Workday HCM MCP server

Workday HCM is a cloud-based human capital management system that provides comprehensive workforce management, talent acquisition, learning, and development capabilities. An AI agent with this MCP server can manage employee data, track performance reviews, handle recruiting and onboarding, administer compensation and benefits, manage time and absence, and generate HR analytics and reports. HR managers, recruiters, talent leaders, and people operations teams use this integration to streamline their everyday workflows.

Setting up an MCP server

This article covers the standard steps for creating an MCP server in AI Gateway and connecting it to an AI client. The steps are the same for every integration — application-specific details (API credentials, OAuth endpoints, and scopes) are covered in the individual application pages.

Before you begin

You'll need:

• Access to AI Gateway with permission to create MCP servers
• API credentials for the application you're connecting (see the relevant application page for what to collect)

Create an MCP server

Find the API in the catalog

1. Sign in to AI Gateway and select MCP Servers from the left navigation.
2. Select New MCP Server.
3. Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.

Configure the server

1. Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose (for example, "Zendesk Support — Prod").
2. Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
3. Set the Timeout value. 30 seconds works for most APIs; increase to 60 seconds for APIs that return large payloads.
4. Toggle Production mode on if this server will be used in a live workflow.
5. Select Next.

Configure authentication

Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section of the relevant application page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.

Configure security

1. Set any Rate limits appropriate for your use case and the API's own limits.
2. Enable Logging if you want AI Gateway to record requests and responses for auditing.
3. Select Next.

Deploy

Review the summary, then select Deploy. AI Gateway provisions the server and provides a server URL you'll use when configuring your AI client.

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Connect to an AI client

Once your server is deployed, you'll need to add it to the AI client your team uses. Select your client for setup instructions:

• Claude Desktop
• Claude Code
• Cursor
• VS Code
• Windsurf

Tips

• You can create multiple MCP servers for the same application — for example, a read-only server for reporting agents and a read-write server for automation workflows.
• If you're unsure which OAuth scopes to request, start with the minimum read-only set and add write scopes only when needed. Most application pages include scope recommendations.
• You can edit a server's name, description, timeout, and security settings after deployment without redeploying.

Authentication

Workday HCM uses OAuth 2.0 for secure authentication. You'll need to register an OAuth 2.0 client in Workday and create an Integration System User (ISU) with appropriate security groups. The OAuth endpoints follow this pattern: https://{tenant}.workday.com/ccx/oauth2/authorize for authorization and https://{tenant}.workday.com/ccx/oauth2/token for token retrieval. Provide your Client ID, Client Secret, and tenant name when setting up the MCP server.

Available tools

The tools below enable AI agents to interact with all major aspects of Workday HCM: workers, organizational structure, staffing, performance management, compensation, time and attendance, and learning and development.

Core HR

Tool	Description
Create worker	Add a new employee to the system with personal and employment details
Read worker	Retrieve employee information and employment data
Update worker	Modify employee records including position, department, and personal information
Delete worker	Remove an employee from the system
List workers	Retrieve a list of employees with filtering and search options
Create organization	Set up a new department or business unit
Read organization	Get details about organizational units, locations, and structure
Update organization	Modify department information and organizational hierarchies
List organizations	Retrieve all departments and organizational units
Create position	Define a new job position or role
Read position	Get position details and requirements
Update position	Modify position information and staffing needs
List positions	Retrieve all open and filled positions

Talent Management

Tool	Description
Create performance review	Initiate a performance review cycle for an employee
Read performance review	Retrieve review details and ratings
Update performance review	Submit or modify performance review data
List performance reviews	Get all reviews by employee, period, or status
Create goal	Set performance goals for an employee
Read goal	Retrieve goal details and progress
Update goal	Modify goal status and progress tracking
List goals	Get all goals by employee or time period
Create succession plan	Identify and develop potential successors for key positions
Read succession plan	Retrieve succession planning data and readiness levels
List succession plans	Get all succession plans by position or employee

Recruiting and Onboarding

Tool	Description
Create job posting	Post a new job opening to career portal
Read job posting	Get job posting details and applicant status
Update job posting	Modify posting status and requisition information
List job postings	Retrieve all open and closed job postings
Create candidate	Add a new applicant to the system
Read candidate	Get candidate profile and application status
Update candidate	Modify candidate status and interview feedback
List candidates	Retrieve candidates by job, status, or date
Create job offer	Generate and send a job offer to a candidate
Read job offer	Retrieve offer details and acceptance status
Update job offer	Modify offer terms and track acceptance
Create onboarding task	Set up pre-hire and post-hire onboarding tasks
Read onboarding task	Get task status and completion details
Update onboarding task	Mark tasks as complete and track progress
List onboarding tasks	Retrieve tasks by new hire or status

Compensation

Tool	Description
Create compensation plan	Set up salary structures and compensation components
Read compensation plan	Get compensation details for an employee
Update compensation plan	Modify salary, pay grades, and compensation allocations
List compensation plans	Retrieve all compensation plans and employee assignments
Create bonus	Process bonus payments for an employee
Read bonus	Get bonus calculation and payment details
Update bonus	Modify bonus amounts and status
List bonuses	Retrieve all bonuses by employee or period
Create benefits enrollment	Add an employee to a benefits plan
Read benefits enrollment	Get enrollment details and coverage information
Update benefits enrollment	Modify benefits selections and dependents
List benefits enrollments	Retrieve all benefit enrollments by employee or plan

Time and Attendance

Tool	Description
Create time entry	Submit hours worked or time off for an employee
Read time entry	Get time entry details and approval status
Update time entry	Modify time entries and correct records
List time entries	Retrieve all time entries by employee or period
Create absence request	Submit a request for time off
Read absence request	Get request details and approval status
Update absence request	Modify requests and track approvals
List absences	Retrieve absence data by employee or type
Create timesheet approval	Approve or reject submitted timesheets
Read timesheet	Get timesheet details and totals
Update schedule	Create and modify employee work schedules
List schedules	Retrieve schedules by employee or location

Learning and Development

Tool	Description
Create training assignment	Assign a course or training program to an employee
Read training assignment	Get assignment status and completion details
Update training assignment	Modify assignment status and track progress
List training assignments	Retrieve assignments by employee, course, or status
Create course	Set up a new training course
Read course	Get course details and enrollment information
Update course	Modify course content and schedule
List courses	Retrieve all available courses
Create skill assessment	Record an employee's skills and proficiency levels
Read skill	Get skill details and proficiency data
Update skill	Modify skill records and assessments
List skills	Retrieve all skills for an employee or organization

Analytics and Reporting

Tool	Description
Create report	Generate a custom HR report
Read report	Retrieve report data and results
List reports	Get all available HR reports and templates
Get headcount	Retrieve current headcount by department or location
Analyze turnover	Get turnover metrics and trends by employee group
Analyze diversity	Retrieve diversity metrics and demographic data
Forecast hiring	Get hiring needs projections for future periods

Tips

Use role-based scopes to limit access — HR Managers typically need Workers, Organization, Time Off, and Reports access, while Recruiters need Staffing, Candidates, and Jobs access.

Create separate Integration System Users (ISUs) for different integrations to maintain audit trails and manage permissions more effectively.

Leverage performance review and goal management tools together to create comprehensive talent management workflows that track both review cycles and ongoing goal progress.

Monitor your API rate limits and implement pagination when retrieving large employee datasets to avoid hitting request limits during mass operations.

Use the talent pool and succession planning tools proactively to identify readiness levels and development needs before critical positions open.