Xero Two-Way Integration: Syncing Employee Data

We’ve introduced a two-way integration with Xero Payroll (AU, NZ, and UK), allowing employee data to stay in sync across both platforms.

Previously, Xero acted as the primary "source of truth." Based on your feedback, we have expanded this so that updates made in HR Partner, including the creation of new employees, can now sync directly to Xero. This creates a more seamless workflow and significantly reduces manual data entry.

What’s New?


  • Two-Way Updates: Changes made in either HR Partner or Xero stay in sync automatically.
  • Send New Hires to Xero: Create an employee in HR Partner, and their details are sent to Xero immediately.
  • Works in Your Region: Fully compatible with Xero Payroll in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
  • Saves Time: No more typing the same information into two different systems.

Getting Started: Enabling Two-Way Sync


To turn on the bi-directional flow, an Admin user must enable the setting within your integration preferences.


  1. Navigate to Employees > Data > Integration.
  2. Locate the Two-Way Sync option and toggle it to On.
  3. Click Save Sync Settings.

💡 Note for Multi-Company Users: If you have multiple Xero companies linked to your HR Partner account, you must enable this setting for each company individually.

Adding New Employees to Xero


Once enabled, you will see a new option at the bottom of the Add Employee screen (and within the Recruitment "Hire" workflow).


How it works:

  • Create this employee in Xero (Checked): The employee record is created in both HR Partner and Xero simultaneously when you click save.
  • Create this employee in Xero (Unchecked): The employee remains in HR Partner only.

Multiple Xero Companies

If you have more than one Xero company connected, a dropdown menu will appear. Simply select which payroll company the new employee should be assigned to. If you only have one company connected, this happens automatically.

🇬🇧 Special Requirement: Xero UK

Xero UK requires an Employee Title (Honorific), which is a mandatory field in their system. When syncing to a UK payroll, you will be prompted to select a title (e.g., Mr., Mrs., Ms.) before the record can be pushed to Xero.

Updating Linked Employees

Once an employee record is linked between the two systems, updates to "Core Information" (see the table below) will sync automatically.

Sync Timing

Updates are processed in the background every 4 to 8 hours.

🔄 Pro Tip: If you make a change and don't see it reflected immediately, please allow a few hours for the next sync cycle to complete.

How Conflicts are Handled

HR Partner uses a "Last Updated" logic. The system identifies which platform had the most recent change to the employee's core information and pushes that data to the other system.

In rare cases, if updates are made in both systems around the same time, older information may override newer information.

Good to know

If something doesn’t look right, review the employee record and update the correct information - it will sync again on the next cycle.

Important: Completing Onboarding in Xero


When you push a new employee from HR Partner to Xero, HR Partner creates the initial shell of the employee record (Names, Address, Contact info).

You must still log into Xero to complete the payroll-specific setup, including:

  • Tax declarations and TFNs/IRD numbers.
  • Pay rates and calendars.
  • Superannuation/Pension funds.

⚠️ Critical: Until this onboarding setup is finalized in Xero, further updates from HR Partner will not sync to that specific record.

What Information Gets Synced?

The fields synced depend on your Xero region. HR Partner supports the following:

Information AU NZ UK
Title (Honorific)

✓
First & Last Name ✓ ✓ ✓
Date of Birth ✓ ✓ ✓
Gender ✓ ✓ ✓
Email ✓ ✓ ✓
Phone ✓ ✓ ✓
Mobile ✓

Address (Line 1 & 2) ✓ ✓ ✓
City ✓ ✓ ✓
Suburb
✓
State ✓

Post Code ✓ ✓ ✓

🌍 Note: HR Partner allows for multiple contact details. However, Xero only accepts one. We will sync the first Home Address, Email, and Phone number listed in the HR Partner profile.

Troubleshooting & Limitations


Current Limitations

  • Manual Only: At this time, employees created via CSV Import or the API are not automatically pushed to Xero.

Monitoring the Sync

If data isn't appearing as expected:

  • Check the System Log: Go to Setup > Tools > System Log. This provides a detailed trail of sync activity and any errors returned by Xero.

  • Verify Onboarding: Ensure the employee has been "Finished" or "Processed" within Xero Payroll.
  • Check for Overwrites: If an update didn't "stick," it may have been overridden by a more recent change in the opposing system. Simply update the record again to trigger a new sync.

Need help?

As always, please reach out to our friendly support team if you are having problems with two way syncing between HR Partner and Xero.

We are always here to help.

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