SFTP User Sync is an automated user provisioning feature that keeps employee information in Talos Perform synchronized with your HR system. Instead of manually updating employee profiles, manager relationships, and organizational changes, you can automate an upload a CSV file to our SFTP server with employee data, and Talos Perform will automatically update user accounts.

You should not use this feature if you're HRIS is supported by one of our native HRIS syncs. Instead follow this guide on setting up a native HRIS sync.

SFTP User Sync is ideal for organizations that:

The SFTP user sync process follows these steps:

This is up to you, but we recommend scheduled daily syncs.

Some organisations only update their HRIS data once a week, so you can also sync weekly if preferred.

Your CSV file must include these five columns with exact header names:

Important: Column names are case-sensitive. Email will work, but email or EMAIL will not.

You can include these optional columns to sync additional information:

Manager relationships are how Talos Perform knows who reports to whom. You have two ways to reference managers:

Use LineManagerEmail with the manager's email address. Talos Perform will find the matching user account.

Example:

Best For: When email addresses are stable and unique in your organization.

Use LineManagerEmployeeIdString with the manager's employee ID. Talos Perform will match this to the EmployeeIdString field of the manager's user account.

Example:

Best For: When you want to reference managers by a stable ID independent of email changes.

If you leave both LineManagerEmail and LineManagerEmployeeIdString blank for a user:

The same logic applies to SecondManager and SSO (sign-off) manager fields.

Your file should follow these guidelines:

Here's what a complete CSV file looks like:

Once your CSV file is ready, it needs to be uploaded to a location where Talos Perform can access it.

Your IT team will need to set up the file upload process. This typically involves:

Talos Perform will provide your IT team with:

As the HR Business Partner, you will:

If you need to sync users from multiple HRISs via SFTP, we can support this. You will need to each upload a CSV file to its own SFTP folder (e.g. one per HRIS). Each file is processed independently - users in one file are not affected by the other file. The field definitions below apply identically to both files.

Important: Each user should appear in only one of the two files. If the same person appears in both files with different unique IDs, they will be created as two separate Talos Perform users. Coordinate across both source systems to avoid duplicates.

Manager references (linemanageremail, linemanageremployeeidstring, etc.) can resolve across both files, since they are matched against all users in Talos Perform - not just the current file. However, because files are processed at different scheduled times, a manager must already exist in Talos Perform when the referencing file is processed. Recommend scheduling the file that contains managers to run first.

Always Updated:

Never Updated (Preserved):

After each sync completes, administrators listed in the configuration receive an email with:

(If configured) New users who are created will also receive:

When a sync encounters problems, you'll see error codes in the run logs. Here's what they mean and how to fix them:

Fix: Check your HRIS export to ensure these fields are populated for all active employees.

Fix: Review your CSV file for duplicate entries. This often happens when an employee is listed in multiple departments or has multiple roles.

Fix: Standardize date formats in your export. ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD) is most reliable.

Fix: Ensure that managers appear in the CSV file before (or in the same file as) the employees who report to them. Check for typos in email addresses or employee IDs.

Fix: Contact Talos Perform support for cross-organization issues. For same-firm duplicates, check your user list and resolve the conflict.

Fix: Shorten the values in your CSV export or ask Talos Perform support about field length limits.

For most organizations, a daily scheduled sync is the best approach:

How to Set Up:

Speak with your Customer Success Manager who can schedule this for you.

For some situations, you may want to run a manual sync:

When to Use Manual Sync:

How to Run a Manual Sync:

Keep Your HRIS Clean:

Consistent Formatting:

Test Before Production:

Q: What happens if the same email address already exists in Talos Perform?

A: If the email matches an existing user in your organization, that user's information will be updated with the new data from the CSV. If the email exists in a different organization, you'll receive an error (emailinanotherfirm) and should contact Talos Perform support.

Q: How do we deactivate users who have left the company?

A: Set their Active field to false in your CSV file. They will remain in Talos Perform for historical reporting purposes but they won't be able to log in.

Q: Can we test the sync without affecting real users?

A: Yes, use should use the sandbox provided. If you don't have one, contact Talos Perform support about setting it up for you. Please note it can take up to 3 working days to create sandbox accounts.

Q: What if our HRIS doesn't export to CSV?

A: Most modern HRIS systems can export to CSV or Excel (which can be saved as CSV). If yours cannot, you may need:

Q: How long does a sync take?

A: Sync time depends on the number of users:

Q: What happens if a manager isn't in the CSV file yet?

A: You'll receive an error (defaultappraiserdoesnotexist). The employee will be created/updated, but their manager relationship won't be set. Fix this by ensuring managers are included in the CSV or run a second sync after the manager is created.

Q: Can an employee have multiple managers?

A: Yes, Talos Perform supports:

Include the appropriate columns in your CSV to set up these relationships.

Q: Is the file transfer secure?

A: Yes, files are uploaded using secure protocols and stored in encrypted cloud storage. Only authorized Talos Perform systems can access the files.

Q: What happens to the CSV file after it's processed?

A: The file is processed and then archived for audit purposes. It's stored securely and is not accessible outside of Talos Perform's systems.

Q: Can we see what changed in each sync?

A: Yes, detailed logs are available in Talos Perform under Configuration → User Provisioning → Run Logs. These show which users were created, updated, and any errors that occurred.

Q: Can we sync users from multiple HR systems?

A: If you have multiple systems, create a single consolidated CSV file. I that's not possible, contact Talos Perform support before for information on how to manage this use case.

Q: Do custom fields need to be set up in Talos Perform first?

A: Yes, Custom1 through Custom6 fields should be configured in your Talos Perform settings with appropriate labels before including them in your CSV.

Q: Can we control which users receive admin permissions through the CSV?

A: No, admin permissions and admin groups are managed separately in Talos Perform and are not overwritten by the sync. This is a security measure to prevent accidental privilege escalation.

When contacting our support team include: