Once you've created custom attributes for your organization, the next step is to populate those attributes for employees. This ensures your people data is accurate, complete, and ready to power segmentation, reporting, and strategic insights across 15Five.

This article contains the following sections:

Access and availability

ā›”ļø Required access to the "Manage people" page.
šŸ‘„ This article is relevant to Account admins.
šŸ“¦ This feature is available in all pricing packages.


How to Populate Custom Attributes šŸ“

Once you've created custom attributes in 15Five, you can assign values to employees in two ways: in bulk using a CSV import or one-off from an individual's account settings page. Choose the method that works best for your workflow.

In Bulk One-Off

Use this method when you need to populate custom attribute values for multiple employees at once. This option is especially useful during initial setup or when importing large data sets.

  1. ClickĀ PeopleĀ in 15Five's main, left-hand navigation.
    People-Main-Nav.png
  2. Open the "Import" tab in the top navigation.
    Import-Tab.png
  3. Download your company's current employment structure by clicking theĀ Download current structureĀ button at the top of the page.
    Download-Current-Structure.png

    šŸ’”

    Tip

    We suggest downloading two copies of your current structure: one to make edits to and upload, and another to keep in a safe place for re-upload in case any unintended changes are made.

  4. Prepare your CSV file. Remove all unnecessary columns from the CSV. The only required columns are email (to identify each person), plus any custom attribute columns you want to update.
    • Columns for custom attributes that have already been created will appear on the far right-hand side of the CSV.
    • If you want to create new custom attributes via bulk import, simply add new columns with the format custom_attribute_name (e.g., custom_department, custom_certification_level, custom_tshirt_size).
  5. Fill in your attribute values. Fill in the attribute information for each person. Supported formats are textĀ and date (MM/DD/YYYY). Leave a cell blank if you don’t want to populate that attribute for a person.
    Update-Custom-Attribute-CSV.png

    āœļø

    Note

    Attributes added via CSV will be visible and editable by account admins by default. To adjust visibility or edit permissions later, visit the Attributes page.

  6. Upload your CSV. Click Choose file at the bottom of the import page and select your saved CSV (must be in UTF-8 CSV format).
    Choose-File.png
  7. Preview and confirm changes. After uploading, you’ll see a Preview import screen. Review all changes. If anything looks off, click Start over to cancel and return to the import page. Otherwise, click Finish import.
    Finish-Import.png
  8. What happens next? Depending on the size of your CSV, it may take up to 15 minutes for the import to complete. Once the import is complete, attribute fields will appear on employees' account settings pages under "Additional information."
    Additional-Information-Account-Settings.png


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ā“

Where can I see my organization's custom attributes?

You can view all custom attributes from the Attributes page in 15Five (People > Attributes). Scroll to the Other Attributes section—this is where custom attributes are listed.

From here, you can view attribute names, formats, and visibility settings. You can also edit or delete custom attributes as needed.

Who can see an employee's custom attribute values, and where?

Visibility of custom attribute values depends on the permissions set when the attribute was created or edited. By default, Account Admins can view and edit all custom attributes. You can optionally grant Managers in a person’s hierarchy or everyone with access to that person’s settings visibility and/or editing rights.

Attribute-Permissions.png

Custom attribute values can be viewed in two places:

  • Employee account settings: An employee's attribute values are listed in the "Additional Information" section.
    Additional-Information-Account-Settings.png
  • Bulk import CSV: Download your company's current structure on the "Bulk Import" page to view all assigned attributes. This option isĀ only available to Account Admins.
    Download-Current-Structure.png

To change who can see or edit an attribute, go to the Attributes page (People > Attributes) and edit the relevant field’s visibility settings.

Edit-Custom-Attribute.png

Why can't I see or edit a custom attribute in an employee’s account settings?

The attribute may not be visible to your role, or it may not be applicable to that employee. Check the attribute’s visibility settings on the Attributes page and confirm your role has access.

Custom-Attribute-Permissions.png

What happens if I include a custom attribute in my CSV but leave it blank for some employees?

Those employees will not have a value for that attribute—blank cells simply leave the field unpopulated.


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