Why has the average time to complete employee onboarding in Workday's HR system doubled in the past month?

Introduction

The doubling of average employee onboarding time in Workday's HR system over the past month is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This unexpected increase could significantly impact employee productivity, satisfaction, and overall operational efficiency. To address this problem, I'll employ a systematic approach to identify, validate, and resolve the root cause while considering both short-term fixes and long-term strategic implications.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking there might have been a recent system update. Has there been any significant changes or updates to the Workday HR system in the past 1-2 months?

Why it matters: System changes often lead to unexpected performance issues. Expected answer: Yes, there was a major update. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd focus on post-update issues; if no, we'd look at other factors.

• Considering user segments, I'm curious about the distribution of this increase. Is the doubling of onboarding time consistent across all departments or employee levels?

Why it matters: Helps identify if the issue is systemic or localized. Expected answer: The increase varies across departments. Impact on approach: If varied, we'd investigate department-specific factors; if uniform, we'd focus on system-wide issues.

• Thinking about the metric itself, has there been any change in how onboarding completion is defined or measured in the past month?

Why it matters: Ensures we're comparing apples to apples. Expected answer: No changes in metric definition. Impact on approach: If changed, we'd need to reassess the problem definition; if not, we proceed with current understanding.

• Considering external factors, have there been any significant changes in the volume or complexity of new hires in the past month?

Why it matters: Could explain increased onboarding time without system issues. Expected answer: Normal hiring patterns continued. Impact on approach: If changed, we'd investigate hiring-related factors; if not, we'd focus more on internal system issues.