What you need for a Xero CSV Employee Import
If you're moving onboardee data from WorkZerk into Xero, the good news is that Xero's bulk employee upload only asks for a small set of mandatory fields to get each employee created. Everything else can be added in Xero afterwards, or filled in over time as your onboardees complete more of their profile in WorkZerk.
This article walks through exactly what Xero needs, what's optional, what Xero won't accept in a bulk upload at all, and a few practical tips to save you time on your first import.
Xero AU Payroll needs eight fields to create an employee in bulk. If you have those eight, you're good to go. Tax, super, bank and pay details all get added in Xero afterwards.
Mandatory fields
For Xero Payroll's bulk employee upload, the compulsory fields are:
First name
Last name
Date of birth
Gender
Street address
Suburb
State
Postcode
If any of these are missing or formatted incorrectly, Xero will flag the row and skip that employee until you fix it. The rest of the row will still import, so it's worth fixing errors and re-uploading rather than starting from scratch.
Helpful Optional Fields
These aren't required, but including them now saves you re-keying later. Each of these fields can be setup as a separate onboarding step template within WorkZerk:
Bank account name
Bank account number
BSB
Email address
Phone number
Start date
Job title and classification
Employment basis (full-time, part-time, or casual)
Superannuation fund name
Fund ABN
Fund USI (Unique Superannuation Identifier) — for APRA-regulated funds
Member number (the employee's account number with the fund)
Fund address — sometimes required on the Standard Choice form
Self-managed super fund (SMSF) details, if applicable:
SMSF ABN
SMSF bank account (BSB and account number)
SMSF electronic service address (ESA)
A copy of the SMSF compliance letter from the ATO
If you're collecting these through a WorkZerk onboarding portal already, map them across in your export so Xero picks them up in one go.
What Xero Won't Accept in a Bulk Upload
This is the part that catches most people out. Xero's bulk employee upload is deliberately limited to basic identity and contact details. The following still need to be entered directly in Xero, employee by employee, after the import:
Tax file number and tax declaration details
Bank account details for pay
Superannuation fund and member number
Pay template (ordinary hours, allowances, deductions)
Leave balances and accrual settings
Opening balances (year-to-date earnings, tax, super)
Plan for a second pass in Xero after the import to fill these in.
Formatting Tips
A few small things will make your CSV behave when you upload it:
Use dd/mm/yyyy for date of birth and start date
Use the full state abbreviation (QLD, NSW, VIC, etc.)
Don't include employees who already exist in Xero, or you'll end up with duplicates
Keep one employee per row, with the column headings in row one
Where to Find the Importer in Xero
In Xero, go to the Payroll menu, select Employees, click New employee, then choose Bulk upload. You'll see an option to download Xero's own template from that screen, which is handy if you want to compare it against the file WorkZerk produces and double-check the column order.
A Suggested Workflow
If you're onboarding a group of new starters through WorkZerk and importing them into Xero, this order tends to work well:
Send your WorkZerk onboarding link invite email to your new starters. Or if you prefer, send a manual link using your email platform.
Wait until each onboardee has completed the steps that capture name, date of birth, gender and address. You’ll receive an onboarding notification pop up within WorkZerk the second they have completed all required onboarding steps
Download Onboarding data within WorkZerk.
Open the CSV and check the eight mandatory columns are populated
Upload to Xero via Payroll, Employees, New employee, Bulk upload
Review any rows Xero flags and re-upload if needed
Open each new employee record in Xero and add tax, super, bank and pay template details before their first pay run etc.
Common Errors and how to Fix Them
"The selected file is invalid" Usually means the file isn't a CSV, XLSX, XLS or ODS. Re-save it as CSV and try again.
"X employees won't be imported due to missing or invalid required information" One of the eight mandatory fields is blank or in the wrong format on those rows. Xero will highlight the offending fields. Fix them in your CSV and re-upload.
Duplicate employees appearing The employee already existed in Xero before the import. Delete the duplicate in Xero and remove the row from your CSV before re-uploading.
Useful Xero links
Xero Central: Add multiple employees to payroll
Xero Central: Import data into Xero
