What connectors are available for HR and absence management systems?

The most commonly used connectors for HR and absence management systems link platforms such as AFAS, Visma Raet, SAP SuccessFactors, and Youforce to feedback platforms for employee research. Through these integrations, employee data flows automatically from the HR system to the XM platform, keeping your surveys up to date and enabling follow-up at team or department level. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about HR integrations, from technical operation to GDPR requirements.

Which HR and absence management systems are most often connected to feedback platforms?

The most common HR integrations are connections with AFAS, Visma Raet, SAP SuccessFactors, Youforce, and Nmbrs. For absence management, integrations with Verzuim Signaal, Nedap ONS, and ArboNed are also frequently set up. These systems contain the core data that a feedback platform needs to automatically trigger employee surveys and direct them to the right person.

The choice of a specific system depends on the size of the organisation and the sector. Mid-sized organisations often work with AFAS or Nmbrs; larger, international companies more frequently choose SAP SuccessFactors or Workday. What they have in common: they store employee mutations such as onboarding, role or team changes, and offboarding. Those mutations are precisely the triggers for targeted feedback moments.

In practice, we see that organisations that connect their HR system to an employee research platform have significantly less manual administration. A new team member is automatically included in the onboarding survey; an employee who changes departments automatically receives a check-in. That is the essence of continuous listening: not measuring once a year, but at the right moment.

How does a connector between an HR system and an XM platform work technically?

A connector is an automated integration that sends employee data from the HR system to the XM platform via an API or file exchange (such as SFTP). The HR system acts as the source file; the feedback platform receives the data, processes it, and uses it as the basis for sending surveys and structuring reports.

API integrations

With an API integration, the XM platform communicates directly and in real time with the HR system. As soon as a change occurs in the HR system — such as a new employee or a role change — the API sends a signal immediately. This makes it possible to trigger feedback moments based on current events, without any manual intervention.

File exchange via SFTP

Not every HR system offers a full API. In those cases, an integration via a secure file protocol (SFTP) is used. The HR system periodically exports a file containing employee information, which the XM platform reads and processes. This is less real time than an API, but for many organisations it is sufficient to update daily or weekly.

Both methods require agreements on the data format, the frequency of synchronisation, and the authorisation layer. A well-built connector logs every transfer, flags anomalies, and makes it possible to intervene manually if the connection is disrupted.

What employee data is exchanged via a connector?

An HR integration typically exchanges the following data: name, email address, department, team, job title, manager, start date, and sometimes contract type or location. Absence management integrations add absence frequency or duration, so that engagement data and absence data can be viewed side by side.

This explicitly does not include sensitive medical or salary data. The data exchanged serves a single purpose: ensuring that the right question reaches the right employee at the right time, and that responses are reported at the correct level of aggregation. Think of team reports for line managers or department overviews for HR Business Partners.

The exact data you exchange is defined in a data mapping. This specifies, field by field, which HR field corresponds to which field in the XM platform, and which fields are used for segmentation in reports. A good data mapping prevents you from ending up with isolated data silos that cannot be compared with one another.

What is the difference between a native connector and a custom integration?

A native connector is a ready-made integration that the XM platform has already built for a specific HR system. A custom integration is developed specifically for a system for which no standard integration is available. Native connectors are faster to implement and require less technical maintenance; custom integrations are more flexible but cost more time and budget.

The advantages of a native connector are clear:

• Shorter implementation time, often operational within a few days
• Less dependency on external developers
• Automatic updates when the HR system releases a new version
• Lower maintenance burden for the IT department

A custom integration makes sense when you use a less common HR system, or when you want to incorporate specific business logic that a standard connector does not support. For example, an integration that not only passes on employee mutations but also includes contract data or shift schedules as a trigger for a specific questionnaire.

When choosing between the two options, it is advisable to first identify which native connectors are available for your HR system, and then assess whether the standard integration fits your processes.

How does an HR integration lead to better follow-up on employee research?

An HR integration makes it possible to link feedback data directly to organisational structures such as teams, departments, and managers. This means a line manager no longer has to wait for an annual report, but has real-time insight into how their team is experiencing things and can act immediately on signals.

This aligns with the principle of closed-loop follow-up: an employee gives feedback, that feedback reaches the right person, and that person can act on it. Without an HR integration, this routing is manual and error-prone. With an integration, it is automated and scalable.

The steps towards better follow-up typically proceed as follows:

1. The HR system sends a mutation, for example a new employee after thirty days.
2. The XM platform automatically sends a targeted questionnaire based on that trigger.
3. The response is linked to the team and line manager of that employee.
4. The line manager sees the feedback in a team dashboard and can follow up immediately.
5. HR monitors at organisational level which teams are taking action and which are not.

By combining engagement data with absence data, you can identify patterns you would otherwise miss. A team with declining engagement scores and rising absence requires a different approach than a team where scores are stable. That combination of data is only possible when both systems communicate with each other.

What are the GDPR requirements when linking HR data to a feedback platform?

When linking HR data to a feedback platform, standard GDPR requirements apply: there must be a lawful basis for the processing, data may not be retained longer than necessary, employees must be informed about the processing, and appropriate technical and organisational measures must be in place to secure the data.

In practice, this means the following for HR integrations:

• Record the integration in a data processing agreement with the XM platform provider.
• Ensure that the data mapping only includes personal data that is strictly necessary for the research purpose (data minimisation).
• Inform employees via the privacy policy or a separate notice about which data is used and for what purpose.
• Establish a retention policy: how long are individual responses retained, and when are they anonymised or deleted?
• Verify that the provider is ISO 27001 certified and demonstrably GDPR compliant.

A specific point of attention is anonymity in reports. Even when individual responses are protected, a team report with only two or three respondents may be traceable back to individuals. Good XM platforms apply a minimum threshold — typically five respondents — before team data is displayed. This protects employees and also increases willingness to respond honestly.

When you also integrate absence data, extra care is required. Absence data can indirectly contain medical information, which is a special category of personal data under the GDPR. In that case, limit the integration to aggregated absence figures at team level, never at individual level.

How CYS Group helps with HR integrations for employee research

CYS Group offers direct integrations with the most widely used HR and absence management systems through the cx.management platform, so that your employee research is no longer a standalone project but a continuous process connected to your existing HR data. The integration ensures that feedback moments are automatically triggered based on employee mutations, that reports always reflect the current organisational structure, and that line managers see team data they can act on immediately.

What you get in concrete terms:

• Native connectors for common HR systems such as AFAS and Visma Raet, as well as custom integrations for specific situations
• Automatic triggers based on onboarding, team changes, or absence patterns
• Team reports that give line managers direct insight into engagement, happiness at work, and energy via the Employee Energy Pulse
• Closed-loop follow-up so that feedback does not go unaddressed but leads to concrete action
• GDPR-compliant and ISO 27001-certified processing of all employee data

Would you like to know which connectors are available for your HR system and what an integration looks like in practice? Get in touch and we will explore the possibilities for your organisation together.

Make every experience count.