Workday VNDLY – Vendors, Jobs, Workflow Approvals, Candidates & Work Orders¶

Source: Admin Guide – Workday VNDLY (May 14, 2026), pp. 86–202

Vendors¶

Vendor Management Tasks¶

Task	Purpose
Add a Vendor	Create a new vendor/supplier record in VNDLY
Suspend a Vendor	Temporarily prevent a vendor from submitting candidates
Set Up Authorized Services For Vendors	Define which service types a vendor can provide (Contingent Staffing, EOR/AOR, SOW, etc.)
Bulk Upload Vendors	Import multiple vendors via CSV
Onboard Vendors	Complete vendor setup including contacts, contracts, and terms
Communicate with Vendors	Send messages to vendor contacts from within VNDLY
Edit the User Role for a Vendor	Change the VNDLY role assigned to vendor contacts
Vendor Resend Credentials	Resend login invitation to a vendor contact
Create Vendor Groups	Group vendors for targeted job distribution and RFP management
Create Distribution Scenarios and Rules	Define rule-based routing of jobs to vendor groups
Set Up Job Distributions	Configure how job notifications are distributed to vendors

Concept: Vendor Types¶

Vendor Type	Description
Staffing Agency	Sources and places contingent workers for client roles
Employer of Record (EOR) / Agent of Record (AOR)	Employs/manages contractors on behalf of the client
SOW Vendor	Delivers project-based work under a Statement of Work
Managed Service Provider (MSP)	Manages the contingent workforce program on behalf of the client

Steps: Apply and Hire Contractors to Jobs¶

High-level workflow for moving a contractor from candidate to hired: 1. Vendor submits candidate application to a published job 2. Client reviews and interviews candidate 3. Offer released to candidate 4. Candidate accepts offer 5. Work order created; onboarding begins

Job Workflow and Settings¶

Job Workflow¶

Create Job Templates¶

Job templates define reusable job configurations. Key fields: - Job title, description, and categories - Location and remote work options - Duration (start/end date or ongoing) - Compensation type and rate card association - Shift configuration - Checklist assignments - Workflow approval routing - Vendor distribution rules - Required and optional custom fields

Create Job Categories¶

Organize jobs by business function or role type for reporting and routing.

Set Up Direct Hire¶

Concept: Direct Hire — Direct Hire allows clients to bypass vendor sourcing and place a pre-identified contractor directly onto a work order. Used for known contractors or referrals.

Reference: Direct Hire Payment Terms — supported payment structures (hourly, daily, fixed fee) for direct hire arrangements.

FAQ: Direct Hire — common questions on eligibility, fee handling, and work order source type.

Publish a Job¶

Publish a job to make it available to vendors for candidate submission. Configuration at publish time includes: - Vendor group selection - Application deadline - Pre-identified candidate designation - Approval routing

Add Job Approvals¶

Configure multi-step approval workflows for job requisitions before they are published to vendors.

Apply Candidates to Jobs¶

Manually apply a pre-identified or existing candidate to a job on behalf of a vendor or directly.

Schedule Interviews with Candidates¶

Schedule interviews from within VNDLY; supports calendar integration.

Reschedule Interviews — modify existing interview times.

Release an Offer to a Candidate¶

Issue an offer to the selected candidate with rate, start date, and work order details.

Key Job Workflow Concepts¶

Concept	Description
Concept: Approvals Widget	Visual indicator showing approval status at each step
Concept: Published Jobs	Behavior of jobs after publication; visibility to vendors
Concept: Job Candidate Applications and Actions	Actions available on candidate applications (advance, reject, hold, interview, offer)
Concept: Interview Management	Interview scheduling, feedback, and status tracking

Job Workflow Configuration¶

Create a Rate Card in Settings¶

Rate cards define allowable bill rates by role, level, or location. Configuration includes: - Rate card name and effective dates - Role/level combinations - Minimum, target, and maximum bill rates - Currency

Manage Rate Card Configurations¶

Edit, copy, and manage rate card versions. Associate rate cards with job templates or individual jobs.

Set Up Job Application Settings¶

Configure the candidate submission form: - Required fields (resume, cover letter, portfolio) - Custom field visibility - Submission rules and limits per vendor

Set Default Fields for Job Views¶

Control which fields are displayed by default on the job list view for hiring managers and program admins.

Reference: Job Compensation Settings — configuration options for pay types (hourly, daily, monthly, fixed fee), currency handling, and rate display.

Workflow Approvals¶

Steps: Set Up Workflow Approvals¶

Workflow approvals gate actions (job publish, work order changes, timesheet approval, invoice release, SOW approval) until authorized approvers sign off.

Create Workflow Approvals¶

Create Workflow Approvals — define approval rules for each workflow type: - Jobs - Work Orders - Timesheets - Expenses - Invoicing - Statement of Work

Each approval workflow specifies: triggering criteria, approver type, approval sequence (sequential or parallel), and fallback/escalation rules.

Create Approver Types¶

Approver types define who receives approval tasks. Types include: - Specific user - Role holder (e.g., Hiring Manager, Program Admin) - Management level (spend authority-based routing) - Org hierarchy level

Configure Workflow Approvals¶

Apply approval workflows to specific org units, job categories, rate thresholds, or other criteria.

Reference: Workflow Approval Criteria — complete reference of all criteria available for approval routing rules, including field comparisons, org-based criteria, and value thresholds.

Checklists¶

Checklists are structured lists of required action items or document collection tasks associated with the contractor lifecycle.

Configuration Tasks¶

Task	Purpose
Add a New Checklist	Create a checklist definition with items, owners, and due date rules
Add Custom Fields to Checklist Actions	Extend checklist action forms with additional data fields
Add New Checklist Items to Work Orders	Associate checklist items with active work orders
Assign Checklist Items to Jobs	Pre-assign checklists to job templates
Edit Assigned Checklists on a Published Job	Modify checklists on an already-published job
Manage Checklist Actions	Review, complete, and manage individual checklist action items
Set Up Multiple Checklist Expiration Notifications	Configure reminder notifications for expiring checklist items
Set Up Checklist Settings	Global checklist behavior settings (required vs. optional, expiry behavior)

Checklist use cases: Background check tracking, drug screening, equipment provisioning, policy acknowledgments, I-9 verification, badge assignment.

Candidates¶

Core Concepts¶

Concept: Candidate List and Candidate Profile — the candidate profile stores personal info, work history, skills, documents, and a record of all job applications and work orders.

Concept: Masking Candidate Data — configure fields that are masked from specific user types during review (e.g., name, contact info for blind screening).

Concept: Consolidated Candidate Records — a consolidated record links multiple candidate profiles for the same person across different vendor submissions into a unified view.

Candidate Management Tasks¶

Task	Purpose
Create Candidates	Manually create a new candidate record
Bulk Upload Candidates	Import multiple candidates via CSV template
Create Candidate Submission Rules in Settings	Rules controlling how many candidates vendors can submit per job and submission requirements
Create Candidate Notifications	Configure automated notifications to candidates (interview scheduled, offer received, etc.)

Reference: Candidate Permissions — what each user type can view and do on candidate profiles.

Reference: Candidate Profile in Settings — configuration options for candidate profile fields and display.

Consolidated Candidate Records¶

Task	Purpose
Move a Consolidated Candidate Record	Move a candidate's record from one consolidated profile to another
Merge Two Consolidated Candidate Records	Combine two consolidated profiles into one
Split a Consolidated Candidate Record	Separate records within a consolidated profile
Bulk Upload Consolidated Candidate Records	Bulk import consolidated records via CSV

Work Orders¶

What They Are¶

A work order is the primary record for each contractor assignment. Automatically created when a candidate is applied to a job. Follows the contractor through the full lifecycle: application → onboarding → active assignment → completion/termination.

Key behaviors: - Multiple work orders can exist for one candidate (one per assignment) - Job edits after work order creation do NOT sync to the work order — update the work order directly - Source type is set at work order creation and generally cannot be changed (except Directed, Payrolled, Supplier Sourced) - Checklists, charge codes, timesheets, and expenses are all associated at the work order level

Steps: Configure Work Order Settings¶

Task	Purpose
Configure Work Order Defaults	Set default values for new work orders (pay type, currency, work week start, etc.)
Create Work Order Rules	Conditional logic that applies defaults or validations based on org, location, or job category
Configure Vendor Actions	Define what vendors can see and do on work orders
Create Approval Fields	Add approval-required fields to work order edit forms

Work Order Lifecycle Tasks¶

Task	Purpose
Update Work Orders	Edit work order fields (rate, dates, org, charge codes)
Change Organizations on Work Orders (Workday-Integrated)	Update org assignment with Workday HCM sync
Change Organizations on Work Orders (Non-Workday Integrated)	Update org without Workday sync
End Work Orders Early	Terminate an assignment before the scheduled end date
Backdate Work Orders with Previously Approved Timesheets	Adjust work order start dates retroactively
Transfer an Employee	Move a contractor from one work order/org to another
Adjust Work Week Start Time	Change when the contractor's work week begins
Terminate a Contractor	End contractor engagement; triggers offboarding workflow
Reopen a Work Order	Reactivate a closed work order
Print Work Orders	Generate a printable work order document

Concept: Source Types¶

The Source Type on a work order determines how the contractor was engaged:

Source Type	Description	Editable?
Directed	Pre-identified; placed directly with a vendor	Yes
Payrolled	EOR/AOR engagement	Yes
Supplier Sourced	Sourced through standard vendor submission	Yes
Direct Hire	Bypasses vendor sourcing	No
Statement of Work	SOW-based engagement	No
Worker Profile	Worker Profile Management program	No

Troubleshooting: Source Types — resolution for source type mismatches and incorrect configurations.

Concept: Gaps and Overlaps When Adjusting Work Week Start Times — behavior when work week start changes create gaps or overlaps in timesheet periods.

Reference: Work Order Permissions — complete permission matrix for work order actions by user type.

Pre-Identified Workflows¶

Pre-identification places a specific candidate on a job before it is distributed to vendors.

Pre-Identify Candidates During Job Publish — designate a candidate as pre-identified at the time of publishing the job.

Pre-Identify Candidates After Job Publish — add a pre-identified candidate to a job that has already been published.

Use cases: Known contractors being re-engaged, referrals, contractors transferring from one role to another.

Bulk Updates and Uploads¶

Bulk Updates¶

Create Bulk Updates — make mass changes to work orders, candidates, or other records using filter-based selection.

Create Bulk Updates Using File Uploads — submit a CSV file to drive mass updates.

Concept: Bulk Updates — how bulk update jobs are processed, validated, and applied; audit trail behavior.

Reference: Bulk Updates Permissions — which user types can run bulk updates.

Reference: Work Order Statuses for Bulk Updates — which work order statuses are eligible for each bulk update action.

Bulk Uploads¶

Concept: Bulk Uploads — template-based CSV uploads for creating or updating specific data types.

Reference: Bulk Uploads — complete list of supported upload types with template format and field requirements.

Reference: Bulk Update and Bulk Upload Comparison — when to use each approach.

Tenure¶

Create Tenure Policies — define policies that trigger alerts or actions when a contractor has been engaged for a specified cumulative duration. Used for compliance with co-employment regulations.

Create Tenure Rules — configure rules that apply specific tenure policies to work orders based on org, location, or job category.

Update Contractor Tenure Policies — modify tenure policy assignments for existing contractors.