Manage employees

Add employees one at a time or by CSV upload, update profiles and roles, configure access controls, delegate accounts, and set exit policies for unused points.

The employee directory is the foundation of your Empuls instance. Every recognition, survey, and reward depends on having accurate, up-to-date employee records. You can add employees one at a time, import hundreds at once via CSV, update existing records, and control what each user can see and do on the platform.

To access employee management, navigate to Reports & Settings > Employees > User Management > Manage Employees in the Admin Hub, or open it directly at https://<your-empuls-url>/home/usermanagement.

Adding a single employee

Use single-user entry when onboarding an individual hire outside of your regular bulk import cycle.

1. Go to Manage Employees

   In the Admin Hub, navigate to Employees > User Management > Manage Employees and click Add New User > Add a single user.

2. Enter required fields

   Fill in the employee’s First Name and Email ID, then assign the appropriate User Access Role (Super Admin, General Admin, Manager, or User).

3. Add professional and personal details

   Complete the employee’s professional details (department, designation, reporting manager, date of joining) and personal details (date of birth, mobile number if applicable).

4. Click Save

   The employee is created. They receive an invitation email to activate their account.

A new email address that does not already exist in the system cannot be mapped to a Manager role. The email must be in the system first before you can assign it manager-level access.

Adding employees in bulk

Bulk import is the fastest way to onboard a large group of employees. Empuls accepts CSV and XLSX files using a standard template.

1. Navigate to bulk import

   Go to Employees > User Management > Manage Employees > Add New User > Add multiple user accounts.

2. Download the sample CSV template

   On the Pre-import data settings screen, review the guidelines and download the sample file. Use this template to format your employee data correctly.

3. Populate the template

   Fill in each employee’s details — first name, email, department, designation, reporting manager, date of joining, and any other required fields. Save as CSV or XLSX.

4. Upload the file

   Upload your completed file and verify the data in the preview. Click Next to proceed.

5. Send invitations

   Choose whether to send invitation emails immediately or click Send Invites Later to add employees to the platform first and invite them at a chosen time. You can trigger invitations later from the Manage Employees page.

Send invitations in advance of a planned launch date so employees have time to activate accounts and complete their profiles before your first recognition program goes live.

Custom data fields (UDF and URF)

Beyond the standard employee fields, you can request additional custom fields from Empuls support:

• UDF (User-Defined Fields) — Custom text fields for additional data points, up to 12 fields maximum.
• URF (User-Relationship Fields) — Fields that link employees to one another (e.g., dotted-line manager), up to 8 fields maximum.

Custom fields are labeled N1, N2, and so on. Keep an internal record of which label maps to which data point. When uploading via CSV, add the custom field columns to your template so they are mapped correctly during import.

To request custom fields, contact Empuls support at [e-mail].

Editing employee records

1. Locate the employee

   Go to Reports & Settings > Employees > Manage Employees and find the user in the list.

2. Click the edit icon

   In the Action column, click the pen icon next to the employee’s row.

3. Update the details and save

   Make the necessary changes and click Save.

From the same Action column, you can also:

• Disable a user — Deactivate the account to block access without deleting the record.
• Change email — Update the employee’s email address if it changes.
• Log in as a user — Access the employee’s account for troubleshooting. Enter a reason for logging in and choose whether to notify the employee.
• Change password — Available to Super Admins after enabling the feature by contacting [e-mail].

Access controls and roles

Empuls uses role-based access control (RBAC) with four built-in roles:

Role	Access level
Super Admin	Full access including branding, org budgets, and access controls. Default group admin of Town Hall.
General Admin	Access configured by Super Admins. Typically manages employees, programs, and reports.
Manager	Access to team-level reports and recognition for direct reports.
User	Standard employee access — recognition, surveys, rewards, and social features.

Super Admins can also create custom roles for specialized access needs:

1. Navigate to Manage Access Roles

   In the top-right menu, click Manage Access Roles.

2. Create a new role

   Click Create Access Role, enter a Role Name, and click Submit.

3. Edit permissions as needed

   Click the pencil icon next to any role to update its permissions. Click Submit to save changes.

Delegating accounts

When an admin or manager is on leave, you can grant another user temporary access to their account so pending tasks continue without interruption.

1. Go to Delegate Accounts

   In the Admin Hub, navigate to Employees > Delegate Accounts and click Create Delegation.

2. Select the accounts

   Choose the account to delegate and the user who will receive temporary access.

3. Create the delegation

   Click Create Delegation. The original account holder is notified every time the delegated user accesses the account.

The delegated user can switch to the granted account by clicking their profile icon and selecting Switch User. They must enter a reason before accessing the account. Delegations can be deactivated and reactivated at any time from the Delegate Accounts page.

Managing employee exits

When an employee leaves your organization, their unredeemed points and budget allocations need to be handled according to your company policy. Configure this in advance under Employees > Manage Exits.

Configure your exit policy before your first employee offboarding. If no policy is set, unused personal budget points default to Super Admins, which may not match your organization’s intent.

Budget points with co-owners — Transfer to a third party or return to the budget owner by default.

Custom budgets held by exiting employees — Choose to delete the budget or transfer ownership and points to another employee.

Personal budget points — Transfer to another employee, destroy the points, or disable them. If no recipient is selected, points go to the Super Admin by default.

Reward points (earned credits) — Choose to transfer unredeemed points to the employee’s personal email address for later redemption, or destroy the points permanently.

Pending nominations — If the exiting employee had pending award nominations to approve, transfer them to the reporting manager, HRBPO, department head, business unit head, or cost center head.

Can I add multiple employees without sending invites immediately?

Yes. During bulk import, select Send Invites Later to add employees to the platform without triggering invitation emails. You can send invites at any time from the Manage Employees page.

Can a new email be assigned to a Manager role during bulk import?

No. The email address must already exist in the system before it can be mapped to a Manager role. Add the person as a User first, then update their role.

Can I edit a delegation once it's created?

No. Delegations cannot be edited after creation. Deactivate the existing delegation and create a new one to make changes.

What happens if no recipient is set for personal budget points on exit?

Points are automatically transferred to Super Admins if no recipient is specified in the exit policy.