Workday brings HR & finance tasks into Microsoft 365

Workday has made its Sana Self-Service Agent available in Microsoft 365 Copilot, bringing HR and finance tasks into Microsoft's workplace software.

The integration lets employees and managers ask questions and complete routine actions within Microsoft 365 instead of switching between separate systems. When a request requires Workday data or processes, the service uses Workday's existing approvals, policies and business rules.

It is aimed at common workplace tasks that often sit across email, chat, portals and help desks, including checking holiday balances, requesting leave, updating personal details, viewing payslips and reviewing tax withholding information.

Managers can use the service to review team goals, approve timesheets in bulk, start a performance review for an employee and submit payroll input. For finance teams, it can answer questions about expense and travel policies, check eligibility for items such as corporate cards and direct users to the right request or case process.

Workday's system sits behind the interaction inside Microsoft 365 Copilot. User activity appears in Copilot, while the underlying Workday data and transactions remain in Workday.

Workflow shift

The tie-up reflects a broader effort by business software groups to place HR and finance processes inside the workplace tools staff already use each day. Rather than requiring workers to log into a dedicated HR or finance system for every request, vendors are moving basic transactions into chat and productivity environments.

Organisations using Microsoft 365 Copilot can enable the Self-Service Agent through configuration rather than a separate deployment project. The product is available as a single app in the Microsoft Marketplace and does not require a separate login or additional licence.

Workday positioned the offering around routine internal support work that can consume time across large organisations. Employees and managers often need simple answers about pay, time off, expenses and reviews, but those requests can create repeated queries for HR and finance departments.

Joel Hellermark, Sana General Manager at Workday, said the aim is to reduce that friction.

"People shouldn't have to jump between systems just to get a simple HR or finance answer. With our Self‐Service Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot, Workday quietly does the hard work in the background, so answers simply appear where people already are," Hellermark said.

Controls and access

Each interaction runs through Workday's platform, with responses governed by role-based permissions and existing approval structures. Customers can also monitor how the agent is being used.

That focus on control reflects the sensitivity of HR and finance systems, where records on pay, tax, leave and expenses require tight access rules and audit trails. Workday drew a distinction between the structured business processes in its software and the less predictable nature of generative AI systems, arguing that the service combines the two by keeping actions inside its established process framework.

Microsoft also presented the partnership as a way to keep users in familiar software while handling internal business tasks. The integration adds another third-party business process to Microsoft 365 Copilot as Microsoft seeks to make Copilot a front end for more workplace applications.

"Microsoft 365 Copilot is designed to help people stay in the flow of work while getting more done with less friction. With Workday's Sana Self-Service Agent integrated into Microsoft 365 Copilot, employees can access HR and finance support in the tools they use every day, while organizations retain the same policies, controls, and governance they already rely on with Workday," said Srini Raghavan, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft 365 Ecosystem, Microsoft.

Customer view

Workday also pointed to demand from companies trying to weave AI tools into everyday operations rather than keeping them as standalone pilots. One customer, Direct Supply, linked the software to a wider workplace technology strategy.

"Direct Supply is an employee-owned company focused on helping prepare our nation for the needs of an aging population. As we advance that mission, we are building a modern, AI-enabled workplace that helps our Partners and leaders operate with greater agility, clarity, and impact," said Sarah Rolfs, SVP, HR & Transformation, Direct Supply. "Our partnership with Workday is an important part of our broader AI-first strategy, helping bring key actions and insights into the flow of work - enabling faster decisions, stronger organizational outcomes, and greater value for the customers and communities we serve," Rolfs added.

Workday said the Sana Self-Service Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot is generally available for eligible Workday and Microsoft customers.