Sana Self-Service Agent
Overview
Conversational AI agent that retrieves/summarizes broad self-service data and takes action on common employee interactions. Replaces Workday Assistant chat bubble when activated (reduces duplication).
Skill name conventions:
- ESS – Employee Self-Service (all employee types)
- MSS – Manager Self-Service (managers)
- Base – simple action skills
- Advanced – complex action skills
The Guide skill must always remain active — it is the core skill required for the agent to run.
Setup Prerequisites
- UMSA (opt-in if on MSA)
- Workday Flex Credits and Platform Entitlement Policy (production only)
- Set Up Agent System of Record
Setup Steps
- Agent Management Hub → Unregistered Workday Agent tab → Register Self-Service Agent → Confirm → OK
- Agent Registry → click Self-Service Agent → Configure Agent
- Enable skills via toggle slider per Status column
- Populate Available To per skill
- Example: ESS - HCM - Base → Employee As Self; MSS - HCM - Base → Manager and Management Chain
- Click Activate
Result: Workday Chat icon appears in global navigation; Workday Assistant chat bubble is hidden.
Language Support
Officially validated: English, French, French-Canadian, German, Japanese.
LLM can communicate in 30+ additional languages but without verified accuracy.
Policy Intelligence skill: English only (knowledge base articles + responses).
Limitations
- No file uploads
- No contingent workers
- No zip (hiding optional fields), custom labels (tokenization), additional jobs (multi-position)
- No implementer/proxy account usage
- No user preferences from profiles (locale)
- No delegated actions (appear successful in chat but won't create system events/requests)
- If skill involves tenant access restrictions (e.g., MFA), assign same restrictions to security groups in Available To
Skills Reference
| Skill |
Description |
| ESS - Help - Advanced |
Submit support requests (complex issues documented and routed for resolution) |
| ESS - Human Capital Management - Advanced |
Update personal data, request reference letters |
| ESS - Human Capital Management - Base |
Retrieve personal info: worker profiles, compensation, benefits, team info |
| ESS - Payroll - Base |
Retrieve compensation, payment, and tax form info |
| ESS - Talent Management - Advanced |
Submit performance reviews, create referrals |
| ESS - Talent Management - Base |
Retrieve performance goals, feedback history, internal job listings |
| ESS - Workforce Management - Advanced |
Submit time-off requests, check in/out of shifts, enter time blocks, submit time |
| ESS - Workforce Management - Base |
Retrieve time tracking, scheduling, absence info, time-off balances |
| Guide |
Navigational deep links to correct Workday report/task when agent can't answer directly |
| MSS - Human Capital Management - Base |
Retrieve team info: structures, work history, direct reports |
| MSS - Payroll - Advanced |
Initiate payroll input requests (Request Payroll Inputs BP) |
| MSS - Talent Management - Advanced |
Conduct reviews, change talent data, execute team development transactions |
| MSS - Talent Management - Base |
Retrieve goal progress, learning statuses, team feedback |
| MSS - Workforce Management - Base |
Retrieve direct reports' time-off balances and schedules |
| Policy Intelligence |
Search Help Knowledge Base articles to answer company policy/procedural questions (English only) |
ESS - Help - Advanced
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
| create_a_case |
Submit formal support requests |
— |
ESS - Human Capital Management - Advanced
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
Custom Validations |
| change_home_contact_info |
Update home address and personal phone numbers |
No file uploads; managers can't update on behalf of direct reports |
Yes |
| change_marital_status |
Update marital status (3-step: initiate, draft, submit) |
No removing/clearing status; may enter approval workflow |
Yes |
| change_name |
Update legal and/or preferred name |
No: other name components, file uploads, effective date |
Yes |
| change_personal_info |
Update personal info (marital status, citizenship, ethnicity) via Change Personal Information BP |
Based on security access and org config |
— |
| request_reference_letter |
Initiate employment verification/reference letter for current user |
Managers can't initiate for direct reports; no custom language or client-specific formatting |
No |
ESS - Human Capital Management - Base
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
| view_bonus_history |
Historical bonuses and one-time payments (amounts, dates, plan names, percentages, reasons) |
No clawbacks, non-bonus plan types, or future payments |
| view_coworker_info |
Search coworker by name/ID for professional profile |
No home addresses; ambiguous names need clarification; no bulk lookups |
| view_dependents |
List active dependents (name, relationship, DOB, age, gender, tobacco status) |
— |
| view_healthcare_elections |
Active healthcare enrollment and elections for user + dependents |
Healthcare and Retirement Benefits only |
| view_my_team |
My-team list users (peers under same manager, not direct reports) |
No detailed profile info |
| view_org_info |
Organization records for user's orgs or name search |
Org metadata only; use view_my_team for people queries |
| view_personal_info |
Personal and employment profile details for session user |
Read-only; no emergency contacts or custom profile fields |
| view_retirement_savings |
Active retirement savings plan details, contribution rates, beneficiary allocations |
— |
| view_total_compensation |
Base pay, total compensation, pay frequency, grade, range, stock grants + vesting |
No future stock vesting dates |
ESS - Payroll - Base
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
| view_direct_deposit |
Bank accounts and direct deposit info from payment elections |
No non-bank-account payment elections |
| view_next_paydate |
Next on-cycle payment date for primary pay group |
AU, CA, FR, IE, UK, USA only; Payroll Interface pay group needs additional config |
| view_payslips |
Latest or date-filtered payslips (payment date, period dates, gross, net, YTD) |
AU, CA, FR, IE, UK, USA only; no custom labels, line-item detail, or net-zero payslips |
| view_w2 |
Most recent US Form W-2 info |
Most recent year only; no individual W-2 box info |
| view_w4 |
US federal tax withholding election (Form W-4) for specified date |
— |
ESS - Talent Management - Advanced
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
Custom Validations |
| create_referral |
Submit referral for external candidate to 1+ job requisitions |
No resume/file uploads; no status display after submission |
No |
| start_performance_review_self |
Initiate self-performance review |
Further inputs must be completed in Workday UI after initiation |
Yes |
| request_feedback_self |
Request feedback from other users with template selection and privacy settings |
— |
— |
ESS - Talent Management - Base
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
| find_jobs |
Search approved internal job postings (location, skills, manager, req ID) |
No free-form keyword search; paginated results |
| view_feedback |
Received feedback (unsolicited + requested) with dates, providers, content |
— |
| view_my_goals |
Personal goals with status, due date, org alignment |
No date range filtering; no Target Amount, Milestones, Cascaded Goals |
| view_org_goals |
Org goals for specified date range (primary-job supervisory org default) |
Active supervisory orgs only; no name/description search |
| view_performance_review |
Completed or in-progress reviews with ratings; filter by status |
No overall comments |
| view_talent_profile_details |
Talent profile sections (job history, skills, education) for current user or named worker |
— |
ESS - Workforce Management - Advanced
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
Custom Validations |
| delete_time_off |
Cancel/delete approved time off (Correct Time Off BP) |
No in-progress requests or corrections |
Yes |
| edit_time_off |
Edit approved time off entry (quantity, start/end times, reasons) |
No changes to time off type, position, worktags |
Yes |
| enter_time_block |
Create time entries (quantity-based or in/out time-based) |
No worktag entry or project-based time codes |
— |
| request_time_off |
Submit time off request (Request Time Off BP) |
No requests with worktags, system warnings, start/end times, or absence tables |
Yes |
| shift_check_in |
Clock in at shift start |
No worktag entry or project-based codes |
— |
| shift_check_out |
Clock out (break or end of shift) |
— |
— |
| submit_time |
Submit timesheet for full time period containing specified date |
— |
No |
| update_time_block_comment |
Add/update comment on a specific time block |
No other field edits |
— |
ESS - Workforce Management - Base
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
| my_time_off_events |
Time off events (Approved, Submitted, Not Submitted, Sent Back) for date range |
No Cancelled or Denied entries |
| time_off_balance |
Time off balances as of effective date |
No carryover, expiring accruals, or expiration details |
| time_off_types |
All time off types user is eligible for |
Excludes types not available via standard process |
| view_holiday_calendar |
Company holiday calendar events for date range |
No duration of holiday events |
| view_time_blocks |
Recorded time blocks for date range |
Limited to first 20 per request |
Guide
| Tool |
Description |
| navigation_deeplink |
Direct link to correct Workday task/report when agent can't answer |
MSS - Human Capital Management - Base
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
| recommend_change_job_template |
Recommend predefined Change Job template based on user context |
Recommendation only; doesn't initiate workflow |
| view_direct_reports_info |
Professional profile info for direct reports (anniversaries, birthdays, promotions, tenure) |
Direct reports only; some fields may not populate |
| view_direct_reports |
Names and IDs of direct reports |
Direct reports only; use view_org_info for hierarchy context |
| view_worker_history |
Employment events (hire, job change, compensation) for user or named worker within date range |
Single event category per invocation; named worker must be in manager's reporting structure |
MSS - Payroll - Advanced
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
| request_payroll_input |
Create payroll input requests for earnings/deductions; identifies eligible pay components and next payroll start date |
No (custom validations) |
Key rules for request_payroll_input:
- Creates payroll inputs only for Workday Payroll workers (blocks request for external pay group or no pay group)
- Multi-job workers default to primary position effective on input start date when position not specified
MSS - Talent Management - Advanced
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
| start_performance_review_worker |
Start Employee Review BP for single direct report or entire team |
One template only when starting for all direct reports simultaneously |
| request_feedback_worker |
Request feedback about a worker from other users (confidential or visible) |
— |
MSS - Talent Management - Base
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
| find_job_requisition |
Up to 10 open/in-progress job requisitions for manager's leadership orgs |
No evergreen or internal apply postings |
| view_candidate_status |
Application info for candidates (skills, experience, links) |
My Candidates access required; link formatting may be inconsistent |
| view_team_goals |
Up to 100 goals for direct reports grouped by worker and completion status |
No milestones, categories, or target/actual currency filter |
| view_team_learning_status |
Learning records (completion, grade, expiration) for direct team |
Enrolled activities only; no due date or individual learner filter |
| view_team_performance_review |
High-level review metadata and overall ratings for supervisory org |
First supervisory org only for multi-org managers; no section ratings/comments |
MSS - Workforce Management - Base
| Tool |
Description |
Limitations |
| view_direct_reports_time_off |
Time off events for direct reports within date range |
Latest version only for corrected entries; no cancelled/denied entries |
Policy Intelligence
| Tool |
Description |
| search_policy_documents |
Retrieves company policy info from Help Knowledge Base articles |