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Behind every successful Workday transformation is a high-performance team. Yet staffing remains one of the most underestimated factors in whether a project accelerates or stalls.
Organizations rely on Workday to unify core business functions: finance, HR, payroll, planning, analytics, reporting, and more. These systems operate under strict scrutiny, with executive leadership watching closely and end users expecting a seamless user experience.
Workday staffing decisions carry significant weight for organizations. For many leaders, Workday staffing has become the hardest part to get right.
Planning for system challenges is expected, but planning for staffing volatility is a strategic advantage. Workday initiatives run on fixed timelines and operate in high-pressure environments. When the right consultants are aligned to the right roles, delivery moves forward with clarity. Gaps in alignment, availability, or expertise quickly introduce risk.
Our Workday Staffing Playbook provides a clear view of today’s staffing landscape to build a smarter, more scalable approach to Workday hiring.
In this playbook, you will learn:
- The challenges companies face when hiring Workday talent
- Why do you need talent that speaks both tech and business in Workday Staffing
- Why team readiness matters more than headcount
- Workday talent optimization: building teams that scale
- Workday implementation challenges: how to protect yourself
- How to choose a Workday staffing model that works for you
- How is AI-supported sourcing redefining Workday hiring
- Why Fortune 100 companies choose TPG for Workday staffing
Organizations that succeed treat Workday Staffing as a strategic discipline.
They plan for volatility. They secure access to specialized talent. They partner with Workday staffing agencies that understand how delivery pressure evolves. This shift marks the reality of today’s environment. The staffing landscape has changed and so have the challenges.
1. The Challenges in Today’s Workday Staffing Landscape
Let’s set the stage.
Workday adoption is scaling at record speed. Organizations deploy multiple modules simultaneously. They’re integrating Workday across ERP, payroll, and data environments. They’re expecting more from the platform, including real-time analytics, intelligent automation, and continuous performance optimization.
Technology has evolved quickly, and the talent market hasn’t kept pace. While experienced Workday consultants remain in short supply, that only scratches the surface.
Here are a few challenges organizations face when hiring Workday experts:
Workday staffing challenges reflect structural shifts in how organizations implement and rely on the platform. As Workday supports more core functions across HR, finance, and operations, expectations on delivery teams increase. The pressure to find experienced talent has become a long-term reality.
The Planet Group works with hiring leaders who recognize that staffing is a strategic concern, not just a tactical one.
Our model focuses on:
- Access to hard-to-find, Workday-certified talent in high-demand areas
- Matching roles based on delivery needs, not availability
- Supporting teams through every phase—from implementation to post-go-live
- Offering flexible models that scale up or down as priorities shift
For CHROs and transformation leaders, this approach helps reduce risk and places the right expertise when and where it’s needed most.
If staffing pressure is here to stay, the more important question is: what kind of talent makes the biggest difference? The answer: professionals who understand both the technical functionality of Workday, and how the business uses and benefits from it.
2. Why You Need Talent That Speaks Both Tech and Business in Workday Staffing
Beyond mere module configuration, the best Workday consultants bridge the gap between system capabilities and business goals. Whether aligning reporting structures or translating stakeholder needs into scalable workflows, the ability to speak both languages is what separates good from great.
These hybrid professionals drive adoption, reduce friction, accelerate ROI, and ensure that outcomes align with organizational goals.
But this blend of technical fluency and business insight is difficult to find.
Certifications prove exposure to the platform, not readiness. Some professionals bring strong configuration skills, but have limited experience in enterprise settings. Others understand business process goals but struggle to keep the pace with Workday’s evolving functionality.
Successful Workday professionals should be able to:
- Translate business needs into system functionality
- Align configurations with enterprise goals
- Manage cross-functional stakeholder expectations
- Make informed tradeoffs under tight deadlines
Organizations that prioritize these hybrid skills early experience smoother delivery, stronger user adoption, and better long-term outcomes.
Scalable talent with both technical and business range becomes the difference between recovery and delay. Having the right mix of technical and business talent is only the starting point
3. Workday Roles: Why Team Readiness Matters More Than Headcount
Having the right mix of technical and business talent is only the starting point. What truly drives successful delivery is how that talent is embedded across the Workday program, aligned by role, timing, and need. When roles are planned and filled intentionally, delivery and impact remain on track.
Most teams need coverage across a few core role categories:
- Design and governance - Architects, overall solution direction
- Functional delivery - Configuration, business process alignment
- Technical execution - Integration, data, security
- Stability and adoption - Testing, deployment support, post go-live
Headcount alone doesn’t equal readiness. Misaligned roles, rushed hires, or stretched consultants lead to delays, burnout, and stalled progress.
Team readiness requires:
- Proven talent that can contribute immediately
- Role clarity across delivery phases
- Planning for evolving needs in advance
At times, teams may appear “fully staffed,” yet critical responsibilities remain unclear or unsupported. Specialists may overlap in some areas while other needs go uncovered.
This risk often arises during transitions. A team built for configuration may struggle in testing. A team focused on deployment may lack post go-live support.
Without role clarity, people stretch beyond their strengths, leading to burnout, slow decision-making, and friction.
Early stages feel manageable, but as complexity increases, consultants must navigate nuanced decisions and communicate impacts clearly. When roles are planned with clarity and timing, teams maintain momentum and build the confidence needed to sustain delivery over time.
4. Workday Talent Optimization: Building Teams That Scale
Workday talent optimization means aligning staffing to how work actually happens across the program lifecycle. Rather than hiring permanent staff for temporary surges, organizations benefit from flexible models that scale with demand.
A scalable Workday team typically includes:
- Internal team members for long-term ownership and continuity
- Workday Certified specialists for implementation and integration phases
- Flexible resources for testing, data migration, or go-live support
For leaders, this approach changes the cost conversation. Workday programs create uneven demand. Implementations, upgrades, and new modules require bursts of specialized talent that may no longer be needed once the project ends. Optimized teams use targeted staffing to bring in skills when needed and roll them off when complete.
This requires a clear delivery roadmap that matches roles and skills to each phase of the Workday lifecycle. Core internal team members maintain system ownership and business continuity.
TPG’s flexible staffing models make this possible.
Our approach allows organizations to add a single specialist, a small pod, or a full project team without restructuring internal headcount. Nearshore and global talent pools expand access to rare skills, helping organizations overcome shortages while maintaining cost control.
Talent optimization also reduces risk during project spikes. When timelines compress or scope expands, teams need immediate support. Waiting for permanent hires delays delivery and strains internal resources. Optimized staffing allows leaders to respond in real time, bringing in vetted consultants who can step in with confidence.
Once leaders start optimizing how talent is deployed, the risks of getting it wrong become much clearer. That is where many Workday programs begin to struggle.
5. Workday Implementation Challenges: How to Protect Yourself
Workday technology performs as designed when the right expertise is in place. If delivery slows, it’s rarely an issue with the software. Most implementation challenges trace back to gaps in talent, not technical limitations.
Challenges to Watch For
- Mid-Implementation Churn: This creates the greatest disruption. When a key consultant exits, knowledge transfer rarely captures the full picture. Design decisions lose context. Testing and deployment suffer as the team tries to catch up.
- Skill Mismatches: Consultants may understand configuration but lack business insight. Others know the business but struggle with Workday’s complexity. These gaps often surface when progress stalls and rework increases.
- Unclear Role Ownership: When responsibilities aren’t well defined, teams lose alignment. Friction increases, timelines slip, and decision-making slows.
- Leadership Pressure at the Worst Time: These gaps often appear when timelines are tight and stakeholders expect answers. Delivery risk becomes visible exactly when it’s least manageable.
How to Protect Your Organization
Strong staffing strategies address these risks before they surface. The Planet Group helps mitigate these challenges by aligning skills, roles, and continuity from day one. Here’s how:
- Anticipate Churn: Plan for potential turnover. Ensure knowledge isn’t concentrated in one person or role.
- Staff for the Phase You’re In: Align the right expertise to each stage of delivery—design, configuration, testing, and go-live. Don’t ask generalists to fill specialized roles.
- Establish Role Clarity Early: Clear ownership reduces confusion, improves execution, and keeps progress on track.
- Use Partners That Understand Delivery Pressure: The Planet Group provides certified Workday talent with the experience to step in fast, contribute immediately, and stay aligned to program needs.
If people make or break a Workday program, and they do, then your next priority is choosing a staffing model that helps you get the right people in place before issues arise. The right model aligns talent to delivery demands in real time. That’s what keeps projects on track and risk in check.
6. How to Choose a Workday Staffing Model That Works For You
Staffing models determine how well organizations can respond to the reality of today’s Workday talent market. Demand for Certified Workday Consultants continues to exceed supply.
At the same time, Workday initiatives create sharp spikes in staffing needs. The right model must handle both conditions.
Many organizations default to hiring full-time employees, even for short-term project needs. This approach creates long-term overhead, slows hiring cycles, and ties up budget. This leaves teams overstaffed once the peak has passed. It also limits your access to specialized talent that’s often only available through targeted networks.
What to Look for in a Staffing Partner
The most effective Workday staffing strategies use a blended model with internal ownership supported by external scale. That’s where The Planet Group comes in. As Workday’s first global staffing and AMS partner across North America and Europe, we offer:
- Deep benches of certified, hard-to-find Workday talent
- Flexible delivery models
- Speed-to-fill without sacrificing quality or fit
Choosing the right model means planning for volatility, not reacting to it. The next step? Making sure your sourcing strategy supports the model you need. So now the question shifts from what model you choose to how you bring that model to life through sourcing.
7. Workday Staffing Solutions: AI-Supported Workday Staffing
AI-supported sourcing has changed how Workday talent is identified. Talent intelligence platforms analyze skills, performance data, and availability across large networks. This approach increases visibility into specialized consultants who remain difficult to find through traditional recruiting.
This shift enhances both speed and precision. When technology supports discovery, hiring executives gain access to qualified professionals faster.
That reduces time spent searching and increases time spent evaluating true fit for the role, the team, and the business context.
But even with AI, human judgment remains essential. Context matters. Delivery experience matters. Cultural alignment matters.
AI supports these decisions by narrowing the field to high-quality options. But it doesn’t replace the need for insight and validation.
At The Planet Group, we use AI to enhance human expertise. Our recruiters and Workday specialists apply real-world experience to vet every candidate. This ensures that consultants arrive ready to contribute technically, strategically, and immediately.
AI-supported sourcing gives hiring leaders confidence, providing access to vetted, verified experts before staffing gaps create disruption.
Why AI Alone Doesn’t Solve Staffing Challenges
AI improves reach and efficiency, but it doesn’t replace judgment. Workday staffing decisions require context, delivery experience, and a clear understanding of project dynamics. Technology accelerates identification. Human expertise determines fit.
The Planet Group applies AI where it adds value and relies on human vetting where it matters most. This balance ensures staffing solutions support real delivery conditions.
When sourcing gets smarter, performance improves. That’s why so many enterprises rely on partners with deep Workday benches and the right blend of technology and experience.
Ready to strengthen your sourcing strategy?
Talk to The Planet Group about how AI-supported staffing can help you access proven Workday talent faster, smarter, and with greater confidence.
8. Why Fortune 100 Companies Choose TPG for Workday Staffing
Fortune 100 companies trust TPG to help solve their Workday challenges because we provide staffing solutions that perform under pressure and contribute to success at every phase. Our bench includes certified experts across all Workday modules, each with experience in complex enterprise environments.
We stay engaged throughout:
- Discovery and solution design
- Implementation and testing
- Stabilization and optimization
Clients value our partnership-driven approach that goes beyond simple role fulfillment to support overall performance. We understand what it takes to deliver results in high-stakes environments. That’s why clients continue to rely on The Planet Group as a Workday staffing partner.
This playbook provides a mere framework for building teams that perform with clarity and confidence. With the right approach and partner, Workday staffing becomes a source of strength across every phase of delivery. Whether your organization is launching its first implementation or optimizing a mature environment, staffing decisions shape outcomes.
Build a Stronger Workday Team
Connect with TPG to learn how our Workday Certified experts can accelerate your next phase of transformation.
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