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How to Export Employees in Horilla HRMS

March 18, 2026

Exporting employee data is essential for reporting, payroll, audits, and backups. In Horilla, you can export employees in just a few clicks, with flexible filters and formats that fit your HR workflow.

In this blog, we’ll walk through:

Where to find the employee export
How to filter which employees to export
How to choose the right export format
Common use cases and best practices

Filtering Which Employees to Export

Before exporting, it’s best to narrow the list to the exact employees you need. Horilla HRMS typically allows you to:

Search
Filter by status: Active, Inactive
Filter by department: for example, Sales, Engineering, HR
Filter by location: for example, Head Office, Remote, Branch A
Filter by employment type: Full-time, Part-time, Contract
and so on

Navigating to the Employee in Horilla

The screenshots above are from the Horilla demo, and we will use the same layout and labels here.

1. Log in to your Horilla account with an HR or Administrator profile that has permission to view employees.

2. From the left sidebar, click the Employee menu, then choose Employees.

3. You will land on the employees list page that shows columns like name, email, phone, badge ID, job position, department, shift, and so on.

4. At the top of the table, you will see buttons, e.g., Select, Import, Export, etc. More will be visible once the selection happens.

5. To prepare for export, either:

Use Select or Unselect to control which employees are selected quickly, or not
Use the Filter button to narrow the list first (for example, `Filters: Is active: True` as in the screenshot).

6. When you are ready with the records, click the Export button at the top of the list(the button will be visible once you select the records that you want to export).

If you can’t see the export option, check with your Horilla administrator that your role has the required permissions for data export.

Recommended workflow

1. On the Employee List page, apply your filters (status, department, and so on).

2. Confirm the list on screen looks correct.

3. Select the employees you want to export by using the Select, Unselect, or select individually.

4. Only then click `Export` in the action buttons.

Choosing the Export Format (CSV, Excel, or PDF)

When you click `Export`, Horilla opens an Export pop-up window.

At the top-right of the pop-up, there is a format dropdown (in the demo, it is set to Excel by default).
You can tick Select All Columns or individually choose which columns to export.
Once all are confirmed, click the export button to download the file.

Which format should you use?

Use CSV when:
- For quicker export.
Use Excel when:
- You want to build pivot tables, charts, or reports directly.
- Managers need an easily editable file for review.
Use PDF when:
- You’re sending static reports to external parties or auditors who shouldn’t edit the data.

Selecting Fields and Columns to Include

In the standard Horilla v2 export pop-up, you can choose from columns such as:

Employee
Email
Phone
Badge ID
Job Position
Department
Shift
Work Type
Job Role
Reporting Manager
Company
Work Email
Date of Joining
Employee Type

Common Use Cases for Employee Export

Payroll processing: export active employees with ID, name, department, bank details, and salary-related fields to sync with your payroll system.
Headcount and HR analytics: export by department, location, and status to analyze growth, turnover, or diversity.
Compliance and audits: export a full snapshot, including join and exit dates, for internal or external audit requirements.
Data migration: export all employees for migration to another system or for backup before a major configuration change.

Data Privacy and Security Tips

Because employee exports usually contain sensitive personal data, keep these practices in mind:

Store exports in secure folders with limited access.
Avoid sending raw files via public email or unencrypted channels.
Delete temporary exports when they are no longer needed.
Ensure only authorized HR or admin users can perform exports in Horilla.

Exporting employees in Horilla v2 is straightforward once you know where to find the Employee List and Export options. By combining filters, choosing the right format, and carefully selecting fields, you can turn Horilla into a powerful source for payroll, reporting, and analytics while staying compliant and secure.

Download Horilla HRMS from the App Store or Play Store and explore the free HR Experience In Your Hands.

Horilla HR Editorial Team Author

Horilla HR Editorial Team is a group of experienced HR professionals, HRIS consultants, and technical writers who are passionate about HR software. We have deep, hands-on understanding of the HR landscape — from hiring and onboarding to payroll compliance and workforce analytics — and are committed to providing our readers with the most up-to-date and accurate content. We have written extensively on a variety of HR software topics, including applicant tracking systems, performance management software, employee engagement tools, and payroll software. Our content is reviewed against real product capabilities and current compliance standards. We are always looking for new ways to share our knowledge with the HR community. If you have a question about HR software, please don't hesitate to contact us.