title: HR Integration Overview category: HR Integration tags: hr, import, csv, rest-api, scim, provisioning priority: Normal

HR Integration Overview

HR Integration connects IdentityCenter to your organization's authoritative Human Resources system, establishing the HR system as the single source of truth for identity data. When HR records drive identity provisioning, you eliminate manual data entry, ensure consistency between HR and IT systems, and enable fully automated Joiner/Mover/Leaver lifecycle management.

Why HR Integration Matters

Without HR integration, identity provisioning depends on manual requests -- a manager emails IT to create an account, IT creates it when they have time, and no one validates the configuration against the HR record. This manual chain introduces delays, errors, and compliance gaps.

With HR integration:

The HR Import Center

Navigate to Administration > HR Import (/admin/hr-import) to access the HR Import Center. From this page you can:

• Configure HR data sources (CSV, REST API, SCIM)
• Map HR fields to IdentityCenter identity attributes
• Run manual imports or configure recurring schedules
• View import history and results
• Diagnose and resolve import errors

Supported HR Sources

IdentityCenter supports three methods for importing HR data:

CSV File Upload

Upload HR data from comma-separated value files. Ideal for organizations without an API-enabled HR system or for initial data loads.

See CSV Import for the complete setup guide.

REST API

Connect directly to your HR system's REST API to pull employee data on demand or on a schedule.

See REST API Import for the complete setup guide.

SCIM 2.0

Leverage the System for Cross-domain Identity Management standard for real-time, bidirectional identity synchronization.

See SCIM 2.0 Integration for the complete setup guide.

How HR Data Drives Lifecycle Automation

HR integration is the engine behind automated lifecycle management. Here is how changes in the HR system flow through IdentityCenter:

New Hire Detection (Joiner)

HR System: New employee record created
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HR Import: Detects new EmployeeID with StartDate
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Lifecycle Engine: Evaluates Joiner templates
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Matching Template: "Standard Onboarding" fires
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Actions: Create AD account, assign groups, send welcome email

When the HR import detects a record with an EmployeeID that does not match any existing identity in IdentityCenter, and the StartDate is today or in the past, it triggers the Joiner lifecycle flow.

Department Change Detection (Mover)

HR System: Employee department updated from "Engineering" to "Sales"
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HR Import: Detects attribute change on existing identity
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Lifecycle Engine: Evaluates Mover templates
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Matching Template: "Department Transfer" fires
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Actions: Remove old groups, assign new groups, move OU, notify managers

When the HR import detects that a tracked attribute (Department, Title, Manager, Location) has changed for an existing identity, it triggers the Mover lifecycle flow.

Termination Date Detection (Leaver)

HR System: TerminationDate field populated with 2026-03-15
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HR Import: Detects termination date on existing identity
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Lifecycle Engine: Creates pending Leaver event for 2026-03-15
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On 2026-03-15: Leaver template executes
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Actions: Disable account, remove groups, forward email, backup data

When the HR import detects a TerminationDate value, IdentityCenter creates a pending lifecycle event scheduled to execute on that date.

Field Mapping

HR systems use varying field names and formats. The field mapping configuration translates HR fields into IdentityCenter's identity model:

Field mapping is configured per HR source and can include transformations such as:

• Concatenation -- Combine first and last name into display name
• Lookup -- Map department codes to department names
• Default values -- Set a default when the HR field is empty
• Format conversion -- Parse date formats, normalize phone numbers

Import Scheduling

Recommendation: For most organizations, a daily import at 6:00 AM local time provides a good balance between timeliness and system load. Run the import before business hours so that any Joiner or Leaver templates triggered by the import execute before the employee's workday begins.

Import History

Every import run is logged with detailed results:

Best Practices

1. Designate the HR system as authoritative -- HR data should flow one way into IdentityCenter; do not push IT changes back to HR
2. Use EmployeeID as the match key -- It is the most stable and unique identifier across HR records
3. Import before business hours -- Schedule imports to run early so provisioning completes before employees arrive
4. Validate field mappings with a test import before enabling automation
5. Monitor import errors daily -- failed records can delay onboarding or offboarding
6. Keep HR data clean -- Work with HR to ensure termination dates, department codes, and manager IDs are consistently populated
7. Start with CSV if your HR system lacks an API, then migrate to REST API or SCIM as capabilities evolve

Next Steps

• CSV Import -- Import HR data from CSV files
• REST API Import -- Connect to HR REST APIs
• SCIM 2.0 Integration -- Real-time SCIM provisioning
• Lifecycle Management Overview -- How HR data drives JML automation
• Joiner Templates -- Automate onboarding from HR data
• Connections Overview -- Configure target directory connections