To keep your demographic data up to date for all your listening events, Perceptyx can establish a data connection between your HRIS and the Perceptyx Platform. This connection keeps your data in the platform in sync with changes within your organization and creates a single system of record for respondent demographic information used in the platform. The Demographic Data File serves as the foundation for gathering all the necessary data - in the correct format - that Perceptyx uses to set up demographic details in the platform for all your user types (administrators, managers, reporting users, and respondents).
Understanding the platform setup workflow and how to correctly complete the Demographic Data File is critical for experiencing a smooth and accurate process. This article provides guidance for both facets of the process and includes an attached sample data file so you can see a detailed example of a correct and complete data file.
This article walks through:
The general workflow for the Demographic Data File exchange entails six steps:
Step 1: Perceptyx Enables Push Model via Secure SFTP Access.
As part of the Push Model, Perceptyx sets up a dedicated Secure FTP (SFTP) account for the customer to deliver files directly to us. This step includes the following actions:
Perceptyx provides the customer with the SFTP account username, address, and folder location.
The customer provides Perceptyx with their public key for key-based authentication (strongly recommended). Perceptyx recommends a 2048-bit or greater key size.
If the customer chooses not to use key-based authentication (not recommended), Perceptyx provides the customer a password to use with the SFTP username.
File processing recurrence is set (nightly is recommended)
Note: Files sent to Perceptyx are processed according to the schedule set during the initial setup discussion. Processing time may vary based on the number and size of files in our queue.
For detailed guidance on Push and Pull integration models, refer to our Integration Technical Specifications documentation.
Step 2: Customer Creates the Demographic Data Extract.
In this step, the customer creates a data extract of the demographic data using the guidance in this article, including the information in the Data Content and Format Requirements section and the attached sample data file. The customer should be sure to adhere to the following requirements:
The data file must include all demographics and all active employees. Any employee not included in the file will be deactivated in the Perceptyx Platform.
The file must be in CSV format (UTF-8 format, Comma Separated Values).
The file name should follow this naming convention: customerID_demographic_data_file_20240516.csv (preferred format)
Must start with a customer ID or unique customer name
Must include a clear date (e.g., 20240516 or 16-May-2024)
Keywords like demographic_data_file are recommended but not required
No spaces or special characters — use underscores or dashes
Must end with .csv, or .csv.pgp / .csv.gpg if encrypted
Sample acceptable filenames: clientname_20240516.csv, 12345_employee_file_2024-05-16.csv.pgp
A text qualifier must be used if any values contain commas.
Step 3: Customer Encrypts Demographic Data Before Transmission.
Encrypting the demographic data before sending it to Perceptyx is important for ensuring data privacy, security, and compliance.
The customer should encrypt their data using the Perceptyx Public Key available at: https://gpg.perceptyx.com/.
All communications between the customer and the Perceptyx SFTP server are encrypted with AES-256 (ctr or gcm).
Step 4: Perceptyx Reviews the Data Extracts Provided by Customer.
In this step, the Perceptyx team reviews the demographic data extract for accuracy against formats and content requirements to ensure the customer’s listening initiative objectives can be met. Perceptyx provides feedback, and this step is expected to be iterative until both the customer and Perceptyx agree on the content of the data file.
Step 5: Customer Automates the Transfer of the Demographic Data.
In this step, the customer automates and schedules periodic transfers (generally nightly, but many customers schedule updates to coincide with their overall Listening Plan). File uploads should go to the customer’s root directory on the SFTP server unless a different folder is specified and agreed to by both the customer and Perceptyx.
Step 6: Perceptyx Processes the Feed Nightly.
If no customer file is present on the SFTP server, no updates occur. All files stored on the Perceptyx SFTP server are encrypted at rest with AES-256 encryption.
Data Content and Format Requirements
The information in the following tables and in the corresponding Customer Sample Data File document attached to this article detail the content and format requirements for your data file. The field information in the tables corresponds to the fields in the Demographic Data File Example and Autogenerated Demographics tabs in the Customer Sample Data File.
In the tables below, required fields are bolded and italicized. All other fields should be included in the file if you are able to provide this data. If a given field does not exist in your data you may leave it out. Please note that certain fields are required for specific functionality. These are indicated in the Description column with the following designations:
Benchmark: If a field is related to Perceptyx Benchmarks, providing this data allows you to leverage our broader dataset to see how your company compares across various dimensions (e.g., industry, country, job category). While many Benchmark fields are optional, we strongly recommend including as many as possible for richer insights.
Functionality Dependent: These fields enable specific features within the Perceptyx Platform—such as SSO access, targeted reporting, or automation. They are required only if those platform features are to be used. Including these fields can also support filters, crosstabs, selected communications, and other enhanced capabilities.
Benchmark and/or Functionality Dependent: Used to enable specific features (e.g., onboarding, anniversary, exit events, nudges) or to support benchmarking insights like Tenure Band comparisons.
Some fields contain the following designations in the Type column:
Note: If you choose to include these fields in your file, they must each have a unique column name and must be different from other column names (for example Tenure Band vs. Customer Name Tenure Band).
Once your data file format is final, any future changes will need to be communicated to Perceptyx before making changes to the automated feed. If you require data in addition to what is detailed here, we can add custom fields at the end of the file.
Field | Type | Size | Description |
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Employee ID | TEXT | 100 | Required: Unique identifier for the user. Usually, this number is the employee number in the customer’s HR system. On occasion, a security identifier is used. If using Single Sign-On, use the SSO ID in this field as well as the SSO ID field.
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First Name | TEXT | 50 | Required: The user’s first name. |
Last Name | TEXT | 50 | Required: The user’s last name. |
Email Address | TEXT | 100 | Required: SMTP formatted email-address. If using Single Sign-On, use the SSO ID in this field.
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Manager Employee ID | TEXT | 100 | Functionality Dependent: Required if you want Perceptyx to create a manager tree**: Unique identifier of the user’s Manager. This is the Employee ID (above) of the Manager (usually from the customer’s HR system). The Manager ID to Employee ID relationship builds the reporting hierarchy automatically in the Perceptyx platform. WARNING: A circular reference between Manager ID and Employee ID will cause the reporting hierarchy to break. **The “top level” user record (e.g., CEO, Chairman of the Board) should not have a Manager Employee ID; however, all other records should have a Manager Employee ID populated. Missing information will be set up with placeholders. |
Full Name | TEXT | 100 | The user’s full name. Providing the full name can improve personalization of the listening experience, particularly 360 listening events. |
SSO ID | TEXT | 100 | SSO ID (Single Sign-On Identifier). This field can be used to authenticate users into the Perceptyx system. |
Phone Number | TEXT | 50 | Phone number of the user, including country code. |
Personal Email Address | TEXT | 100 | SMTP formatted email-address. The Personal Email Address is generally used for Exit listening events. |
Employee Language | Enumerated | Functionality Dependent: Required if emails need to be sent in specific languages other than English. Employee Language identifies the translation, if any, required for the user. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tabs. At Perceptyx, we use the W3C I18n standard for language country values (can be found at https://perldoc.perl.org/I18N::LangTags::List#LIST -OF LANGUAGES). |
Active | Boolean | Future Use: NOTE, this field will enable future functionality to indicate whether the user record should be considered “Active” for use in survey populations as well as to have login access to the Perceptyx application (if allowed by permission status). Standard values: “True” or “False” |
Absent | Boolean | Future Use: NOTE, this field will enable future functionality to indicate whether the user record should be considered available (not “Absent”) for use in survey populations as well as to have login access to the Perceptyx application (if allowed by permission status).
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Birth Date | Date | 10 | Format: YYYY-MM-DD Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data, specifically by mapping to “Age Band” and “Generation.” Perceptyx uses Birth Date to calculate Age Band and Generation. |
Years in Role | TEXT | 50 | Functionality Dependent: Although optional, providing the user’s years in their current role can aid in choosing populations during a 360 listening event or in Moments That Matter listening events.
These values should be whole numbers. |
Date of Last Role Change | Date | 10 | Format: YYYY-MM-DD Perceptyx uses Date of Last Role Change to calculate Role Tenure Band. |
Years of Service | TEXT | 50 | Functionality Dependent: Although optional, Years of Service provides added functionality within Perceptyx and is a highly suggested field. These values should be whole numbers. Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. |
Original Hire Date | Date | 10 | Format: YYYY-MM-DD Functionality Dependent: Although optional, Original Hire Date provides added functionality within Perceptyx and is a highly suggested field. Trigger Criteria: Hire date allows for automatically triggering an Onboarding listening event. Perceptyx uses Original Hire Date to calculate Tenure Band. |
Hire Type | Enumerated | Functionality Dependent: Although optional, this data provides for better insights for Onboarding listening events. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tabs. |
Gender | Enumerated | Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tabs. |
Termination Date | Date | 10 | Format: YYYY-MM-DD Trigger Criteria: Termination date allows for automatically triggering an Exit listening event. NOTE: If providing the Termination Date, also include the Termination Type. |
Termination Type | Enumerated | Functionality Dependent* if providing the Termination Date field. This data provides for better insights during an Exit listening event.
Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tabs. |
Division | TEXT | 100 | Functionality Dependent: Division is part of the company organizational hierarchy. This data allows for flexibility in reporting specifics to the customer. |
Business Unit | TEXT | 100 | Functionality Dependent: Business Unit is part of the company organizational hierarchy. This data allows for flexibility in reporting specifics to the customer. |
Department | TEXT | 100 | Functionality Dependent: Department is part of the company organizational hierarchy. This data allows for flexibility in reporting specifics to the customer. |
Cost Center | TEXT | 100 | Functionality Dependent: Cost Center is part of the company organizational hierarchy. This data allows for flexibility in reporting specifics to the customer. |
Merger and Acquisition | Enumerated | Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data
Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tabs. |
Work Country | Enumerated | Country where the user works. (Highly Recommended) Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Perceptyx uses Work Country to calculate Region, Extended Region, and Detailed Region. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tabs. |
US State or CA Province | Enumerated | Perceptyx uses US State or CA Province to calculate US Sub-Region. Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tabs. |
City | TEXT | 100 | City in which the user works. |
Timezone | Enumerated | The UTC offset for the time zone in which the user works.
Value should be sent as “UTC +/- Offset” (see Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx). Functionality Dependent: Time zone allows specificity in email communications. |
Job Title | TEXT | 100 | Functionality Dependent: Required for 360 listening events: The user’s Job Title aids in choosing populations during a 360 listening event and helps to clarify selection of like named individuals. |
Job Code | TEXT | 100 | Code your company uses to classify jobs. |
Job Level | Enumerated | HINT: Team Leads (or anyone with supervisory responsibilities) should be considered as “manager” for the context of this demographic. Functionality Dependent: Used for Nudges. The user’s Job Level allows us to customize the Nudges sent. Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab. |
Job Function | Enumerated | Perceptyx uses Job Function to calculate Collapsed Job Function. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab. |
Job Type | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab. |
Position Type | Enumerated | Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab. |
Full Time or Part Time | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab. |
Work Shift | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab. |
Work Arrangement | Enumerated | Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab. |
Work Setting | Enumerated | Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab. |
FLSA Status | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab. |
Ethnicity | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab. |
Union or Non Union | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab. |
Job Category | Enumerated | Functionality Dependent: Useful for Nudges: Providing this data allows you to customize the nudges sent to different employee groups at your organization. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Job Category tab. |
Nudge Eligible | TEXT | 25 | Functionality Dependent: Used for Nudges. Providing this data allows you to customize the nudges sent to different employee groups at your organization. |
AI Coach Eligible | TEXT | 25 | Functionality Dependent: Used for Nudges. Providing this data allows you to customize the nudges sent to different employee groups at your organization. |
Age Band | Perceptyx Auto Calculated Field | Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Calculated from: Birth Date. |
Generation | Perceptyx Auto Calculated Field | Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Calculated from: Birth Date. |
Role Tenure Band | Perceptyx Auto Calculated Field | While optional, Role Tenure Band is used to support 360 listening event processing. Calculated from: Date of Last Role Change. |
Tenure Band | Perceptyx Auto Calculated Field | Benchmark: This derived field allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Calculated from: Original Hire Date. |
Region | Perceptyx Auto Calculated Field | Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Calculated from: Work Country. |
Extended Region | Perceptyx Auto Calculated Field | Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Calculated from: Work Country. |
Detailed Region | Perceptyx Auto Calculated Field | Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Calculated from: Work Country. |
US Sub Region | Perceptyx Auto Calculated Field | Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Calculated from: US State or CA Province. |
Collapsed Job Function | Perceptyx Auto Calculated Field | Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Calculated from: Job Function. |
The following field additions are specific to our Healthcare Customers:
Field | Type | Size | Description |
|---|
Physician Contract | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab.
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Medical Specialty | Enumerated | Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab.
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Direct Interaction with Patients | Enumerated | Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab.
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Nursing Level | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab.
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Clinical vs Non- Clinical | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab.
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Medical Job Role | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab.
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Physician Level | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab.
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Provider NPI | Numeric | 10 | This is the 10-digit National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) identifier.
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Magnet Facility | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab.
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Number of Beds | VARCHAR | 50 | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Perceptyx uses Number of Beds to calculate Bed Size (Banded).
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Hospital Specialty | Enumerated | Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab.
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Entity Name | VARCHAR | 100 | Name of the Entity.
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Entity Type | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab.
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Hospital Type | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab.
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AAMC Facility | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab.
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CCN | Numeric | 10 | This is the 10-digit National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) identifier. |
Unit Type | Enumerated | Benchmark: Providing this optional data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. NOTE: To comply with regulatory requirements, Unit Type benchmark data is supplied to Perceptyx by a 3rd party provider. Standard values: Find the enumerated list in Customer Sample Data File*.xlsx on the Other Enumerated Fields or respective tab. |
Bed Size (Banded) | Perceptyx Auto Calculated Field | Benchmark: This data allows for comparison of your company results against our provided Benchmark data. Calculated from: Number of Beds |