Custom attributes let your organization track employee data not included in default or demographic fields — such as certification level, employment type, or region. After completing these steps, the new attribute will appear on the Attributes page and be available for assigning values to employee profiles.
Before You Begin
You must have the HR Admin role to create custom attributes. Account Admins without the HR Admin role cannot access this workflow.
Steps
- Go to People → Attributes.
- Click Create a New Attribute.
- Enter a Name for the attribute.
- Select a Format: choose Text (letters and numbers) or Date (MM/DD/YYYY).
- Enter a Description for the attribute.
- Set View permissions to control which roles can see this attribute.
- Set Edit permissions to control which roles can modify this attribute.
- Toggle Enable filtering in HR Outcomes Dashboard on or off.
- Toggle Enable filtering in Engagement survey reporting on or off.
- Click Save.
If Something Goes Wrong
| Issue | Check | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Attribute is not visible on an employee's profile | Attribute visibility permissions may exclude your role | Go to People → Attributes, find the attribute, and confirm the View permission includes your role |
| Attribute does not appear as a filter in HR Outcomes or Engagement | Filtering was not enabled during setup | Edit the attribute and toggle on the relevant filtering option |
| Save button is unresponsive | Name field may be blank | Enter a name before saving |
Not Covered Here
This article covers creating a custom attribute only — for instructions on populating attribute values via CSV import, HRIS integration, or manual entry, see the related articles below.