Workday is one of the most common applicant tracking systems in the world, used by thousands of large employers. If you are job hunting, you will probably fill out dozens of Workday applications, and each one asks for the same information in slightly different ways: contact details, work history, education, voluntary disclosures, and a resume upload. Done by hand, a single application can take 20 to 40 minutes.
The good news is that most of that time goes into retyping information you already have. With a little preparation, you can spend your time on the parts that actually matter, like tailoring your resume and answering role-specific questions.
Why Workday applications feel so slow
- Every employer runs its own Workday tenant, so you usually need a new account for each company.
- Applications are split across five to eight pages (My Information, My Experience, Application Questions, Voluntary Disclosures, Self Identify, Review), and each page validates before you can continue.
- Work history and education are entered as repeating blocks with separate fields for title, company, location, dates, and description.
- Dropdowns often use custom components instead of standard select boxes, so browser autofill does not recognise them.
- Uploading a resume sometimes pre-fills your work history, but the parsed result is frequently wrong and needs correcting line by line.
Prepare once: your application master file
Before you apply anywhere, write down every answer you will need in one place. A plain document is enough. Include:
- Your legal name, preferred name, phone number in international format, email, and full address.
- Links you want to share: LinkedIn, portfolio, GitHub, or personal site.
- Each job with exact title, employer, city, start and end month, and a three-to-five line description of what you did.
- Each school with degree, field of study, and graduation date.
- Standard answers: work authorization, need for sponsorship, notice period, willingness to relocate, and salary expectations as a range.
- Your resume and cover letter saved as PDFs with clear file names, such as Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf.
Tip: Write your descriptions in the same tense and style you use on your resume. Recruiters often compare the two, and consistent wording looks careful.
A routine for each application
- Read the job posting first and note two or three requirements you clearly meet. You will use them in any free-text questions.
- Create the employer account with a password manager so you can return to the application later.
- Skip the "autofill with resume" option if past parsing results were poor; filling from your master file is usually faster than correcting a bad parse.
- Fill the repeating work history and education blocks from your master file, starting with your most recent role.
- Answer the application questions honestly and consistently. Inconsistent answers about authorization or relocation are a common reason applications are filtered out.
- Use the Review page. Check dates, the spelling of employer names, and that the correct resume version is attached.
Where a form-filling extension helps
A form filler stores your master file as a structured profile and types it into the page for you. Aullevo, for example, matches each Workday field to your saved profile, including custom dropdowns, radio buttons, date pickers, and repeating experience blocks, and fills the page with one shortcut. On multi-page applications it can move to the next page after filling, and it pauses when a required field is empty so you can answer it yourself.
Whatever tool you use, keep yourself in the loop. Automation is best at the repetitive parts, such as names, addresses, dates, and standard yes/no questions. You should still write or review answers to role-specific questions and confirm everything on the Review page before submitting.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting with an outdated resume attached. Rename files by date or version so you can tell them apart.
- Leaving optional cover letter fields empty for roles you care about most. A short, specific paragraph is better than nothing.
- Using different phone numbers or email addresses across applications, which makes recruiter follow-up harder.
- Rushing voluntary disclosure pages. You can choose not to answer these questions, but pick that option deliberately.
Treat every application as something a person will read. Speed is useful only if the result is accurate and reflects you well.