Implementing Workday is a transformational opportunity—but also a major undertaking. It requires thoughtful planning, cross-functional collaboration, and most importantly, the right team. While your deployment partner brings technical expertise, your internal resources are essential to driving adoption, aligning decisions with organizational goals, and setting the stage for long-term success.
At TopBloc, we’ve supported hundreds of Workday deployments. Included in the early conversations we have with clients is a discussion about internal staffing. Having the right roles filled from the onset can make all the difference in the timeline, budget, and outcome of your implementation.
Here’s what you need to know when staffing for your Workday implementation:
Why Internal Staffing Matters
Workday is designed to bring efficiency, insight, and agility to your organization—but to configure it in a way that fits your business, your internal teams must be participating in the implementation activities, every step of the way. No one knows your policies, culture, and priorities better than your people.
The most successful implementations are enterprise-wide initiatives supported by a dedicated internal team empowered to make timely decisions, manage change, and champion adoption.
Key Internal Roles for Workday Implementation
While every organization is unique, most implementations require staffing for the following roles:
1. Executive Sponsor
Why It Matters: Sets the tone and vision for the project, ensures resources are allocated, and helps remove organizational roadblocks.
- Typical Profile: A senior leader in HR, Finance, or IT with decision-making authority and visibility across the organization.
2. Project Manager (PM)
Why It Matters: Keeps the project on track by managing tasks, dependencies, timelines, and communications between your internal team and the deployment partner.
- Tip: Assign someone with experience managing enterprise projects—even better if they have Workday experience.
3. Functional Leads
Why It Matters: These are your subject matter experts (SMEs) for key functional areas, such as:
- Human Resources (HCM, Benefits, Talent)
- Finance (Financials, Accounting, Procurement)
- Payroll
- Time Tracking/Absence
- Reporting & Analytics
They guide configuration, validate decisions, test use cases, and ensure the system reflects real-world processes.
4. IT/Technical Resource
Why It Matters: While Workday is cloud-based and doesn’t require traditional infrastructure, your IT team still plays a key role in:
- Integrations
- Security
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
5. Change Management Lead
Why It Matters: A Workday deployment is not just a technology project—it’s a transformational change. A change management lead helps prepare managers and employees, communicates updates, and builds excitement for go-live.
Don’t Go In It Alone
Staffing a Workday project can feel overwhelming—especially if your organization is running lean or tackling multiple initiatives. That’s where TopBloc’s Staff Augmentation Services come in.
We offer certified Workday consultants who can temporarily embed within your team to fill skill or capacity gaps, whether you need:
- A functional expert for configuration decisions
- Extra hands for testing and training
- A technical resource for integration builds
- Or a strategic advisor to support decision-making
Final Thoughts
Building the right team for your Workday implementation isn’t just about filling roles—it’s about empowering people to lead, communicate, and drive meaningful change. With the right internal stakeholders in place—and a trusted partner like TopBloc—you can position your Workday deployment for long-term success.
If you’re preparing for your Workday journey and wondering if your team is ready, we’re here to help. Let’s talk about how to build the support structure you need.
Lynn Cohen, VP of Customer Experience, Office of the CHRO
Lynn Cohen is the Vice President of the Office of Customer Experience (oCHRO) at TopBloc, where she brings over 25 years of comprehensive executive HR experience. With deep expertise across the full Workday platform, Lynn specializes in scaling systems for complex organizational structures and managing transitions during acquisitions and divestitures. Her extensive experience positions her to help organizations optimize HR processes and drive business transformation through Workday.
