the user being imported.

Optional field.

timezone

The timezone of the user being imported.

Optional field.

lang

The preferred language of the user being imported.

Optional field.

description

The description of the user being imported.

Optional field.

url

The web page address of the user being imported.

Optional field.

institution

The institution of the user being imported.

Optional field.

department

The department of the user who is being imported.

Optional field.

phone1

The phone number of the user who is being imported.

Optional field.

phone2

The mobile phone number of the user who is being imported.

Optional field.

address

The address of the user being imported.

Optional field.

auth

The authentication method of the user being imported.

Optional field.
If you have set up a different authentication system such as LDAP this will be different and you'll need to include the auth column in the CSV.

suspended

Whether the user's account should be suspended. In your source, specify the value 1 if a user's account should be suspended or the value 0 to leave the user's account active.

Optional field.

tenantmember

The ID number of the tenant the user should be a member of.

Optional field.

tenantparticipant

The ID number of the tenant the user should be a participant in.

Optional field.

Field mappings 

The Field mappings section allows you to enter the column title for each field to match the names of the columns that are being imported to the HR import field names from your HR system.

Field mapping is useful if the system you are connecting to, or the system exporting the source data files, does not match the HR import field. Adding in mapping will let HR import know what to look for in terms of fields and column names.

Competency field mappings for competency type custom fields display as 'type shortname and competency type ID number'. For example: checkbox2(002) or datetime1(001). 

C001 - Creating usersThe Totara Academy has a whole course dedicated to Creating users in Totara. Here you can learn more on how to add users, manage their data, see best practice, and give it a go yourself.

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