HCM Workday Security Roles

Tags workday

Quick Reference Guide

Objective or Task

Use HCM Workday role descriptions to understand security role access, responsibilities, and capabilities.

Instructions

Access HCM Role Descriptions

  1. Open the HCM Workday Role Descriptions document.
  2. Review the overview describing how security roles function in Workday.
  3. Read the definitions of key terminology related to roles and organizations.

Understand Key Role Concepts

  1. Review how Supervisory Organizations structure HR processing.
  2. Review how Costing relates to financial activity and departments.
  3. Review how Academic Units support academic appointments.
  4. Review how Assignable Roles are tied to positions and organizations.
  5. Review how Role Inheritance works within organizational hierarchies.
  6. Review how Role‑Based Security Groups control data and task access.

Review Core HR and Academic Roles

  1. Locate the section for Core Academic and HR Roles.
  2. Review the description for HR Initiator.
  3. Review the description for HR Partner.
  4. Review the description for HR Executive.
  5. Review descriptions for Academic HR Partner, Academic Faculty Partner, and related executive roles.
  6. Compare what each role can see versus what it can do.

Review Manager and Financial Roles

  1. Locate the Manager role description.
  2. Review what managers can view related to employees and positions.
  3. Review what managers can initiate and approve.
  4. Locate the Costing Manager role.
  5. Review costing access and approval responsibilities.
  6. Locate the Budget Manager role.
  7. Review staffing and compensation approval responsibilities.
  8. Review the Compensation Partner role if applicable.

Review Time, Absence, and Recruiting Roles

  1. Locate the Timekeeper role description.
  2. Review time entry, correction, and approval responsibilities.
  3. Locate the Primary Recruiter role.
  4. Review recruiting and candidate workflow responsibilities.
  5. Identify the Hiring Manager role relationship to Manager access.

Use Role Descriptions When Assigning or Requesting Roles

  1. Use role descriptions to determine the correct role for job responsibilities.
  2. Confirm whether access should be view‑only or action‑based.
  3. Use descriptions to identify role overlap or separation of duties.
  4. Reference role descriptions before requesting role changes.

Outcome

You can correctly interpret HCM Workday role descriptions and understand what each security role allows users to view and do, supporting accurate role assignments and appropriate access in Workday.

Print Article