Accessing and navigating Workday

How to access Workday for the first time

 

Welcome to Workday

Elements of the Workday homepage

The image below highlights key features of the Workday homepage. These features include:

  1. The global navigation menu - Contains Workday apps and shortcuts. Many tasks start with the global navigation menu
  2. Cards - Each of the white rectangles is a card. Cards contain helpful collections of information and action items. 
  3. Search - Workday has a robust search function that allows you to quickly find people, tasks, reports, and more. Visit the article to learn more about how to utilize search in Workday.
  4. Workday Assistant - Workday's built in chatbot that can help you complete common tasks. 
  5. Notifications - Alerts that provide information about a business process or task that you should be aware of, but which does not require your action. Think of each notification as a "heads up" rather than a "to-do."
  6. My Tasks - Alerts that do require action from you. Tasks are items on your "to-do" list.
  7. Worker profile icon - Clicking the worker profile icon opens a menu from which you can view your worker profile and configure account settings.
  8. MHC logo - Clicking the Mount Holyoke logo will bring you back to the Workday homepage. 

A screenshot of the Workday homrpage. Eight features are emphasized with numbered blue boxes.

 

 

Exploring the global navigation menu and Workday apps

  • Most navigation in Workday is done through Workday applications, or "apps." These applications can be accessed one of two ways: by opening the global navigation menu at the top left corner of Workday, or by clicking on the blue View All Apps link on your home screen.

Screenshot of the Workday homepage. The global navigation menu in the upper left and "View All Apps" links are circled

  • Clicking either location will open the Workday Apps sidebar. Apps are displayed as graphic icons and text. The image below shows the Absence app, which is represented by an icon of a suitcase. 

Screenshot of the Workday apps sidebar. The Absence app is circled

  • The apps you see and the information within them will differ based on your role. For example, a manager with direct reports will have additional applications for viewing their team's information and for approving expenses and time.
  • When you click on an app, it will open a page with links to tasks within that specific area. For example, the Pay application contains shortcuts to changing your tax withholding  elections and viewing payslips.

 

 

Add more apps and shortcuts 

Workday offers the ability to customize which Apps and Shortcuts are displayed in your global navigation menu.

Adding apps 

  • To add an app to your global navigation menu, open the global navigation menu and then click the Add Apps button in the bottom left of the page.
  • A search window will appear. Type the name of the app you would like to add.  
  • Click the plus sign icon (+) to add the app, then click Back to Menu to save your changes and return to the global navigation menu. 

Screenshot of the Workday apps search menu. The user has typed "Proces" and the "Processes Awaiting Me" app is reveled. The plus symbol is circled.

 

Adding shortcuts

  • Open the global navigation menu. Click the Shortcuts tab at the top of the menu. 
  • Click the Add Shortcuts button in the bottom left of the page.
  • A search window will appear. Type the name of the shortcut you would like to add.  
  • Click the plus sign icon (+) to add the shortcut. Up to 10 shortcuts are allowed.

Screenshot of the Workday apps search menu. The user has typed "Expense" and several results are displayed. The plus symbol next to "Create Expense Report" is circled.

  • Click Back to Menu to return to the global navigation menu.

Edit custom apps and shortcuts

  • You can change the order of apps or shortcuts in the global navigation menu.
  • First, open the global navigation menu. Next, click the Apps tab or the Shortcuts tab at the top of the menu, depending on which section you want to edit. 
  • Click the Edit button at the bottom of the menu.
  • To change the order of an app, click and drag the six dots icon () for that app, placing it in the order you prefer. To remove an app, click the minus icon (). 

Screenshot of the edit Workday apps menu. The six dots icon next to "Processes Awaiting..." and the minus icon next to "Learning" are circled

  • Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the menu when you are finished

 

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The Workday support team is responding to many tickets as well as making changes to Workday. Response time may be 48-72 hours. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to correct these issues.