UKG Ready + Nectar Integration

Connect UKG Ready to Nectar so your HR, payroll, and time data keeps your recognition program accurate for every employee.

Overview

UKG Ready brings HR, payroll, and time management together for small and mid-sized organizations. Nectar connects to it so new hires are added automatically, profile and department changes carry over, and terminated employees are deactivated. Your team keeps UKG Ready current, and Nectar stays current with it.

Ideal for:

• Small and mid-sized organizations running HR and payroll in UKG Ready
• Hourly and frontline employers with frequent hiring
• HR teams that want location and department targeting in Nectar
• Organizations that want to choose between an API connection and a file feed

How It Works

Nectar reads employee data from UKG Ready and uses it to create, update, and deactivate Nectar accounts. Data flows one way, from UKG Ready into Nectar, so UKG Ready stays your single source of truth.

What data syncs

• First name, preferred first name, and last name
• Work email (personal email is used only if no work email exists)
• Employee ID
• Job title and department
• Manager
• Office location and country
• Hire date and birthday
• Phone number
• Employment status (active or terminated)

Every field has a job inside Nectar. Manager relationships assign manager roles and Team Insights automatically. Hire dates and birthdays drive work anniversary and birthday celebrations in Nectar Recognition. Departments and locations power analytics filters, Group Give, and audience targeting in Nectar Comms, Nectar Engage, and Nectar Flows. Hire dates and work anniversaries can also trigger Nectar Flows, and manager relationships assign reviewers in Nectar Perform and build the org view in Nectar Signals. Country keeps the rewards catalog relevant for each employee, and phone numbers enable SMS delivery in Nectar Comms.

Sync behavior

• API connection: syncs automatically every day, with an on-demand Sync & Import option
• SFTP connection: runs each time UKG Ready delivers a file; most teams schedule a daily delivery early on weekday mornings
• Either way, new hires are added, profile changes carry over, and terminated employees are deactivated

New users are created quietly by default. When you are ready to launch, turn on "Send Nectar platform email invitations to new users" so every future hire gets an invite automatically.

Authentication method

For the API connection, a UKG Ready administrator provides your company short name, API key, and a service account assigned a security profile with access to HR data and the REST API. For SFTP, UKG Ready delivers a scheduled report with SFTP as the export method. API connections are read-only, and Nectar never asks for or stores your UKG Ready login credentials. SFTP files are encrypted in transit over SSH, and the private key never leaves your systems.

Where users interact

Admins connect, monitor, and pause the integration in Nectar under Workspace Settings, then Integrations. Employees never touch it: they just find an accurate profile, the right manager, and their teammates already in Nectar when they log in.

Key Features + Benefits

• Automatic provisioning: new hires in UKG Ready get Nectar accounts without a manual upload
• Always-current profiles: title, department, manager, and location changes flow into Nectar
• Automated offboarding: terminated employees are deactivated, not deleted, so access ends and records stay intact
• Your choice of connection: connect through UKG Ready's API for the fastest setup, or a scheduled SFTP report for full control over every field
• Celebrations on autopilot: birthdays and work anniversaries are recognized automatically from synced dates
• Controlled launch: accounts are created quietly, and invitations go out only when you turn them on
• Selective sync: choose exactly which departments and employee types are included

Setup and Implementation

Setting up the UKG Ready integration follows four steps: Connect, Authorize, Map, and Enable. Your Nectar Customer Success Manager guides you through each one.

High-level setup steps

1. Connect: In Nectar, go to Workspace Settings, then Integrations, and choose either the HRIS API connection (Connect HRIS) or HRIS SFTP Sync (Connect SFTP).
2. Authorize: Search for UKG Ready and enter your company short name, API key, and service account credentials, or add the public SSH key for a scheduled SFTP report.
3. Map: For the API, choose the departments and employee types to include. For SFTP, build a UKG Ready report scheduled with SFTP as the export method using Nectar's template columns.
4. Enable: Run your first import, confirm your users, schedule ongoing syncs, and turn on invitations when you are ready to launch.

Requirements

• A UKG Ready service account with a security profile that includes HR data and REST API access
• Department data stored in a consistent UKG Ready field (often a cost center)
• Nectar admin access

Estimated setup time

The API connection usually takes under 30 minutes once your service account is ready. An SFTP feed typically takes a few weeks.

Your integration should never delay your launch. If the connection is not live yet, Nectar's Bulk Upload loads your employees from a spreadsheet so you can launch on schedule and switch to the automated sync when it is ready.

Detailed, step-by-step instructions are available in the Nectar Help Center.

Use Cases

• Onboard hourly and frontline hires into Nectar automatically
• Target Nectar Comms by location and department
• Celebrate birthdays and work anniversaries from UKG Ready dates
• Deactivate terminated employees without a manual step
• Keep managers accurate for approvals and Team Insights

Security & Compliance

Nectar protects employee data at every step of the UKG Ready connection.

• Read-only API access through a SOC 2 Type II audited integration partner, or SSH key-authenticated SFTP
• Nectar never stores your UKG Ready login credentials, and SFTP private keys never leave your systems
• Data is encrypted in transit
• Nectar only uses the profile fields listed above and never syncs compensation, bank details, or benefits elections
• Only Nectar admins can connect, pause, or remove the integration
• Nectar maintains a SOC 2 Type II report, audited annually, with security documentation available in the Nectar Trust Center

Learn more on the Nectar Security page and in the Nectar Trust Center.

Support & Resources

• Nectar Help Center
• How to sync employee data with Nectar using SFTP
• How to monitor and manage your HRIS SFTP sync
• Bulk upload users (to launch before your sync is live)
• Nectar Trust Center
• Email Nectar Support at [email protected], or contact your Customer Success Manager