In today's dynamic work environment, international transfers have become increasingly common within organizations. For employees, it may be for personal growth, career advancement, or expansion into new markets. Between the need for specialized skills and fostering a global culture, companies frequently face the challenge of seamlessly transitioning employees across borders.
Workday understands the complexities of international transfers by incorporating onboarding as part of the Change Job relocation process. In this blog post, I'll explore how my favorite ERP can support employees during crucial phases of relocation.
International transfers can significantly impact both the employee and the organization. By adding an Onboarding step within the Change Job business process definition, organizations gain the ability to acknowledge the specific requirements associated with international transfers. Offering comprehensive support and guidance to leaders and Human Resources within an integrated process ensures a positive experience and seamless transition into the employee's international role.
Each country has its own set of legal requirements including work permits, visas, tax obligations, and immigration documentation. Failure to navigate these processes accurately and efficiently can lead to delays, penalties, and even the cancellation of the transfer. Including the applicable tasks within Workday Onboarding enables the collection and management of all necessary documentation.
By including this within the process, employees can access a wealth of information and resources related to their new location. This may include but would not be limited to details regarding local housing options, transportation and education, and availability of healthcare. Employees can make informed decisions by having this information upfront, which may ease stress during their relocation process.
When transitioning to a new role in a different country, employees may encounter changes in their job responsibilities. This might include new reporting structures and expectations regarding performance. As part of self-service tasks, employees can access updated job responsibilities and review new performance objectives.
With the introduction of Onboarding, steps can be included to integrate HR and Payroll systems directly into the process. This can eliminate the need for redundant data entry and minimize the risk of errors. Employees can update their personal details, direct deposit elections, tax forms, and other relevant information directly through the platform, saving time and reducing the administrative burden.
One of my clients identified the need for Workday configuration updates in their Change Job business process, stemming from implementing a new tool. One of the specific requirements was to create a more streamlined version of their Onboarding definition, to be triggered for employees when they transferred locations. However, the client expressed a preference not to include all the Onboarding steps and therefore wished to refrain from modifying the existing Onboarding business process.
To meet these requirements I needed to do the following:
The copied Onboarding business process became a condensed version and included the following actionable tasks:
Aside from the payment and tax elections, all steps were configured to trigger for both Employees and Contingent Workers.
NOTE: To action any transfer on a Worker after the changes have been made in your tenant, the action is simply "Transfer, Promote or Change Job" from the Job Change sub-menu within their Actions menu on the worker profile. Or, type that into the search bar to bring up the task for any Worker!
International transfers will, if anything, increase in frequency in the coming years. Setting your Workday tenant up to facilitate the process will guarantee success as time goes on. Maintenance should be minimal and limited to regulatory changes. Designating a Human Resources Business Partner to own all updates will further ensure success.
As an international employee myself, I appreciate any organization that considers and addresses impacts to movement across borders. If you'd like additional support with your own updates, get in touch with us here!