Guide: Upload Historical (Prior) Compensation Data

Uploading historical data helps managers understand past compensation and ensures SimplyMerit can apply proration logic accurately when needed. This guide walks you through uploading prior-year data using the Dynamic Importer.

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Where to Upload

Navigate to Configuration > Data Import, then select the Dynamic Importer.

Upload a CSV file with one row per employee. The first required field is:

EMP_ID
The unique identifier for each employee. This must match the employee’s ID in your current census upload.

If there are errors, the system will highlight the row and issue for easy troubleshooting.

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Required Format and Fields

Important: The prior_1_ fields should represent the current compensation context, not an older baseline.
For example, prior_1_salary should reflect the employee’s salary before their current cycle increase.
The prior_1_salary_date is critical for triggering date-of-last-increase proration logic.

Field Reference

Field	Required	Format	Description
EMP_ID	Yes	Text	Unique identifier for each employee. Must match current census.
prior_1_salary_date	Yes (for proration)	YYYYMMDD	Last date the employee’s salary changed. Used for proration logic. Example: 20240401
prior_1_salary	Optional	Numeric	Previous base salary amount. Enter as plain number (e.g., 60000). No currency symbols or commas.
prior_1_total_bonus	Optional	Numeric	Total bonus awarded in the previous cycle. Numeric only.
prior_1_total_equity	Optional	Numeric	Total equity granted in the previous cycle. Numeric only.
prior_1_total_comp	Optional	Numeric	Total compensation (salary + bonus + equity). Numeric only.
prior_1_salary_currency	Optional	ISO Code	Currency code for salary, e.g., USD, EUR, GBP.
prior_1_performance_score	Optional	Whole number or blank	Prior cycle performance score. Must align with your configured rating scale. Example: 1, 2, 3.
prior_1_salary_reason	Optional	Text	Reason for last salary adjustment (e.g., "Annual Review", "Promotion").

You may optionally include additional years using prior_2_, prior_3_, and so on up to prior_5_, following the same format.

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File Formatting Guidelines

• Do not use currency symbols, commas, or text in numeric fields

• Use YYYYMMDD format for all dates

• Headers must match the field names shown, though the Dynamic Importer will try its best to match as best it can for you automatically

• Ensure EMP_ID matches what is used in your current census

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After Upload

Once imported, check a few employee profiles or preview a test report to confirm the data appears correctly. You can view salary history information by clicking the blue (I) icon next to an employee's name.

This will pop up the additional details modal, which contains Salary History:


 

Exports will show the data under the prior_X fields near the end of the CSV:

 

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Additional Resources

For a complete list of supported fields, formatting requirements, and examples, please review the
SimplyMerit Data Dictionary.