Entra ID
Connect Workday HCM to Entra ID
Turn Workday HCM hires, changes and departures into account updates in Entra ID. Follow the setup steps, preview changes with a dry run, then go live.
Workday HCM record
08:02:14
Aisha Rahman
00452
- Business Title
- Software Engineer
- Supervisory Organization
- Engineering
- Location
- Austin
- Manager
- D. Okafor
- Hire Date
- Nov 10, 2026
- Worker Type
- Employee
Entra ID
eng-austin
- accountEngineering (administrative unit)
- userPrincipalNameaisha.rahman@northwind.com
- mailaisha.rahman@northwind.com
- jobTitleSoftware Engineer
- managerD. Okafor
- memberOfEng-All
- memberOfLicense-M365-E3
2.3s
- Workday HCM fields mapped
- 13
- Steps to go live
- 9
- Employee records stored in our cloud
- 0
Joiners, movers and leavers
How Workday HCM updates Entra ID
HR updates Workday HCM. ezOnboard updates accounts based on your rules.
Joiner
An account before day one
The Hire business process adds a worker with a Hire Date in Workday.
- Account created in the tenant, disabled until the start date
- Name, email, title, department, office and manager set from Workday HCM
- Account added to its administrative unit and groups, with group-based licenses assigned
- Account enabled on the start date, with a Temporary Access Pass for first sign-in
Mover
Access for the new role
A business title, supervisory organization, location or manager changes in Workday through Change Job or Change Business Title.
- Title, department, office and manager updated
- Account moved to the administrative unit your rules specify
- Groups and group-based licenses updated to match the new role
Leaver
Offboarding on schedule
A termination is completed in Workday with a Termination Date.
- Account disabled on the termination date, never deleted
- Sign-in sessions revoked
- Direct licenses recovered and account removed from managed groups
Before you start
What to have ready
Work with a Workday HCM admin and a directory admin to complete the setup.
- In Workday HCM
- Workday Security Administrator access to create a security group, an integration system user and domain permissions
- A work email or employee ID for each worker in Workday to match them to their account
- In Entra ID
- A server running Windows Server 2019 or later; no domain join required
- A Global Administrator to grant consent to the ezOnboard application
- Outbound HTTPS to the HR system, ezOnboard, graph.microsoft.com and login.microsoftonline.com
- Administrative units and groups for ezOnboard to manage, and Temporary Access Pass enabled in your authentication methods policy
Step by step
Set up Workday HCM with Entra ID
Start in Workday HCM and on your server. Then finish in the ezOnboard portal with our implementation team.
01
Workday HCM
Create a read-only security group
Search → Create Security Group → Maintain Permissions for Security Group
Create an Integration System Security Group (Unconstrained) named ezOnboard. This lets the integration read every worker. You’ll add its user in the next step.
Run Maintain Permissions for Security Group. On Domain Security Policy Permissions, add the domains below with Get Only access. No Put access is needed. Run Activate Pending Security Policy Changes, add a comment and confirm to apply the permissions.
- Worker Data: Public Worker Reports and Worker Data: Workers
- Worker Data: Current Staffing Information and Worker Data: Organization Information
- Person Data: Work Contact Information
Domain permissions. Add each domain shown with Get Only, then activate the pending changes.
02
Workday HCM
Create an integration system user for ezOnboard
Search → Create Integration System User
Create an integration system user named ezOnboard_ISU with a strong password. Clear Require New Password at Next Sign In, set Session Timeout Minutes to 0 and select Do Not Allow UI Sessions. Add the user to the ezOnboard group. In Maintain Password Rules, exempt it from password expiration. If your policy allows only SAML, add a rule allowing User Name Password for this group.
Save the username and password securely. Note your tenant name: the segment after workday.com in your sign-in address. In Public Web Services, choose Web Service → View WSDL beside Human Resources. Copy the host at the bottom of the page. You’ll need the credentials, tenant name and web services host in step 5.
Integration system user. Save the password securely; Workday won’t show it again.
03
Your server
Install the ezOnboard agent
The agent runs as a Windows service on your server with Windows Server 2019 or later. No domain join is required. It connects to Workday HCM, ezOnboard and Microsoft Graph over outbound HTTPS. No inbound firewall rules are needed.
Download the signed MSI and enrollment bundle from the portal. Save the install code. The portal shows it only once. Run the MSI and enter the code. The agent uses a local virtual account by default, with no password to manage. The installer checks outbound access and the clock before making changes. Domain and LDAP checks show “not needed”.
Installer screen with the setup requirements.
04
ezOnboard portal and Microsoft
Connect your tenant and grant admin consent
Add a Microsoft 365 connection in the portal. Choose the Directory and Licenses capabilities, then continue to Microsoft. Sign in as a Global Administrator and grant consent. The portal shows which capabilities have access. You can grant missing permissions later.
ezOnboard uses application permissions, not an administrator account or password. Revoke consent in Entra ID to remove its access. Each tenant connects to one organization.
- Directory: manage users, managers, group memberships and administrative units
- Licenses: read subscriptions, assign licenses and recover unused licenses
- Sign-in: revoke sessions for leavers and issue a Temporary Access Pass to new hires
Connection page showing which capabilities have access.
05
ezOnboard portal
Add Workday HCM as an HR source
In the portal, add Workday HCM as an HR source using the ISU’s user name and password, your tenant name and web services URL. Your credentials are encrypted with your organization’s key and sent to your agent. The agent reads Workday HCM from your network. Nobody at ezOnboard can read the credentials.
Choose a field to match people across both systems, usually work email or employee ID. The agent checks Workday HCM every five minutes and catches up on any missed changes.
HR source. Your agent uses these credentials to read Workday HCM.
06
ezOnboard portal
Map Workday HCM fields to Entra ID attributes
Choose which Workday HCM fields update each directory attribute. Start with the defaults below, add custom fields or combine values. For example, build a display name from first and last names, format a job title or look up an office address by site.
Blank Workday HCM fields leave directory values unchanged unless you configure the mapping to clear them.
Field mapping. See the full list of defaults below.
07
ezOnboard portal
Set rules for accounts, administrative units and groups
Rules define who gets an account, which administrative unit it belongs to, how it’s named and which groups it joins. They also control offboarding. Use Workday HCM fields, such as department and site, to make those choices.
Our implementation team helps you write the rules. With approvals enabled, your team must approve each rule change before the agent uses it.
Rules page with the placement rule open.
08
ezOnboard portal
Preview changes with a dry run
Run a dry run for your whole workforce. The agent matches Workday HCM records to existing accounts by employee ID, then work email, and previews changes without applying them. If two accounts match one person, that action stops for review.
Review the planned changes and the rules behind them in the portal. Adjust your rules and repeat the dry run until the results match your expectations.
Dry run. No changes are applied while dry run is on.
09
ezOnboard portal
Go live
Turn off dry run to apply changes. If a run would disable or move more accounts than your safety limits allow, it stops and alerts your team before making changes. We review the first runs with you.
HR continues working in Workday HCM. Your rules handle new accounts, updates and offboarding on schedule. Get alerts by email, in the portal or by webhook when a run stops, the HR feed stops updating or the agent stops reporting. An inactive feed never triggers offboarding.
Reports with account activity, tickets avoided and agent uptime.
Field mapping
Workday HCM fields and Entra ID attributes
Start with these defaults and adjust any mapping. Dates and lifecycle status control when accounts are created, enabled or disabled.
| Workday HCM field | Entra ID attribute | How it’s used |
|---|---|---|
| First NamePersonal › Legal Name | givenName | Sets the first name at account creation and keeps it up to date. |
| Last NamePersonal › Legal Name | surname | Keeps the last name up to date. Also updates the logon name if your naming rule uses it. |
| Preferred NamePersonal › Preferred Name | displayName | Uses the preferred name for the display name and email. Workday fills it from the legal name when none is set. |
| Work EmailContact › Work Contact Information | mail, userPrincipalName | Sets the email address and sign-in name. A mail rule can also generate them from the person’s name. |
| Employee IDJob › Worker ID | employeeId | Added to new accounts and used first to match existing accounts. |
| Business TitleJob › Job Details | jobTitle | Keeps the job title up to date and sets groups based on your rules. The job profile can be mapped instead. |
| Supervisory OrganizationJob › Organizations | department | Keeps the department up to date. Rules can use it, or the cost center, to choose account placement and groups. |
| LocationJob › Job Details | officeLocation | Keeps the office up to date. A lookup table can also fill in the street, city and country. |
| ManagerJob › Job Details | manager | Links to the manager’s account to keep approvals and org charts in sync with Workday. |
| Hire DateJob › Service Dates | accountEnabled | Sets when the account is created and enabled. You choose how many days before the hire date to create it. |
| Active StatusJob › Status | accountEnabled | Active keeps the account enabled. Inactive disables it when no other record keeps the person active. |
| Worker TypeJob › Job Details | accountEnabled | Rules can use Employee or Contingent Worker, and the employee type, to choose groups and licenses. |
| Termination DateJob › Status | accountEnabled | Sets the date for disabling the account and starting offboarding. Your rules set the time. |
Frequently asked questions
- Does ezOnboard write to Workday?
- No. ezOnboard only reads Workday, so the security group needs Get Only access to the domains listed. No Put access is needed. Make any corrections in Workday.
- Which Workday permissions does the integration system user need?
- Add the user to an Integration System Security Group (Unconstrained). Grant Get Only access to the Worker Data domains listed in step 1 and Person Data: Work Contact Information. Activate the pending security policy changes.
- Do we need Workday’s Entra ID integration or SCIM?
- No. ezOnboard reads Workday’s web services and uses your rules to manage accounts in Active Directory or Entra ID. Its agent runs on your network and can also manage Exchange.
- Do we need a server for Entra ID?
- Yes. Use a Windows Server with outbound HTTPS to Workday HCM, ezOnboard and Microsoft Graph. No domain join or inbound firewall rules are required. The agent runs as a local virtual account by default and keeps employee data on your network. It doesn’t store tenant administrator credentials.
- What permissions does ezOnboard need in Entra ID?
- A Global Administrator grants consent to the ezOnboard application. Permissions are grouped by capability, such as managing users or assigning licenses. You can grant additional capabilities later. Revoke consent in Entra ID to remove access.
- How quickly does a Workday HCM change reach Entra ID?
- The agent checks Workday HCM every five minutes and usually applies changes within seconds of finding them. Scheduled changes follow your rules: accounts are created before the start date, enabled on that date and disabled on the termination date at the time you choose.
- How does Workday HCM trigger offboarding in Entra ID?
- On the termination date, the account is disabled and its sign-in sessions are revoked. Direct licenses are recovered. The account is removed from managed groups, releasing their licenses. The account is never deleted. Every step is recorded for audit.
- How do new hires sign in?
- With a Temporary Access Pass issued when their account is enabled on the start date. ezOnboard emails it to their manager or an address set by your rules. Enable Temporary Access Pass in your authentication methods policy and provide an Exchange Online mailbox to send from.
- Which guide should we use for a hybrid directory?
- Use the Active Directory guide if your accounts sync to Entra ID through Entra Connect. The agent updates on-premises accounts and manages licenses and mailboxes in the cloud. It won’t change cloud attributes owned by Entra Connect. This guide covers cloud-only accounts.
Get a demo
See Workday HCM connected to Entra ID
Get a demo for your Workday HCM and Entra ID setup. For questions, email sales@ezonboard.io.