WHEN TO USE THIS ARTICLE
Use this article when your import file includes additional columns that are not part of PayGap’s standard data specification. Custom fields must be created in PayGap before you upload the file if you want those values to be available for mapping in the upload flow.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
1. Identify which fields are outside the standard specification
Before uploading your file, review the columns you want to import and identify any fields that are not part of PayGap’s standard model. These should be set up as custom fields first.
2. Go to Custom Fields in PayGap
In PayGap, go to Organization Settings → Custom Fields. This is where custom fields are configured.
3. Choose the correct field category
PayGap separates custom fields into two categories:
Employee Fields: information that belongs to the employee directly, such as age, experience, tenure, date of birth, or performance
Employment Fields: information that belongs to the role or employment, such as department, job family sub-group, sub-level, or manager status
A simple way to choose:
If the information describes the person, use Employee Fields
If the information describes the job or role, use Employment Fields
4. Add Custom Field
The identifier is the field name used for mapping during upload. In practice, this should match the column header in your source file whenever possible. This makes future uploads easier and reduces the risk of mapping problems.
The display name is the label shown inside PayGap. It does not need to be identical to the column header, and it can be edited later if needed. Special characters are allowed.
The description is optional.
7. Choose the correct data type
Select the data type that matches the values in your file. Using the right type is important because it affects how the field can be imported and interpreted in PayGap.
The data types that can be chosen are:
Text: This is free-text, but is used for setting up categories (E.g., "Finance", "HR", or "John's team", "Helle's team").
Integer: This is used for variables containing full numbers. An examples of this could be "Number of Direct reports", where the numbers would always be; 1, 5, 7, 11 etc.
Decimal Number: This is a numerical field, allowing the import of decimal numbers. This can be used for performance (e.g., 4,5), market pay (e.g., 55.245,42) or similar data types.
Yes/No Value: This is also called a dummy variable. This can be used for capturing differences across groups that can either be yes or no. It's often used for defining premium job families, where all the job families with a higher pay range due to market forces are marked as "1" or "yes", and the regular job families have a "0" or "no".
Date: This is used for capturing the number of years based on a set date. It's often used for capturing tenure and time in job, where PayGap then turns the values into years since the date. The format must be date formatted in XLSX.
Date and time: Similar to "Date", just including a timestamp as well.
8. Save the custom field before uploading data
If the custom field does not exist in PayGap before the upload, it will not be available for mapping in the upload flow. The rest of the file can still be uploaded, but that specific field cannot be imported.
Once the field is created, it will be visible in the Custom Fields section.
9. Upload your file and review the mapping
Follow the usual upload flow. The suggested column mapping should now include the custom fields you created. These fields will appear during the upload in the Employee Custom Fields section at the bottom of the mapping screen. If the field names in the file differ from the identifiers created in PayGap, map them manually during upload.
KEY INFORMATION
Custom fields are used for data points that are outside PayGap’s standard data specification.
Custom fields must be configured before upload if you want to import them.
PayGap supports two categories: Employee Fields and Employment Fields.
The identifier should usually match the column name in your source file.
The display name is the label shown in the platform and can be changed later.
Example 1: Performance
If you want to import a performance-related value that belongs to the employee, create it as an Employee Field. If the values include decimals, use Decimal Number.
Example 2: Managerial status
If you want to mark whether a person is a manager, create this as an Employment Field, because it relates to the role rather than the person. If the values are binary, use Yes/No Value.
Example 3: Job Profile Name
If you want to import job profile names, create the field as an Employment Field and use Text.
Example 4: Number of direct reports
If you want to import the number of direct reports, use Integer because the values should be whole numbers.
COMMON QUESTIONS / TROUBLESHOOTING
What is the difference between Employee Fields and Employment Fields?
Employee Fields describe the employee directly. Employment Fields describe the job, role, or employment relationship.
Do I need to create custom fields before uploading the file?
Yes. If the field is not created first, it cannot be mapped during upload.
Can I still upload the rest of the file if one custom field was not created?
Yes. The remaining data can still be uploaded, but that specific field cannot be imported.
Does the identifier have to match the file header?
It should, whenever possible. This makes mapping easier and reduces the risk that the field will not match automatically in future uploads.
Why was my custom field not mapped automatically?
Usually because the identifier created in PayGap does not match the column name in the file. In that case, map it manually during upload.