Onboard a full team — or your entire workforce — in just a few minutes using a pre-formatted Excel file. Perfect for the initial Illizeo rollout, migration from your previous HRIS, or bringing on a new team in bulk.
Before you start #
Bulk import is designed to add or update multiple employees in a single operation from an Excel or CSV file. Depending on your needs, Illizeo supports several import types:
- Basic Import — quickly create employees with only the essentials (ID, name, email)
- Full Import — create employees with all their sections (personal info, job, dependents, addresses, contacts, bank, insurances, etc.)
- Custom section imports — import data into your tailor-made sections (Custom Sections)
- Balance imports — salary history, absence balances, attendance periods, bonuses
- Document imports — bulk document library and profile pictures
employeeId you have assigned.Prerequisites #
- You have administrator rights on your Illizeo workspace
- Your file is in .xlsx or .csv format, encoded in UTF-8
- For a basic import, you have at minimum: a unique ID, a first name, a last name
- The file size does not exceed your upload limit (typically 10–50 MB)
Step by step #
Open the import screen #
From the main menu, go to Settings → Imports, or open /import/upload/ after your sub-domain.
Choose the import type #
From the Import type dropdown, pick the scenario that fits your need:
Basic Import— express employee creation (5 columns only)Csf Personal Info,Csf Job Info,Csf DependentSalary upload,Custom Bonus upload,One-time / Recurring compensation uploadAttendance / Absence periods upload,Accrual balance uploadEmployee Documents (Multiupload),upload Profile picture- Your custom sections appear automatically
For this first guide, choose Basic Import.
Download the template file #
Click Download template. Illizeo generates an Excel file with 3 sheets: Basic Import (with 5 dummy rows), Picklists (accepted values), and Guideline (rules to follow).
Fill in the file #
Open in Excel or LibreOffice. Delete the dummy rows and fill in:
| Column (technical key) | Status | Format & rules |
|---|---|---|
Effective Date (effectiveDate) |
Optional | Hire date. Default DD/MM/YYYY in CH/FR. |
Employee ID (employeeId) |
Required | Unique identifier across the organisation. |
First Name (firstName) |
Required | Human characters only (rule PersonName). |
Last Name (lastName) |
Required | Same rules. |
Email (email) |
Optional | Work email. Used for login. |
Status (status) |
Optional | active or inactive. Default active. |
Upload the file #
Drag-and-drop, or click to select. Illizeo analyses it and redirects you to Analyze.
Map the columns (Analyze) #
Mapping is auto-detected via technical keys. If a column is not recognised, you can map it manually, create it as a Custom Field, or mark it Ignore.
Customise the options (Customize) #
- Update existing employees (upsert mode)
- Send welcome email with activation link
- Assign to organisation — Company, Department, Office, Team
- Absence policy default for the batch
- Tracking profile for attendance and remote work
Verify the preview #
The Preview step shows valid rows (green), warnings (orange), and errors (red, skipped).
Run the import (Save) #
Click Import now. Illizeo writes all valid rows, displays a recap (X created, Y updated, Z errors). Welcome emails go out if enabled.
Common errors and fixes #
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| “Email already exists” | Email linked to another employee | Update via employeeId or use a different email |
| “Employee ID duplicated” | Duplicate ID in file or with archived employee | Enable Update option or change ID |
| Corrupted characters | CSV not in UTF-8 | Re-save as .xlsx or CSV UTF-8 with BOM |
| “Invalid date format” | Format ≠ global setting | Check Settings → General → Date format |
| “Validation failed: PersonName” | Non-human characters in name | Clean the file (apostrophes ‘ and dashes – allowed) |
| Upload silently fails | File > server limit (50 MB) | Split into smaller imports |
Going further #
Combine multiple imports #
The basic import only creates accounts. To complete the profile, chain other imports using the assigned employeeId:
Recommended order for bulk onboarding #
- 1. Basic Import (create accounts)
- 2. Csf Personal Info
- 3. Csf Job Info
- 4. Csf Dependent
- 5. Employee bank details
- 6. Employee insurances
- 7. Salary upload
- 8. Multi documents
- 9. Profile picture
Scheduled (recurring) imports #
For high-volume HR, Illizeo can schedule automated imports from SFTP, OneDrive or Google Drive. See Schedule automated imports.
FAQ #
How many employees can I import in a single run?
What happens if a row has an error?
Can I undo an import after the fact?
Are welcome emails sent automatically?
How do I import data not in the template?
Will my employees receive a password by email?
Can I import without using the Illizeo template?
Need help with your first migration? #
Our Premium Consulting team can take care of your initial import: extraction, cleanup, mapping, quality control.
