I wanted to share our implementation of an automated resource request workflow that significantly improved our hiring and onboarding process. Before this automation, resource requests would sit in generic HR inboxes for days before being manually routed to the appropriate department head for approval.
We built a business process in Workday R2 2023 that automatically routes resource requests based on department, cost center, and position type. The workflow includes conditional approvals - standard positions under $80K go directly to department heads, while senior roles or positions over that threshold require additional VP approval.
The notifications piece was critical. We configured the system to send immediate alerts to hiring managers when requests are submitted, and automated reminders every 48 hours if approvals are pending. This created urgency and accountability that didn’t exist with our email-based process.
The results have been impressive - our average onboarding time dropped from 21 days to 9 days, primarily because requests no longer languish waiting for the right approver to see them. Hiring managers love the transparency of seeing exactly where their request is in the approval chain.
Coverage is typically handled through delegation settings in Workday rather than in the workflow itself. Users can designate delegates who can approve on their behalf when they’re out. However, for a robust resource request workflow, you should also build in an escalation path as a safety net. If an approval sits for more than a certain period (maybe 5 business days), automatically escalate to the next level manager or to a backup approver group.
Another best practice is to configure the workflow to check if the assigned approver has an active delegation before routing. If they do, route directly to the delegate rather than to the primary approver. This prevents the delay of the request sitting in an out-of-office person’s queue before the delegation kicks in.
This is exactly what we need to implement. Can you share more details about how you configured the conditional routing? Specifically, how does the workflow determine which department head to route to? Is that based on the submitter’s org structure, or do they select the department when creating the request?
What about situations where the department head is out of office or on vacation? Does your workflow have any coverage model built in, or do those requests just wait until the person returns? We’re concerned about building a workflow that creates bottlenecks when key approvers are unavailable.
The 48-hour reminder notifications are a smart touch. Did you implement those as part of the business process itself, or did you create a separate scheduled process to check for pending approvals and send reminders? We’re trying to figure out the best architecture for similar notification requirements in our procurement workflows.