What are Smart Tables?
Smart Tables allow you to view and edit employee information directly in the People section.
Instead of opening each employee profile separately or preparing an import file, you can display the information you need and update multiple employee records from one table.
The experience is similar to working with a spreadsheet, but the data remains protected by Calamari’s permissions, validation rules, and profile change history.
You can use Smart Tables to:
update information for several employees at once,
display only the fields relevant to your current task,
filter the employee list before making changes,
copy the same value to multiple rows,
update standard employee information and custom fields,
save all prepared changes at the same time.
When can Smart Tables be useful?
Smart Tables are particularly helpful when you need to make several related changes, for example:
updating positions, teams or contract types after an organizational change,
entering medical examination or health and safety training dates,
completing missing information before an audit,
correcting data after an employee import,
preparing employee information for payroll,
updating employment details at the end of the year,
completing profiles for a group of new employees,
assigning the same value, such as a contract type or holiday calendar, to multiple people.
How to prepare your table
Before you start editing, configure the table so that it contains only the employees and information relevant to your task.
1. Open the People section
Go to: Core HR → People
2. Filter the employee list
Use the filters available above the employee list to narrow down the group you want to work with.
For example, you can filter employees by:
team,
position,
location,
contract type,
holiday calendar,
employment status,
standard or custom employee fields.
This helps you avoid making changes to records that are not part of the current update.
3. Choose the columns you need
Select Customize columns in the upper-right corner.
The configuration window contains two sections:
Available data – fields that can be added to the table,
Selected data – fields currently displayed as columns.
Find the fields you need and add them to Selected data. You can also remove unnecessary fields or change the order in which the columns appear.
Depending on your configuration and permissions, the table can include:
personal information,
organizational structure,
employment information,
payroll-related information,
profile audit fields,
custom fields created by your organization.
For example, when updating employment details, you might display only:
first and last name,
position,
team,
effective date.
💡Tip: Your selected columns, filters, and employee group can also be saved as a custom view for future use.
How to edit employee data in Smart Tables
1. Turn on editing mode
Click the pencil icon next to the People section name.
After editing mode is activated, editable cells become interactive and the following options appear at the top of the page:
Exit editing mode
Save changes
2. Edit information directly in the cells
Click the field you want to update and enter or select the new value.
The available editing method depends on the field type. For example:
enter text into text fields,
select an option from a list,
choose one or more teams,
select a date,
remove an existing value,
choose a contract type, position, schedule or holiday calendar.
Calamari validates the information according to the field type. For example, a date field requires a valid date, while a list field only accepts options available in its configuration.
Changes that have not yet been saved are highlighted in the table, making it easier to review what has been modified.
3. Copy the same value to multiple employees
For supported fields, you can copy a value to several rows without selecting it separately for every employee.
To do this:
Enter or select the value in the first cell.
Select the cell.
Use the handle in the lower-right corner of the cell.
Drag it up or down across the rows you want to update.
Calamari will copy the value to the selected cells.
This can be used for fields such as:
positions,
teams,
holiday calendars,
list-based custom fields.
Copying is unavailable for fields where every value should normally be unique, such as an employee’s first name, last name or email address.
Important: Review the filtered employee list before dragging a value. The change will be prepared for every row included in the selected range.
4. Save the changes
Once all updates are ready, select Save changes.
Calamari will validate and save the prepared updates. After the operation is complete, a confirmation message will appear.
The saved information is immediately reflected in the relevant employee profiles and included in the profile change history.
To leave the table without continuing to edit, select Exit editing mode.
Permissions and data security
Smart Tables follow the same access and editing permissions as the rest of the People section.
This means that users can only:
see employees within their permitted scope,
view fields they have access to,
edit fields for which editing permission has been granted.
For example, a manager may be able to update selected information for members of their team without having access to sensitive information belonging to other employees.
Sensitive fields, such as salary or payroll information, remain available only to authorized roles. Every saved change is also recorded in the employee’s profile change history, including information about who made the update and when.
Smart Tables or employee import?
Smart Tables do not replace employee imports. Both options are designed for different situations.
Use an employee import to | Use Smart Tables to |
add a large number of employees for the first time | make regular updates to existing employee information |
migrate data from another system | need to correct several records |
already have a prepared spreadsheet containing many records | want to update a selected group of employees |
For most everyday employee data updates, Smart Tables provide a faster and more convenient alternative to editing individual profiles or preparing an import spreadsheet.
Example: updating contract types for several employees
Suppose a group of employees is moving to a new form of employment.
You can complete the update as follows:
Go to Core HR → People.
Filter the list to display the relevant employees.
Select Customize columns.
Add the employee name and Contract type columns.
Turn on editing mode.
Select the new contract type for the first employee.
Drag the value down to copy it to the remaining employees.
Review the prepared changes.
Select Save changes.
The new contract type will be saved in each employee’s profile without the need to open the profiles individually.