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Native Integration with Workday HRIS

Updated

Awardco is a Workday Top-Tier Partner with a Workday Certified Native HRIS Integration. This robust, self-service integration is generally available to all clients and is free to deploy, making setup simple, fast, and secure.

 

Integrating your Workday HRIS with Awardco is a powerful way to automate user management and keep your employee data in sync. This API-based integration is Workday Certified, free, and self-service, streamlining the process and eliminating the need for manual file transfers. It ensures your recognition programs always have the most accurate information and supports more languages than competing integrations.

 

This article will guide you through the entire setup process, which typically takes only 10-15 minutes to deploy, from creating a dedicated user in Workday to configuring the connection within Awardco. It's important to follow the steps in sequential order the first time you set up the integration to ensure a successful connection. After the initial setup, you can return to specific sections of this article for managing your settings.



 

  1. Integrated System User (ISU) Creation
  2. Registering Awardco as an API Client in Workday
  3. Workday Registration in Awardco
  4. Mapping Employee Data Fields from Workday
  5. Configuring Import and General Settings
  6. FAQ

 

Integrated System User (ISU) Creation

Before beginning the setup process, you’ll need to create a specific ISU account for Awardco. This user will act as the dedicated connection point between Workday and Awardco. Follow the instructions below for creating an ISU and setting it up with the proper permissions.

 

Create an ISU Account

To get started, you'll need to create an Integration System User (ISU) that will own and run the integration tasks.

  1. In the Workday search bar, type "Create Integration System User" and click the task.
  2. Create a Username and Password. You'll need to share these with Awardco, so be sure to save them somewhere secure.
  3. It's best practice to begin your ISU username with "ISU_" (e.g., ISU_Awardco).
  4. Ensure your password is strong and follows Workday's best practices. You can update it later if needed.
  5. Check the box for "Do Not Allow UI Sessions." This prevents anyone from logging into the Workday UI with these credentials, but the ISU can still be used for web services and integrations.

  6. Click OK.

     

  7. After creating the account, go to the Workday search bar and search for the new ISU. Make sure the search category is "All of Workday."

 

 

Create Security Group for ISU/Report Access

Next, you'll create a security group to assign the ISU to, which will provide the necessary permissions.

  1. In the Workday search bar, type "Create Security Group" and click the task.
  2. For "Type of Tenanted Security Group," select "Integration System Security Group (Unconstrained)."
  3. Name the security group. It's best practice to include "ISSG" in the name (e.g., ISSG_Awardco).

     
     
  4. Click OK.
  5. On the next screen, under "Integration System Users," select the ISU you just created and click OK.



 

Assign Domains to the Security Group

Finally, you'll assign the necessary security domains to your new group so the integration can access the required data.

  1. Find the security group you just created. If you can't see it, search for the name, ensuring your search option is set to "All of Workday."
  2. Go to the security group's "Related Actions" icon, hover over "Security Group," and click "Maintain Domain Permissions for Security Group."

     
     
  3. Under both "Domain Security Policies permitting Modify access" and "Domain Security Policies permitting Get access," add the following permissions. These correspond to the data fields you'll be pulling from Workday. "View Only" access is required, not "Modify."
    • Person Data: Work Address
    • Person Data: Home Contact Information
    • Person Data: Name
    • Person Data: Date of Birth
    • Person Data: Work Contact Information
    • Person Data: Home Address
    • Person Data: Personal Information
    • Worker Data: Current Staffing Information
    • Worker Data: Service Dates
    • Worker Data: Organization Information
    • Worker Data: Active and Terminated Workers
    • Worker Data: All Positions
    • Worker Data: Employment Data
    • Worker Position: View
    • Worker Data: Job Details
    • Worker Data: Public Worker Reports
    • Worker Data: Workers
    • Worker Data: System ID
    • Worker Data: Worker ID
    • Worker Data: Business Title on Worker Profile
    • Workday Query Language
       
  4. If you are unable to find a specific domain, you may need to grant permission to its parent domain first.
  5. Once you've added the domains, go to the search bar and type "Activate Pending Security Policy Changes," then click the task.


     
     
  6. On the next screen, you'll see a review of the security domains you're activating. Check the "Confirm" box and click OK. 

     

 

These are the required permissions for the integration, however if you want additional data, you can add more permissions here if you would like. 

 

 

Registering Awardco as an API Client in Workday

Now you will register Awardco as a secure API client in your Workday instance.

  1. Navigate to Workday and log in using your admin account.
  2. Run the "Register API Client for Integrations" task in the search bar.


     
  3. Input the following values into the form:
    1. Client Name: Awardco
    2. Non-Expiring Refresh Tokens: Check this box.
    3. Scope: Organizations and Roles, Staffing, Personal Data, Contact Information, System
  4. Click OK.

 

 

Finding the Client ID and Client Secret

After registering Awardco as an API Client and clicking OK, you’ll find the following values at the bottom of the registration page.

  • Client ID
  • Client Secret (this will only be shown once)

 

Take note of these values. You’ll need to input these values during the integration setup process in Awardco.

 

Important: The client secret can only be viewed once. If you don't copy it correctly, you'll have to generate a new one. See the FAQ section of this document if you find yourself needing to generate a new client secret.

 

 

Locating the API and Token Endpoints

  1. In Workday, run the “View API Clients” task in the search bar.
  2. Take note of the following values at the top of the page. You’ll need these during the integration setup in the Awardco platform.
    • Workday REST API Endpoint
    • Token Endpoint

 

 

Locating the Refresh Token

  1. In Workday, navigate to the "API Clients for Integrations" tab on the same View API Clients Screen
  2. Locate your API Client you just created
  3. Hover next to the name and click on the three dot menu (related actions) and select API Client > Manage Refresh Tokens for Integrations

     
     
  4. Select your ISU that you created at the beginning of setup. Hit "OK".

     
     
  5. Check the box that says "Generate New Refresh Token"
  6. Take note of the Refresh Token. You’ll need this during the integration setup in the Awardco platform.

 

Workday Registration in Awardco

Now you can complete the registration process within the Awardco platform.

  1. Log into your Awardco account.
  2. Click the “Admin” button at the bottom of the left navigation menu.
  3. Click “Platform”, then “Integrations” then “Integrations Library” from the left navigation menu.
  4. Search and select “Workday (HRIS).”
  5. Click “Begin Setup.”

     
     
  6. If you haven’t done so yet, follow the instructions in the “Create an Integrated System User (ISU) Account” section to create a specific ISU account for Awardco. If you have, click “Next.”
  7. If you haven’t registered Awardco as an API Client for Integration in Workday, follow the instructions in the “Registering Awardco as an API Client in Workday” section.  If you have, click “Next.”

     
     
  8. Input the Client ID and Client Secret in the appropriate fields. This information was given by Workday and is found at the bottom of the Register API Client for Integrations page. Click “Next.”
  9. Note: If the Client Id or Secret are inputted incorrectly, you’ll need to generate a new client secret. See the FAQ section of this document if you find yourself needing to generate a new client secret.

     
     
  10. Input the Workday REST API Endpoint and Token Endpoint. Click “Next.” 
  11. Note: If you are unsure where to find these values, reference the “Locating the API and Token Endpoints” section on this support article.

     
     
  12. Input the refresh token. Click “Next.”
    • Note: If you are unsure where to find this value, reference the “Locating the API and Token Endpoints” section on this support article. 

       
       
  13. You'll then receive a notice that the API Client has been successfully registered. Click “Next” to continue the configuration.
  14. To have employees listed as “inactive” in Workday archived in Awardco, click the “Archive Employees” option on this page. This is recommended. 

     
     
  15. If you want an employee’s primary email address in Workday to override any primary email they enter in Awardco, select the “Override Awardco Emails” option.
    • Note: This certified integration supports advanced metadata types, including associated (@) and corporate gifting (^) metadata.

       
       
  16. After completing the initial setup, click “View Mapping Settings” to configure your field mapping.

 

 

Mapping Employee Data Fields from Workday

Mapping Settings

Configure how user data is mapped between Workday and Awardco. When selecting fields from the dropdown menus, you'll see both the field name and a sample value from your Workday data, which helps you easily identify the correct mapping.

 

Standard Fields

Below are the core fields accepted by the integration. Ensure the appropriate fields under the Workday column are selected and match what the Awardco field is prompting.

  1. Employee ID
  2. First Name
  3. Last Name
  4. Preferred First Name
  5. Email
  6. Secondary Email
  7. Phone Number
  8. Username
  9. Password
  10. Hire Date
  11. Birth Date
  12. Country Code
  13. Language
  14. Supervisor ID

 

Custom Metadata

You’re able to import additional user data that can be displayed in the platform or used to configure advanced settings. Any field imported must be based off of the Worker object in Workday.

  1. Click “Add Metadata Field” 

     
     
  2. Enter how you'd like the field value to appear in Awardco in the field on the left.
  3. Select the desired metadata value from the dropdown menu on the right.
  4. Click the three dots to the right of the value to either change the metadata type or delete the metadata field.
  5. Reference the Configuring Userfile Metadata support article to find out more about the metadata types you can leverage. 

 

 

After you’ve mapped the fields, click "Save" and proceed to the General Settings tab to configure import settings.

 

Configuring Import and General Settings

After mapping employee data fields, make adjustments to how user data is imported in the General Settings tab.

  • Import Settings: This section will show when the last successful import took place,the users created, the users updated, the users archived, and the users restored.
  • Automatic Import Frequency: Choose how frequently you would like to automatically import your employee data from Workday (daily, weekly, or monthly).
  • Pause Automatic Imports: Click this button to stop all automatic imports until you resume them.
  • Manual Import: Clicking “Run Manual Import” will begin importing your employee data immediately.
  • User File Preview: Click “Download Preview” to get a .csv of your organization’s user file to verify data accuracy.

 



 

For your first-time setup, we recommend this sequence:

  1. Download a user file preview and scan the CSV to ensure everything is correct.
  2. Run a manual import to get employee data updated.
  3. Select an automatic import frequency.



 

Advanced Settings

Advanced settings provide more control over how data is imported from Workday.

  • Archive Employees: Automatically remove employees from Awardco who are no longer in the data imports (recommended).
  • Do Not Archive: Input a series of Employee IDs for users who should never be archived.
  • Override Emails: Overwrite employee email addresses in Awardco with updated data from Workday during each import.
  • Override Hire Date: Replace the existing hire date in Awardco with the hire date from Workday.
  • Update API Client: If you’ve created a new API client, you can update its information here.
  • Delete Connection: Disconnect the Workday integration and remove all settings. This action cannot be undone.


Press "Save" after making any changes.

 

FAQ

  • Q: What is the benefit of a Workday Certified Native Integration?
    • A: The Workday Certified designation is achieved through a rigorous process that includes security checks, compliance audits, and customer interviews. This status shows that Awardco is compliant and secure, helping to accelerate security and IT reviews since Workday has already approved the integration. It also legitimizes Awardco as a key partner of Workday.
  • Q: What's the difference between the old Workday integration and this new one? 
    • A: The new integration is a Workday Certified Native integration, which is a major upgrade. The key differences are:
      • Certified Status: Tested and certified by Workday for security and compliance.
      • Speed & Cost: It is free, self-service, and takes only 10-15 minutes to deploy. The legacy version was more complex.
      • Functionality: It supports advanced data fields like associated (@) and corporate gifting (^) metadata.
      • Language Support: It supports 49 languages, making it the most flexible integration in the market.
  • Q: What if I can't find a specific security domain or permission? 
    • A: If you're having trouble finding a specific permission, you may need to grant the ISU permission to the parent domain first. If you're still having trouble, contact your Workday administrator or the Awardco Technical CSM Team for assistance. 
  • Q: I copied the Client Secret incorrectly during registration. What do I do?
    • A: The client secret can only be viewed once after creation. If you copied it wrong you’ll have to generate a new client secret, which will invalidate the other secret. To generate a new secret:
      • Run the “View API Clients” task in Workday.
      • Switch to the “API Clients for Integrations” tab
      • Find your Client in the list and hover over the ellipsis.
      • Select the “Generate New Client Secret” option

         
         
      • Check the “Confirm” box and hit “OK”
      • The new client secret will be available on the following screen.
  • Q: Can I go back and edit my mapping or settings later? 
    • A: Yes! You can easily return to the Mapping Employee Data Fields or Configuring Import and General Settings sections from the Workday HRIS Integration page in Awardco. These sections are designed for ongoing management and can be accessed at any time after the initial setup.





 

If you have any questions, please contact Awardco Admin Support.

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