How to Hire an Employee in Workday

Access the Workday dashboard

Open the Workday application and confirm you're on the main dashboard. You should see widgets such as Awaiting Your Action and Your Top Apps, along with a search bar at the top of the screen. This dashboard is your starting point for locating the pre-hire record.

Search for the pre-hire employee

Click the search bar at the top of the dashboard and begin typing a relevant keyword, such as a letter of the person's name. A dropdown appears showing Recent Searches along with quick filter options like People, Tasks and Reports, Learning, and Drive.

Continue typing the full name or search term (for example, "ross ge"). The dropdown populates with matching people and organizations, allowing you to locate the correct individual.

Select the pre-hire profile

Click the correct pre-hire name from the search results. Workday navigates to the People category and displays a list of matching pre-hire profiles. Confirm the profile details—such as the manager's name and pre-hire status—then click the profile to open it.

Open the Hire action

On the pre-hire profile page, locate the Actions menu and hover over or click Hire. A submenu appears with options including Contract Contingent Worker and Hire Employee. Select Hire Employee to proceed.

Choose the supervisory organization

In the Hire Employee dialog, type the relevant organization name into the Supervisory Organization field (for example, "betty"). Select the appropriate organization from the search results.

Enter the hire date

On the Hire Employee form, click the calendar icon and select the desired hire date. Use the calendar's navigation arrows to move to the correct month and date if needed. At this point the Reason, Position, Employee Type, and Job Profile fields are still to be completed.

Specify the reason for hire

In the Reason field, type or select the appropriate reason (for example, "hire > New Position"). Confirm the correct option is selected from the dropdown.

Select the position

In the Position field, search for the appropriate role. Review the list of available positions and select the correct one for the new hire.

Review job details

Confirm that the core job details are filled in, including:

• Hire Date
• Reason
• Position
• Job Profile
• Time Type
• Location

If a required field is still missing, a red error indicator appears at the top right (for example, "1 Error"). The Submit, Save for Later, and Cancel buttons are available at the bottom of the form.

Select the employee type

Click the Employee Type field to open the dropdown, scroll through the options, and select the appropriate type (for example, FULL TIME). Confirm the selection appears in the field.

Enter working time details

Scroll to the Working Time section and enter the following:

• Location Weekly Hours — pre-filled (for example, 40).
• Default Weekly Hours — enter the value and adjust as needed.
• Scheduled Weekly Hours — enter the value and adjust as needed.
• FTE — pre-filled (for example, 100%).

If you change the weekly hours, make sure Default Weekly Hours and Scheduled Weekly Hours match. Leave Specify a Paid FTE and Specify a Working FTE unchecked unless your situation requires them.

Select the work shift

Click the Work Shift field to open the dropdown. Review the available options, such as Day, EM Day Shift, EM Night Shift, EM Swing Shift, EM Weekend Shift, Evening, and Night (all United States of America). Select the appropriate shift—for example, Day (United States of America). Once selected, the "Error: Select a Work Shift" message disappears.

Add additional comments

In the Additional Information section, locate the comment field and enter any relevant notes about the hire. Review the related links provided, such as Business Policy Document and Curious?, for further guidance.

Submit the hire request

Review all entered information for accuracy, then click the blue Submit button at the bottom of the form to finalize the hire. You can also use Save for Later to pause and return to the form, or Cancel to discard your changes.

After submission, a confirmation message appears along with the next assigned task. Options to View Details or Reassign the task are available on the pre-hire profile page.

Check your inbox for new tasks

Navigate to your Workday Inbox to find any new tasks generated by the hire, such as "Assign Work Schedule for Hire." The Inbox also displays other recent and pending tasks, along with notification icons showing alert and message counts.

Review the business process audit

Navigate to the Archive tab to view completed or system-generated audit messages. Review the Business Process Unassigned Step Audit, which explains when a step cannot be assigned because no worker is available for the required role. Follow the instructions to review the business process definition and assign a worker, then use Reassign Steps to confirm if needed.

Verify hire completion

In the Archive tab, locate the hire entry with the status "Successfully Completed: Multiple Parties." The right pane shows the process details, including the position, overall process name, overall status, and due date. Under My Actions, review any pending items and click Reassign if you need to delegate the next step.

Review hire details

Click the Details tab to confirm the employee name, supervisory organization, hire date, and reason for hire. Additional job details appear below this summary. Use Correct or Rescind at the bottom if changes or cancellation are required.

View the event summary

The View Event screen summarizes the completed hire, showing the position, overall process, overall status, and due date. Tabs for My Actions, Details, Process, and Related Links let you review or take further action. Use Correct or Rescind if post-completion changes are necessary.

Access related links and documentation

Click the Related Links tab to view supporting resources, including the Business Policy Document and a Curious? link for additional guidance. Open these links as needed for policy information.