The Challenge
With high-risk job sites going live across the country, a global construction firm needed to onboard hundreds of workers at once. But Workday only allowed one record at a time, creating bottlenecks that delayed staffing and put site readiness at risk.
There was no scalable way to manage credentials, certifications, or assignments in bulk. HR teams had to re-enter the same information manually hundreds of times. It was inefficient and increased the risk of errors that could delay site openings or trigger compliance violations.
The team needed a faster way to scale onboarding without losing the structure, control, or auditability that Workday was built to enforce.
Our Solution
Quandary Consulting Group built a Mass Staffing Accelerator: a custom Quickbase application that enables teams to upload hundreds of employee records into Workday simultaneously, without compromising compliance or accuracy.
The tool uses Workday’s API to automate high-volume data entry and verification, eliminating the slow, error-prone manual steps. It preserves all core platform features while extending Workday’s ability to support large-scale onboarding.
Each record is sent as a temporary entry and only finalized after system-level validation. This gave the team a fast, reliable path to scale staffing while maintaining full control over compliance.
Key Features:
- Bulk Data Uploads: Onboards, reassigns, or offboards hundreds of workers in one step, eliminating manual entry.
- Workday Extension: Adds functionality for high-volume updates without changing the core Workday setup.
- Two-Way Sync: Keeps credentials, job status, and access rights aligned across Workday and local systems.
- Compliance Checks at Scale: Automatically flags missing certifications or training gaps before they delay site access.
- Reusable Staffing Data: Stores credentials for future onboarding cycles to avoid duplicate entry.
- Site-Level Staffing Visibility: Tracks staffing levels and credential readiness by site in real time.
Our Process
This six-month build required, tight coordination between the client, Workday, and Quandary, working through complex requirements and a rigid platform to design a scalable solution from scratch.
The process moved through five key phases:
Key Steps:
- Mapped onboarding requirements: Broke down every data point needed per employee—what was shared, what was unique, and how it aligned with project staffing needs.
- Designed a scalable workflow: Built a workflow that could handle high-volume inputs, staggered timelines, and evolving credential rules.
- Integrated with Workday’s infrastructure: Used the sandbox environment to test, adapt, and validate API behavior with Workday’s team.
- Built and iterated in Quickbase: Developed the app with rapid cycles of client feedback, fixing issues surfaced only at scale.
- Piloted and scaled the rollout: Ran UAT in sandbox and live environments, launched the app in two hiring centers, and scaled it company-wide with structured training.
The Roadblocks
Mid-project, new edge cases broke the original assumptions. Data logic had to be reworked. API endpoints had to be extended. Requirements shifted.
Instead of slowing down, the client, Workday, and Quandary teams worked in lockstep, rebuilding workflows, stress-testing integration points, and keeping delivery on track.
Real-time feedback and rapid iteration ransformed a rigid system into one that effectively met real-world needs without compromising compliance or project timelines.
The Toolstack
- Quickbase: Served as the foundation for the Mass Staffing Accelerator, flexible enough to build fast, adapt quickly, and handle messy, high-volume onboarding data.
- Workday Sandbox: Enabled controlled API testing and live iteration with Workday’s team so every update could be validated without risking production.
The Results
The client can now onboard large teams in minutes without delaying critical projects. HR can upload hundreds of records at once, complete with verified credentials and full visibility across all systems.
Manual entry and duplication are significantly reduced. Errors are down. Staffing is faster, and compliance is stronger. All without changing core Workday workflows.
What used to delay high-risk projects is now a fast, controlled process that keeps staffing on schedule and compliant at scale.
Key Results:
- Onboarded 100+ workers in minutes
- Eliminated manual HR entry at scale
- Reduced errors across credential workflows
- Extended Workday for high-volume staffing without disruption
- Gained real-time credential visibility by site
Client Overview:
A global construction firm operating across 360+ locations, managing thousands of workers across complex job sites. The team is responsible for ensuring that every worker on site is qualified, credentialed, and compliant.
Industry: Commercial ConstructionLocation: GlobalSize: 360+ locations, thousands of employees
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