Compensation Management Import & Export Guide

Master efficient data management through CSV import and export capabilities. Learn how to migrate existing compensation data, perform bulk updates via spreadsheet, and maintain data integrity while leveraging approval workflows for imported changes.

Who this is for: HR Administrators and Business Administrators managing compensation data at scale
Time needed: 15 minutes to learn, 10-45 minutes per import/export operation
Prerequisites: Compensation Management enabled, understanding of CSV file formats

🎯 What You’ll Learn

• How to export compensation data for analysis and backup
• CSV file format requirements and template structure
• Step-by-step import process with validation and approval
• Error handling and troubleshooting import issues
• Best practices for large-scale data operations

📋 Before You Start

Required Access:

• Business Administrator or HR Administrator role
• Import/Export permissions enabled
• Understanding of your data structure and requirements

What You’ll Need:

• Spreadsheet application (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.)
• Clean, formatted compensation data (for imports)
• Understanding of employee identifiers in your system
• Backup of current data before major imports

Important Considerations:

• Test imports with small datasets first
• Verify data accuracy before processing
• Plan for approval workflows and timing
• Communicate changes to affected stakeholders

📤 Exporting Compensation Data

Export Access and Options

Navigation Path:

1. Navigate to Admin → Compensation Management
2. Click More Actions dropdown in the top toolbar
3. Select Export to CSV option
4. File downloads automatically to your browser’s download folder

Export Scope:

• All Employees: Complete compensation dataset for your organization
• Filtered Data: Applies current filters and search criteria
• Current View: Exports visible employee list with applied sorting

Export File Structure

Standard CSV Format:

Employee ID,First Name,Last Name,Email,Job Title,Compensation Type,Annual Salary,Hourly Rate,Pay Frequency,Currency,Effective Date,Notes,Created At,Updated At
EMP001,John,Doe,john.doe@company.com,Software Engineer,salary,75000.00,,bi-weekly,USD,2024-01-01,Initial setup,2024-01-01 09:00:00,2024-01-01 09:00:00
EMP002,Jane,Smith,jane.smith@company.com,Designer,hourly,,35.00,bi-weekly,USD,2024-01-15,Market adjustment,2024-01-15 14:30:00,2024-01-15 14:30:00

Field Definitions:

• Employee ID: Unique identifier (userid or database ID)
• Basic Info: Name, email, job title for reference
• Compensation Data: Type, amounts, frequency, currency
• Metadata: Effective dates, notes, timestamps

Export Use Cases

Data Analysis:

• Compensation benchmarking and market analysis
• Budget planning and forecasting
• Pay equity analysis and reporting
• Performance correlation analysis

Backup and Archive:

• Pre-import data backup
• Monthly/quarterly data snapshots
• Audit trail documentation
• Compliance record keeping

Integration with Other Systems:

• Payroll system data preparation
• HRIS synchronization
• Reporting tool data feeds
• Third-party analytics platforms

📥 Importing Compensation Data

Import Process Overview

Navigation Path:

1. Navigate to Admin → Compensation Management
2. Click More Actions dropdown
3. Select Import from CSV
4. Follow the guided import process

Step 1: File Preparation and Validation

CSV Template Requirements:

• Header row must match exact field names (case-sensitive)
• Employee ID column is required and must match existing employees
• At least one compensation field must be provided
• Dates must be in MM/DD/YYYY format
• Numbers should not include currency symbols or commas

Required Columns:

Employee ID,Compensation Type,Annual Salary,Hourly Rate,Pay Frequency,Currency,Effective Date,Notes

Data Validation Rules:

• Employee ID: Must exist in the system
• Compensation Type: Must be: salary, hourly, commission, or contract
• Annual Salary: Required for salary employees, numeric only
• Hourly Rate: Required for hourly employees, numeric only
• Pay Frequency: Must be valid option (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.)
• Effective Date: Cannot be more than 30 days in past or 1 year in future
• Currency: Must be supported currency code (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.)

Step 2: File Upload and Initial Validation

Upload Process:

1. Click Choose File button in import interface
2. Select your prepared CSV file
3. System performs initial format validation
4. Review validation results and warnings

Common Validation Errors:

• Missing Columns: Required header columns not found
• Invalid Employee IDs: Employee not found in system
• Data Type Errors: Non-numeric values in salary/rate fields
• Date Format Issues: Incorrect date format or invalid dates
• Currency Errors: Unsupported or invalid currency codes

Validation Success Indicators:

• ✅ File format is valid
• ✅ All required columns present
• ✅ Employee IDs found and validated
• ✅ Data types and formats correct

Step 3: Import Configuration

Approval Mode Selection:

Admin Override:

• Changes applied immediately without additional approval
• Use for emergency fixes or trusted data sources
• Requires highest administrative permissions
• Complete audit trail maintained

Auto-Approve Eligible Changes:

• Small changes under threshold get auto-approved
• Larger changes routed through normal approval workflow
• Efficient for mixed datasets with various change sizes
• Balances speed with control

Require Approval for All Changes:

• Every change requires explicit approval
• Maximum control and oversight
• Best for sensitive or large-scale changes
• Slower processing but highest security

Additional Options:

• Effective Date Override: Apply custom effective date to all changes
• Change Reason: Default reason for all imported changes
• Duplicate Handling: Skip or overwrite existing pending changes

Step 4: Processing and Approval

Import Processing Flow:

Result Tracking:

• Successfully Imported: Count of records processed without errors
• Auto-Approved: Changes applied immediately under thresholds
• Pending Approval: Changes requiring manual approval
• Errors: Records that failed validation or processing

🔧 Advanced Import Features

Incremental Updates

Updating Existing Records:

• Import only changes salary/hourly rate fields that have values
• Empty fields in CSV are ignored (existing values preserved)
• Effective for partial updates and corrections
• Maintains data integrity for unchanged fields

Example Incremental Update:

Employee ID,Annual Salary,Effective Date,Notes
EMP001,78000.00,2024-03-01,Merit increase
EMP002,,2024-03-01,No change - rate stays same
EMP003,82000.00,2024-03-01,Promotion adjustment

Batch Processing with Approval Groups

Grouping Related Changes:

• Import creates logical groups of related changes
• Managers can approve entire departments at once
• Efficient processing for large organizational changes
• Maintains consistency across related employees

Approval Batching Example:

• Engineering Department: 15 employees, single approval request
• Sales Team: 8 employees, manager approval required
• Executive Level: 3 employees, senior admin approval

Error Handling and Recovery

Partial Import Success:

• System processes valid records even if some fail
• Detailed error report shows failed records and reasons
• Option to fix errors and re-import failed records only
• No impact on successfully processed records

Common Error Scenarios:

Data Quality Issues:

Employee ID,Annual Salary,Notes
INVALID_ID,75000.00,Employee not found - SKIP
EMP002,INVALID_AMOUNT,Non-numeric salary - SKIP  
EMP003,75000.00,Valid record - PROCESS

Resolution Process:

1. Review error report and identify issues
2. Correct data in original CSV file
3. Re-import with corrected data
4. Validate all records process successfully

📊 Monitoring Import Operations

Real-Time Processing Status

Progress Tracking:

• Live progress bar during file processing
• Current record count and processing rate
• Estimated time remaining for completion
• Error count and validation status

Status Dashboard:

Post-Import Reporting

Import Summary Report:

• Total records in file vs. successfully processed
• Breakdown by approval status and processing method
• List of errors with specific reasons and record details
• Timeline and duration of import operation

Data Impact Analysis:

• Before/after compensation statistics
• Budget impact of imported changes
• Distribution changes and equity analysis
• Affected employee count by department

💡 Best Practices

File Preparation

Data Quality Standards:

• Clean and validate data before import
• Use consistent formatting for all records
• Remove special characters and formatting from numeric fields
• Verify employee IDs match system records exactly

Template Management:

• Download current export as template for new imports
• Maintain standard template with proper headers
• Document any custom fields or requirements
• Version control for template updates

Testing and Validation

Staged Implementation:

1. Test Import: Use 2-3 records to validate process
2. Department Pilot: Import single department first
3. Full Rollout: Process complete dataset after validation
4. Verification: Audit sample records for accuracy

Pre-Import Checklist:

• Backup current compensation data
• Validate CSV format and required fields
• Test with small subset of data
• Verify approval workflow configuration
• Communicate timeline to stakeholders

Security and Compliance

Data Protection:

• Secure handling of compensation files
• Delete import files after processing
• Restrict access to import functionality
• Maintain audit trail for all operations

Approval Controls:

• Use appropriate approval modes for change sensitivity
• Ensure manager approval for team changes
• Require senior approval for large-scale adjustments
• Document approval rationale and decisions

❓ Troubleshooting Import Issues

File Format Problems

Issue: CSV file not recognized or format errors
Solutions:

• Verify file saved as CSV (not Excel or other format)
• Check header row matches required field names exactly
• Ensure no hidden characters or special encoding
• Remove any empty rows at end of file

Data Validation Failures

Issue: Employee IDs not found or invalid data
Solutions:

• Verify employee IDs match system records (userid or database ID)
• Check for extra spaces or characters in ID fields
• Ensure numeric fields contain only numbers (no $ or commas)
• Validate date formats are MM/DD/YYYY

Processing and Approval Issues

Issue: Approved changes not being applied
Solutions:

• Check approval workflow configuration
• Verify effective dates are valid
• Ensure no conflicting pending changes exist
• Review user permissions for affected employees

Performance and Timeout Issues

Issue: Large imports failing or timing out
Solutions:

• Break large files into smaller batches (recommended: 500 records max)
• Process during off-peak hours
• Contact system administrator for assistance
• Consider using bulk operations for very large changes

📚 Related Resources

• Bulk Operations Guide: Alternative method for mass changes
• Individual Employee Guide: Understanding single record management
• Approval Workflows Guide: Managing approval processes
• Quick Reference Guide: Field definitions and shortcuts

Import and export capabilities provide powerful tools for efficient compensation data management. Following these guidelines ensures successful operations while maintaining data integrity and compliance.