Grove HR
Back to Help Center

Importing Data

Bring your existing employee data into Grove

1.Prepare Your Data

  1. Download our CSV template from Settings > Import Data > Download Template
  2. The template includes columns for: first name, last name, email, job title, department, start date, and more
  3. Fill in one row per employee — the email address is the only required field
  4. Dates should be in DD/MM/YYYY format (UK standard)
  5. Save the file as .csv (comma-separated values) — not .xlsx

2.Upload Your File

  1. Go to Settings > Import Data in your Grove dashboard
  2. Click "Upload CSV" and select your prepared file
  3. Grove will scan the file and show you a preview of what will be imported
  4. The column mapper lets you match your columns to Grove fields if they differ from the template
  5. Review the preview carefully — look for any rows highlighted in yellow (warnings) or red (errors)

3.Review & Confirm

  1. Check the summary: number of new employees to create, updates to existing records, and any skipped rows
  2. Rows with duplicate email addresses will be flagged — choose whether to skip or update the existing record
  3. Click "Import" to start the process — this may take a few moments for large files
  4. You will receive a confirmation email when the import completes
  5. Imported employees will NOT receive invitation emails automatically — you can send invites later from each profile

Tips for a smooth import

  • Start with a small test file (5–10 employees) before importing your full list
  • Remove any blank rows or header duplicates from your CSV before uploading
  • Department and team names are created automatically if they don’t already exist in Grove
  • You can re-import at any time — duplicate emails are detected and existing records are updated rather than duplicated
  • If you need help with a complex migration from another HR system, email support@grove.hr and we can assist