Summary: Automated user management in Speakap relies on access to your organization's employee records. This guide covers how to structure your employee data fields, how to choose between an API and an SFTP connection, and how to set the synchronization frequency.
To automatically manage your workforce within Speakap, the platform needs direct access to your corporate employee records. Speakap uses the information in this master record to securely invite, remove, and manage your employees across the network.
1. Structuring your employee record
To successfully provision and add new users to your network, your employee record must contain specific mandatory data points alongside highly recommended optional fields.
| Field Type | Data Field | Purpose & Technical Requirements |
| Required (for inviting & deleting) | Employee ID | Used to uniquely identify individual users within your internal records and accurately match them to user profiles in Speakap. This value must be unique for every individual. |
| Optional (for group management) | Location(s) | Used to automatically place the user into the proper localized business unit group(s) within Speakap. This can be a description or code. |
| Optional (for group management) | Department(s) | Used to automatically place the user within the proper structural department group(s) within Speakap. This can be a description or code. |
| Optional | Name | Used to pre-fill the display name of the employee. This data should preferably be separated into distinct First name and Last name fields. |
| Optional | Job Title | Used to pre-fill the job title field in your employee's public profile. This field can also be used to dynamically determine a user's role within the network. |
| Optional | Phone Number | Used to pre-fill the phone number contact field in your employee's profile. |
| Optional | UPN | This field is strictly required if your organization uses Single Sign-On (SSO). |
2. Technical methods for accessing records
Speakap supports two standard technical solutions for accessing your external employee files.
Method A: API-based connection
Many modern HR management tools have an integrated API or connector that allows third parties like Speakap to programmatically fetch your employee records. For example, the HR platform AFAS supports this via their native "Get Connector".
For this method, your organization provides valid login credentials for your specific HR tool or connector so Speakap can access the data.
Method B: SFTP connection
If your HR tool does not have an active API, or the API cannot be used for your deployment, Speakap provides a secure SFTP server for data synchronization.
- Authentication options: Speakap can configure an SFTP account for you using secure key authentication, or your organization can provide Speakap with credentials to connect directly to an internally hosted SFTP location and fetch the data.
- File formats: the employee record can be delivered in multiple common file formats, ranging from .xls to .csv and .xml files.
- Formatting templates: you can model your data schema on our example employee record templates (CSV and XLS): [LINK NEEDED: employee record template download].
For an SFTP connection, the split of responsibilities is simple. You provide the specific IP address(es) from where your system's SFTP connection will be initiated, and you regularly upload the actual employee record to the SFTP server. Speakap generates and provides the unique login credentials for your designated SFTP account.
3. Custom alternatives and synchronization frequency
- Alternative custom solutions: if neither the API connection nor the SFTP server method is compatible with your IT infrastructure, Speakap will work with you to explore alternative data-sharing methods. For example, you could upload files in Speakap's User Sync manually. Please note that designing an alternative solution can have a major impact on your timelines; see User Sync Implementation Timelines.
- Processing frequency: once Speakap has access to your employee record, an ongoing processing frequency must be agreed. Speakap's technical preference is to synchronize data on a daily basis. However, if your operations require files to be processed more or less often, let our team know and we will adjust the User Sync configuration accordingly.
Still stuck?
Email us at technicalimplementations@speakap.nl with your network name, your HR system, and your preferred connection method (API or SFTP), and we'll help you out.