This program was built within Workday Recruiting and Workday HCM, connecting multiple modules to automate referrals, track incentives, and improve visibility across the hiring pipeline.

Goal: Build an internal referral program that was transparent, compliant, and motivating—from submission through reward.

Team: HRIS, Recruiting and Payroll

Role: Sr Systems Analyst designing a cross-functional workflow that connected recruiting, HR, and payroll into a seamless experience.

What this Demonstrates

Strong systems design creates alignment across incentives, visibility, and workflow. I connected multiple business functions into one user-friendly loop.

THE PROBLEM

The existing referral process relied on emails and spreadsheets. Employees didn’t know where to submit referrals or track progress, and HR spent hours verifying eligibility and issuing payments manually. The lack of visibility reduced participation.

APPROACH

I started by analyzing the system dependencies across teams.

• Partnered with Talent Acquisition to define referral stages and business rules.

• Interviewed employees to learn what motivated them to refer—and what caused frustration.

• Mapped the entire referral journey, identifying where visibility broke down between submission, hiring, and payment.

THE SOLUTION

Created an integrated referral flow with transparency built in.

• Designed a single-screen referral form with automated data validation.

• Connected backend workflows so approvals, notifications, and payments moved in sequence.

• Built dashboards showing referral status to employees and recruiters alike.

• Authored clear communication templates outlining expectations at each stage.

A three-tier system view showing how business processes, configuration logic, and payroll execution align to automate referral payouts.

A simplified flow illustrating how a referral moves from employee submission to verified payout—linking user actions with system automation

IMPACT

The new system made referrals simple and rewarding. Employees could track their submissions, HR gained real-time oversight, and payroll processed rewards efficiently. The program became a visible, trusted part of the employee experience.

Reflection

Operational clarity builds trust. This project reaffirmed how transparent design drives both compliance and engagement.