---
title: "HiBob integration: Overview"
slug: "hibob-integration-overview"
updated: 2026-10-23T15:19:22Z
published: 2026-10-23T15:19:22Z
canonical: "help.cintra.co.uk/hibob-integration-overview"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.cintra.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# HiBob integration: Overview

HiBob is a third party HR system that you can integrate with Cintra People Payroll. The integration brings employee data from HiBob into Cintra People Payroll, so you don't have to enter it twice. You keep employee records up to date in HiBob, and Cintra People Payroll pulls the changes in.

Data flows one way only, from HiBob to Cintra People Payroll. Changes you make in payroll aren't sent back to HiBob.

## What the integration brings in

| Data | How it's brought in |
| --- | --- |
| Employee details, including personal details, payroll details, bank details and cost codes | Main sync |
| Fixed payments and ongoing deductions, including salary | Main sync |
| Pension contributions | Main sync |
| Absences | Main sync |
| One-off payments and deductions | Separate import from the payroll |

Employee details always sync first (except for one-off payments and deductions), so the employee exists in payroll before any payments, pensions or absences are added.

For a full list of the HiBob fields the integration reads, and where each one goes in payroll, see [HiBob integration: Field mapping](/payroll/docs/hibob-integration-field-mapping).

## What the integration doesn't bring in

- Job titles
- Holiday entitlement
- Tax and HMRC starter details (tax code, NI category, starter declaration, student loans and W1/M1)
- Mobile phone, second email and leaving reason
- Parental leave policies. The absence is added to the employee's calendar, but you add the policy in payroll once all the parental details are known.
- Employee In Post Payment and Spine Point Addition payments. Add these manually in payroll.
- Employees set to **No payroll** in HiBob, such as contractors.
- Custom fields in HiBob, other than the ones listed in [HiBob integration: Required fields in HiBob](/payroll/docs/hibob-integration-required-fields-in-hibob).

## When data syncs

The main sync runs automatically every night at 1am. You can also run it at any time by going to **Payroll** > **CintraHR log** and clicking **Sync now**. We recommend running it manually the first time, rather than waiting for the overnight sync.

One-off payments and deductions aren't part of the nightly sync. To bring them in, click **Import from HiBob** on the **One-off payments & deductions** card on the payroll page. You can import as many times as you need to, and payments won't be duplicated.

Any errors results from each sync and import appear in the [CintraHR log](/payroll/docs/hibob-integration-using-the-cintrahr-log). All successful changes can be found under [Period Changes](/payroll/docs/period-changes-dashboard) or the [Audit Log Report](/payroll/docs/overview-of-available-payroll-reports).

## Who does what

| Role | Responsibilities |
| --- | --- |
| HiBob admin | Creates the service user, permission group and custom fields in HiBob, provides the API credentials to Cintra, and tells Cintra about any absence types impacting the payroll and and new absence types added after onboarding. |
| HiBob user | Keeps employee records up to date in HiBob and fixes errors caused by HiBob data. |
| Payroll user | Runs syncs and imports, reviews the CintraHR log, fixes errors caused by payroll data, and keeps payroll set-up (payrolls, work patterns, headings, pension scheme parts and cost codes) matching HiBob. |
| Cintra | Creates the integration, enters the API credentials, maps absence types and custom fields, and resolves connection problems. |

## Day-to-day process

Each time you need HiBob data in payroll, make the change in HiBob, run the sync or import, then check the CintraHR log and fix any errors. For the full process, see [HiBob integration: Syncing data](/payroll/docs/hibob-integration-syncing-data).

## Before you go live

For the integration to match records correctly, these must have the same names in HiBob and payroll:

- Payrolls
- Work patterns
- Payment and deduction headings, including **Salary**
- Pension scheme parts
- Cost codes

Existing payroll records set up when your payroll was onboarded are matched with HiBob automatically. For details, see [HiBob integration: Matching existing records at go-live](/payroll/docs/hibob-integration-matching-existing-records-at-go-live).

## Where to go next

| If you're a... | Start with |
| --- | --- |
| HiBob admin | [HiBob integration: Setting up](/payroll/docs/hibob-integration-setting-up) [HiBob integration: Required fields in HiBob](/payroll/docs/hibob-integration-required-fields-in-hibob) |
| HiBob user | [HiBob integration: Employee data](/payroll/docs/hibob-integration-employee-data) [HiBob integration: Importing one-off payments and deductions](/payroll/docs/hibob-integration-importing-one-off-payments-and-deductions) |
| Payroll user | [HiBob integration: Syncing data](/payroll/docs/hibob-integration-syncing-data) [HiBob integration: Using the CintraHR log](/payroll/docs/hibob-integration-using-the-cintrahr-log) |