You can easily add multiple employees to Tellent HR at once using a .csv or .xlsx file. This makes it faster and simpler to onboard a large group of new hires.
How it works:
Upload your spreadsheet using any column headers you want, and match them to the employee profile fields in Tellent HR.
Our importer reads dates, checkboxes, and single and multiple-choice fields. Whether you’re adding a “T-shirt size” or “Certification date,” everything will go in the right place.
Before saving, the system checks your file for errors and shows you which rows need fixing.
Prepare your file
You can upload your own spreadsheet or download our sample template. Just make sure your file is in .csv or .xlsx format and is smaller than 15 MB.
1. Go to Settings > Organization > Team members > Import file.
2. Click Download next to Fill out an empty template to save the pre-formatted file to your device.
3. Open the downloaded template in a spreadsheet editor (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets) and enter your employee information.
If you have custom fields set up in Tellent HR, like T-shirt sizes or dietary restrictions, you can simply add those columns to your spreadsheet.
How to format your file
You don’t need to rename your spreadsheet headers to match the specific field names in Tellent HR. You can link them directly during the upload.
Just make sure the information in your columns is formatted correctly to ensure your upload goes smoothly.
Note: Make sure that every employee has their own individual row in the file. The following fields are required for everyone: First name, Last name, Email, and Employment start date.
Single line text (e.g., address)
How to format: You can enter any text here. No formatting checks are done during import.
Multi-line text (e.g., notes)
How to format: You can enter any text here. No formatting checks are done during import.
URL (e.g., portfolio links)
How to format: Type the web address as you usually would. The system won’t check if the link works.
Number (e.g., salary)
How to format: Only enter numbers. Don’t include dollar signs or letters. Use a period for any decimal points (for example: 42.5).
Date (e.g., birth dates)
How to format: Use this format: YYYY-MM-DD (for example: 2026-01-31). If you’re using Excel, dates formatted in Excel are also fine.
Date range (e.g., contract start and end dates)
How to format: Write both dates in one cell, separated by a comma, like this: 2026-01-01,2026-12-31.
If you’re using a .csv file: Wrap the entire cell in double quotes (like “2026-01-01,2026-12-31”) so it stays together in your spreadsheet.
Checkbox (e.g., “Has company laptop”)
How to format: Enter true or false (all lowercase). Regular Excel checkboxes will also work. Avoid using “Yes”, “No”, or “X”.
Single select (e.g., T-shirt size)
How to format: Type the exact option. Make sure spelling and capitalization match what is used in Tellent HR (for example, if the option is Medium, write Medium, not medium).
Multi-select (e.g., languages spoken)
How to format: This depends on your file type:
For a .csv file, separate your options with semicolons (e.g., English;German;French).
For a .xlsx file, separate your options with a comma (e.g., English,German,French).
Each entry must exactly match the options in Tellent HR.
Employee (e.g., assigning an onboarding buddy or mentor)
Not supported. Leave this column out of your spreadsheet. You can assign these relationships later in Tellent HR after importing your data.
Note: If a cell in your spreadsheet is blank, the importer will skip it and leave that profile field empty.
Upload your file
Once your spreadsheet is formatted and saved, you can import it into Tellent HR.
To upload and map your file:
1. Go to Settings > Organization > Team members > Import file.
2. Drag and drop your file into the upload area, or click Upload file to select the file from your computer manually.
3. Set up access and assign roles: Choose the role for each employee. For example:
Recruitee: Select Employee as the default role for new team members.
Optional: If you want each team member to receive an invitation email to access the platform, check the Create Tellent login and send an invitation email box. This will send setup instructions to each employee’s email address.
4. Map your data fields: On the next screen, you will see your spreadsheet’s column headers on the left and the profile fields in Tellent HR on the right.
Use the dropdowns to match each spreadsheet column to the corresponding Tellent HR field.
5. Validate the data: Once you’ve mapped your data, the system will automatically look for any mistakes in your file.
If there are any issues, you will see a summary of the rows that need fixing. Take a moment to review this feedback, make the needed changes in your spreadsheet, and then upload it again.
6. Complete the import: Once the validation is complete, you’ll see an import summary.
Click Done to finalize the process. Your employees are now imported into the system.