Overview
You can save time and effort by configuring your HRIS to automatically extract and send your employee data to Nectar via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).
Setting up an SFTP integration may require assistance from your IT Team. We've provided detailed technical instructions that you can provide to them during the set up process. We also recommend contacting your HRIS Integration Specialist for assistance during set up. There may be a small cost associated with the set up depending on your product offering.
Step 1: Create a custom report in your HRIS
Create a report that contains all the employees and demographics you want to import into Nectar. We recommend that you start with our Employee Data File Template. If you have existing data in the platform, you can head to Admin > Users > Download to CSV and use the headings that are included in the export to create your template. At a minimum, for every employee you want to update, you must include:
Name
Employee email (Email)
Below are some additional demographic columns that are commonly included in employee data files:
Preferred Name (This will be used in survey communications. Should be their preferred first name ONLY)
Manager Email
Department
Date of Birth
Start Date
Office Location
Note that these fields above may be named something different in your HRIS. Please ensure that when you create your report that the fields in your HRIS are mapped to the fields here and the heading in the report that you send to Nectar matches exactly this example file.
*Please note that you may need to contact you HRIS directly to create a custom report based on the demographics you want to include. Creating a custom report may incur a charge by your HRIS provider.
Step 2: Create an SSH key pair
An SSH key pair will ensure the SFTP connection via your SFTP client / HRIS is unique and secure. An SSH key pair is a pair of unique keys that are generated client side. There's a private key which should only be used client side, and there's a public key which can safely be shared outside your organization. The integration uses the combination of the two keys to verify the security of the connection.
In this case, the private key will typically remain with you or the HRIS provider. The public key will need to be entered in the Public Key field on the Integrations > SFTP Sync page in Nectar. This can be done by a Nectar Account Administrator.
Note: Our SFTP only supports openSSH key pairs, not SSH2. If your HRIS or command line tool generates keys in SSH2 format, you can convert them to openSSH using the instructions in the guide below.
Step 3: Connect your SFTP client with Nectar
Most SFTP clients will require the following information to set a connection. Some of this information can be found in Nectar (Admin > Integrations > HRIS SFTP Sync). Make sure the hostname and username you use to set up your SFTP client are copied directly from the setup form in Nectar. Both are case-sensitive.
Protocol: SFTP
Logon Type: Key File
Host/Hostname: Can be found in Nectar
Username: Can be found in Nectar
Troubleshooting integration issues
If you are facing issues with syncing your data from your HRIS to Nectar, you can view troubleshooting information we have included in our Troubleshooting SFTP integration issues guide.