Workday Pro HCM Core key terms

A Workday structure made of one manager and the workers who report to that manager. It drives approvals, security routing, and many staffing actions, and every worker belongs to exactly one at a time.

The set of organization types (supervisory, company, cost center, region, and so on) that together describe where a worker sits in the company. Workday uses these assignments to drive reporting, security, and business processes.

A configurable classification that defines a category of organization, such as Company, Cost Center, or Region. Each type carries its own rules for hierarchy, whether workers can be assigned, and which roles it supports.

An ordered arrangement of organizations of the same type, such as a parent company with child companies. Hierarchies roll up data for reporting and can control which organizations a security group can access.

A configurable sequence of steps that routes a transaction, such as hiring or a pay change, through approvals and notifications. Each step can require specific roles, conditions, and actions before the event completes.

The setup that controls how a business process behaves, including which steps run, who must approve, when the process can start, and what happens on denial or cancellation. Policies can vary by organization or worker population.

A reusable logical statement, built from fields and values, that determines whether a step, routing, or eligibility applies. For example, a rule might trigger extra approval only when a pay change exceeds a set percentage.

The ordered list of approvers a transaction passes through before it completes. Chains can be dynamic, based on the supervisory organization or a role, and may include parallel or group approvals.

A security model that grants access by assigning users to roles, such as approver or HR partner, within specific organizations. Access is scoped so users see only the workers and data their roles permit.

A collection of users who share access rights. Groups can be rule-based, aggregating users by role or organization, or static, where members are added manually; groups are then granted permissions on security domains.

The set of permissions, such as view, modify, or approve, that a security group holds on a functional area of data called a domain. Domain policies determine what actions a group can take on business objects.

The date on which a data change takes effect, which may differ from the date it was entered. Workday keeps dated history, so future-dated and past-dated changes coexist and reporting reflects the correct point in time.

A staffing approach where each worker is assigned to a defined position with a headcount, job, and location. Positions can be filled, frozen, or left vacant, giving tighter control over budgeted headcount.

A formal request to fill a role, capturing details such as job, location, headcount, and hiring manager. Approved requisitions feed recruiting and can be linked to positions or to the worker being hired.

The number of workers or positions allowed or currently filled within an organization. Headcount is often tracked against budget and can restrict hiring when a supervisory organization reaches its limit.

The record holding a worker's personal, job, compensation, and contact information. It is built from dated events such as hires, transfers, and pay changes, and access to it is controlled by security.

A classification that groups workers who share payroll processing rules, such as pay frequency, pay period calendar, and cutoff dates. Pay groups determine when and how often a worker is paid.

A recurring span of time for which workers are paid, such as weekly, biweekly, or semimonthly. Pay periods are defined on a calendar and drive input deadlines and payroll processing schedules.

A processing cycle that calculates pay for a pay group, applying earnings, deductions, taxes, and adjustments. Runs move through stages such as calculation, review, and completion before payments are issued.

A configured pay component that identifies a type of compensation, such as regular wages, overtime, or a bonus. Earning codes control how amounts are calculated, taxed, and reported.

A configured pay component that reduces a worker's pay, such as a benefit premium or retirement contribution. Deduction codes define calculation method, tax treatment, and whether the employer also contributes.

One-time or recurring data entered for a worker, such as hours, a bonus, or an adjustment, that feeds a payroll run. Inputs are often loaded or entered before the pay period cut-off.

A worker's instruction for where net pay is deposited, including account type, routing details, and how funds are split across accounts. Elections must be validated before a payroll run completes.

The rule that determines how a worker's pay is disbursed, such as direct deposit, check, or a split among methods. Elections can be set per pay group and may depend on worker or country rules.

The calculation path that starts with total earnings, subtracts pre-tax deductions, applies taxes, subtracts post-tax deductions, and arrives at net pay. Reviewing this path helps validate payroll results.

A payroll run outside the normal schedule, used to correct errors or pay a worker who missed a regular run. Off-cycle runs require their own approvals and often separate settlement timing.

The stages a requisition moves through, from creation and approval to posting, sourcing, and closure. Each stage may involve different roles and business process steps.

A person who has applied to or been sourced for a job requisition. The candidate record tracks application stage, skills, documents, and communication history through the hiring process.

A formal proposal of employment extended to a candidate, including job, compensation, and start date. Offers route through approvals and, once accepted, often trigger the hire business process.

A curated group of candidates or workers tracked for future opportunities, such as alumni or high-potential employees. Pools support sourcing, engagement, and succession planning outside a single requisition.

A structured evaluation of a worker's results and behaviors over a period, often combining self, manager, and peer input. Reviews feed ratings, development plans, and compensation decisions.

A measurable objective assigned to a worker or organization for a period. Goals can cascade from higher-level objectives and are often rated during performance reviews.

A defined skill, behavior, or attribute expected for a job or role. Competencies are used in hiring, performance evaluation, and development planning to describe how work is done.

A structured plan identifying key roles and the workers who could fill them in the future. Plans typically include readiness ratings and development actions for identified successors.

A template that bundles a job's core attributes, such as responsibilities, competencies, and compensation range. Workers and requisitions reference job profiles to keep job data consistent.

The capture of hours worked, often through clock events, timesheets, or project entries. Tracked time feeds payroll, overtime calculation, and workforce reporting.

A record of a worker's time for a period, submitted for approval before it is used in payroll. Timesheets may capture regular hours, overtime, and project allocations depending on configuration.

A defined pattern of working days and hours assigned to a worker or group. Schedules drive expected hours, shift differentials, and absence calculations.

A defined block of working time, such as an evening or overnight period, that may carry a differential. Shifts are assigned through schedules and affect pay and coverage planning.

A configured policy for a type of leave, such as vacation or sick time, defining accrual, eligibility, and carryover rules. Balances are tracked against the plan and reduced when absence is requested.

The rate at which a worker earns time off, such as hours per pay period or per hours worked. Accruals can have limits, service-based tiers, and rules for carryover or payout.

A worker's submission to use absence balance for specific dates. Requests route for approval, check available balance and coverage, and, once approved, reduce the plan balance.