Create and Onboard Employees

Last updated: August 3, 2026

Overview

Before you can pay an employee, they must be added to your company and complete onboarding.

You can create employees individually or import them in bulk. Once an employee has been added, you’ll send them an onboarding invitation to securely collect the information needed for payroll, such as tax forms, bank account information, and employment documents.

Before You Begin

Before creating employees, make sure you’ve:

  • Completed Company Onboarding

  • Created at least one Work Location

  • Configured your employee onboarding requirements

Option 1: Create an Employee

To create an employee individually:

  1. Navigate to People.

  2. Select Add Employee.

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  1. Enter the employee’s basic information, including:

    • First name

    • Last name

    • Email address

    • Default work location

    • Employment settings

    • Pay settings (if applicable)

  2. Select Create Employee.

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Option 2: Import Employees

If you’re onboarding multiple employees, you can import them using a CSV file.

  1. Navigate to People.

  2. Select Import Employees.

  3. Upload your completed CSV.

  4. Review any validation errors.

  5. Complete the import.

Zeal validates your file before importing and identifies any missing or invalid information that needs to be corrected.

Send an Onboarding Invitation

After creating an employee, send them an onboarding invitation.

From the People page or the employee’s profile:

  1. Select Onboarding Link.

  2. Choose whether to:

    • Copy the onboarding link, or

    • Email it directly to the employee.

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Employees can complete onboarding from:

  • Desktop browser

  • Mobile browser

  • Your white-labeled mobile app (if enabled)

Track Onboarding Progress

You can monitor onboarding progress from the People page.

Each employee displays an onboarding status, making it easy to see who has completed onboarding and who still has outstanding tasks.

If an employee hasn’t completed onboarding, you can resend their invitation or generate a new onboarding link.

Review Employee Information

Before including an employee in payroll, review their profile to confirm they’ve completed the required onboarding steps.

From the employee profile you can review:

  • Profile Information

  • Employment Settings

  • Payment Settings

  • Tax Forms

  • Bank Information

  • Documents

  • Paperwork

If an employee needs to update only one section after onboarding, you can send them a Shareable Link instead of asking them to complete the full onboarding flow again.

Bulk Actions

The People page also allows you to efficiently manage multiple employees by:

  • Searching and filtering employees

  • Viewing onboarding status

  • Importing employees in bulk

  • Sending onboarding invitations

  • Opening employee profiles

Next Step

Once your employees have completed onboarding, you’re ready to process payroll.

📄 Run Payroll





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