LearnAlong

How to Import Talent Data into SuccessFactors?

Palak Dwivedi's photo
Palak Dwivedi
·

9 min read

The purpose of this document is to show a user/admin how to import talent information onto SuccessFactors.

There are two transactions needed:

  1. Import/Export Extended User Information
  1. Import/Export Employee Data

They will help us access the key fields for import in the following files:

  1. Personal Information File
  1. Background Information File
  1. Trend Data File

Note before starting the process:

  • It is always recommended to take a backup, which will also serve as our starting point to produce the import templates.
  • This can be achieved by following the instructions in step 1.
  • It is always recommended to incrementally add data while importing instead of overwriting as that can erase all existing data.
  • There might be scenarios in which a full purge type of import needs to be added. See additional information in the addendum of this document.

  • It is recommended to not edit the headers within the templates to avoid any errors as they are linked to the existing Data Model for the import.

  • Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to carry out the process.

  • The fields we are using here might be different to the ones used in your organization.

Follow the steps below for each one of the talent data types:

9-Box Placement

Description: The purpose of this import is to add to the system in mass a 9-box placement (performance vs potential) to the SuccessFactors environment.

Note: In the import file, it is not possible to import “placement” directly, therefore, we must import the combination of performance vs potential. In other words, import scores for performance. Then import scores for potential.

These are stored within the sysOverAllCutom1 standard portlet for performance & sysOverAllPotential standard portlet for potential in the Trend information template.

Steps to take backup:

  • Navigate to Admin Center and search for “Export Extended User Information”.

  • Select “Trend Information” to specify the type of export

  • Click on “Export Extended Data only”.

  • Save the file as a backup.

Steps to import trend information:

  1. Open a blank excel spreadsheet
  1. Copy the headers from the trend for sysOverAllCutom1 and sysOverAllPotential from the backup file you took on the previous step and paste them into the blank spreadsheet.

  1. The working of each field in the template has been discussed below:

    • UserId: This field is the user id of the employees. Notice that for some employees the user id used in CRH Legacy SuccessFactors vs SuccessFactors might be different, so we always need to ensure that the correct one is included in the import file.
      -This is how the system knows to who to assign the data.
  • AssignmentId: should always be populated with the same data as the user id.

  • sysOverAllPotential: This needs to be the same and hence can be copied for all users.

    • Similarly, for the systemOverAllCustom1 field.
  1. Start-date: This signifies the start date of the duration for which the user is being evaluated on.
  1. End-date: Signifies the end date of the duration for which the user is being evaluated on.
  • The date can often be difficult to import hence ensure that the date format is MM/DD/YYYY.
  1. Name: required on the template but leave it blank.
  1. Description: required on the template but leave it blank.

  1. : This signifies the overall performance rating and stores a numerical data type corresponding to the respective label.

    • High --> 3

    • Medium --> 2

    • Low --> 1

      • This should lie between the min and max values discussed below.
  1. Label: This signifies the overall performance label as mentioned above for corresponding rating and stores text.
  1. Min: This stores the minimum value that can be assigned to a user’s rating.
  1. Max: this stores the maximum value that can be assigned to a user's rating.

Now, the template is ready for use and can be populated with the required data. This concludes the import for 9-box placement.

To check that the data has been imported correctly, navigate to “My Employee File” on the home page. Scroll down to the talent profile section and the values for performance and potential should reflect in the corresponding fields.

Mobility

Description: Accessing this field is slightly different than the other fields as it is a standard field and needs to be imported using the Import Employee Data transaction.

Steps to take backup:

  • Navigate to Admin Center and search for “Employee Export”.

  • Select “Personal Information” to specify the type of export

  • Click on “Export Extended Data only”.

  • Save the file as a backup.

After the UserDirectory file has been downloaded, follow the steps below:

  1. Open a blank excel spreadsheet
  1. Copy the headers from the backup file you took on the previous step and paste them into the blank spreadsheet.
  1. Mobility can be found in column Y under the CUSTOM05 field.

  1. The working of each field in the template has been discussed below:

    • UserId: This field is the user id of the employees. Notice that for some employees the user id used in CRH Legacy SuccessFactors vs SuccessFactors might be different, so we always need to ensure that the correct one is included in the import file.
      - This is how the system knows to who to assign the data.

    • Username: This should always be populated with the same data as the user id.

    • Custom05 (Mobility): Each label has a respective code that needs to be imported.

4595 --> Potentially Mobile Now

4596 --> Not Mobile Now

4597 --> Fully Mobile Now

  1. All the other fields can remain the same or can be deleted as they are not required.

  2. Populate the template with the user’s data.

  3. Navigate to Admin Center and search for “Import Employee Data”.

  4. Select “Basic Import” as the entity field and choose the file.

  5. Click on “Validate Import File Data”.

  6. Once the file has been successfully validated, Click on “Import”.

To ensure that the data has been imported correctly, navigate to “My Employee File” on the home page. Scroll down to the “Talent Profile” section and search for mobility and the values should reflect correctly.

Flight Risk

Description: It is stored as Risk of Loss within the Personal Information Template which also has a bunch of other data. This is known as a full purge, and we need to be incredibly careful as it replaces all the information instead of incrementally adding data. Therefore, we only modify the required fields while everything else remains the same in the template.

Steps to take backup:

  • Navigate to Admin Center and search for “Export Extended User Information”.

  • Select “Personal Information” to specify the type of export

  • Click on “Export Extended Data only”.

  • Save the file as a backup.

Steps to import personal information:

  1. Open a blank excel spreadsheet
  1. Copy the headers from the backup file you took on the previous step and paste them into the blank spreadsheet.
  1. Choose the data of the user and, copy and paste it into the black template.
  1. Only update the value of “RiskofLoss” while leaving every field unchanged.
  1. The valid labels that can be used are:

  • High

  • Medium

  • Low

  1. Populate the template with the required data.

  1. Navigate to Admin Center and search for “Import Extended User Information”.

    • Choose the file created in the above step.

    • Select “Personal Information” to specify the type of import.

    • “Import by overwriting existing data” has been selected by default due to full purge.

  1. Click on “Import Extended User Information”.

To validate the data, navigate to “My Employee File” on the home page. Scroll down to the “Talent Profile” section and search for Flight Risk and the values should reflect correctly.

Strength & Development Areas and Supporting Evidence for Potential

Description: Strength & Development Areas and Supporting evidence for Potential can be imported in a single file as they both are part of the Background Information template. Areas of Strength are stored as cust_Background_TPStrengthsDevAreas, areas of development as custBackgroundTPDevAreas, and supporting evidence is stored as a community.

Steps to take backup:

  • Navigate to Admin Center and search for “Export Extended User Information”.

  • Select “Background Information” to specify the type of export

  • Click on “Export Extended Data only”.

  • Save the file as a backup.

You may receive a message saying “Your request has been queued. You will receive a message once your request has been fulfilled.”. Move out of that window and navigate back to the same transaction and click on the “Download file” option

Steps to import personal information:

  1. Open a blank excel spreadsheet
  1. Copy the headers from the backup file you took on the previous step and paste them into the blank spreadsheet.

  1. The working of each field in the template has been discussed below:

    • UserId: This field is the user id of the employees. Notice that for some employees the user id used in CRH Legacy SuccessFactors vs SuccessFactors might be different, so we always need to ensure that the correct one is included in the import file.
      -This is how the system knows to who to assign the data.

    • AssignmentId: should always be populated with the same data as the user id.

    • Community: This field needs to be copied for each user.

  1. Name: This field expects text input for supporting evidence for potential.
  1. cust_Background_TPStrengthsDevAreas: This field needs to be copied for each user.
  1. Areasofstrength: This field expects text input for areas of strength.
  1. CustBackgroundTPDevAreas: This field needs to be copied for each user.
  1. Areasofdevelopment: This field expects text input for supporting evidence for potential.
  1. Start-date: This signifies the start date of the duration for which the user is being evaluated on.
  1. End-date: Signifies the end date of the duration for which the user is being evaluated on.
  1. Too_New_To_Rate: The user might not have enough data to be evaluated for the above fields. Hence, Yes/No can be entered in this field for either of the cases.

To validate the data, navigate to “My Employee File” on the home page. Scroll down to the “Talent Profile” section and search for Strength & Development Areas and Supporting evidence for Potential to check if the reflected values are correct.

Addendum:

Type of data imports:

Incremental: Only the affected columns are modified while others will remain the same.

Full purge: Removing all data in the affected columns and replacing it with what is contained in the import file.

Please keep in mind that the attributes used in this documentation might be different from the ones used in your organization. This document provides an overview of the process and serves as a foundation concept.

SAPHRIS