Shows
Workday GoldBuilding Better Reporting in Workday: Lessons From the Trenches with Christian DelcidSend us a textWriting reports in Workday can be frustrating, time-consuming, and counterintuitive, especially for people coming from SQL, Power BI, or other reporting tools. In this episode, Keith and Christian break down why Workday reporting feels different, what new report writers should focus on, and how to accelerate learning by leveraging standard reports, governance frameworks, and smart defaults. Along the way, they share stories from projects where reporting went right and where it went very wrong.The conversation also explores Discovery Boards, Matrix reports, and the shift toward visual analytics that users actually...
2025-12-0544 minWorkday GoldMoving to the Public Cloud: Lessons from the Front Lines with Christian DelcidSend us a textWorkday customers will eventually be required to migrate from Workday’s private cloud to a hyperscaler-hosted public cloud — but many don’t yet understand what that actually means in practice. In this episode of Workday Gold, Christian Delcid shares a firsthand look at his organization’s migration: what went smoothly, what nearly broke, and how they decided when to “rip off the band-aid.” His story reveals that the biggest lift wasn’t configuration — it was coordination across IT, security, vendors, integrations, candidate experience, and communication strategy.Christian also breaks down the timing s...
2025-10-2434 minWorkday GoldInfluencing Priorities and Getting Buy-In for Workday ProjectsSend us a textHow do you take a great idea for improving Workday and turn it into an approved project on your company’s roadmap? In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and co-host Christian Delcid share strategies for influencing stakeholders, making a strong business case, and building the relationships that lead to “yes.”From understanding the difference between tickets, backlogs, and roadmap projects, to managing competing priorities and protecting your team’s capacity, Keith and Christian deliver practical insights you can apply immediately. Whether you’re leading a Workday team or flying solo as th...
2025-08-1530 minWorkday GoldDeep Dive or Wide Net? Workday Career Real TalkSend us a textIn this episode of Workday Gold, Christian and I dive into a classic career question: Is it better to specialize deeply in a Workday module or be a generalist with broader reach? We talk through the pros and cons of both paths, share stories from our own journeys, and look at how company size, stage, and even your personality shape that decision.We also explore how AI is shifting the landscape. As tools evolve, generalists may gain new superpowers—but specialists still play a critical role. Whether you’re early in your...
2025-08-0835 min
Unsafe Harbor: a podcast about Workday#12 - The Perfect Storm: How AI, Extend, and Built on Workday Are Changing the Game with Rick & Matt of IncubaneHi everyone, and Welcome back to the Unsafe Harbor podcast. In this episode, we’ll be talking to Rick and Matt of Incubane. We cover a ton of different topics in this one. We explore the differences between Extend and Built on Workday Marketplace, the impact of AI on HRIS processes, and the future of the Workday Admin role. Make sure you’re following Incubane, Rick, & Matt on LinkedIn. They have some of the best content (and memes). Here’s my conversation with Rick and Matt:Incubane LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/incubane/posts/?feedView=all
2025-07-2144 minWorkday GoldThe Reality Check: AI Adoption and What We Wish We'd Known Before Supporting WorkdaySend us a textIn this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid unpack the intersection of AI and Workday. From slow adoption in enterprise settings to the rising importance of AI literacy—even for non-technical roles—they explore why now is the time to get hands-on with tools like ChatGPT and Claude. Keith shares practical tips like replacing your Google searches with AI prompts to start building confidence.They also reflect on their Workday journeys—what they wish they knew at the start, why Workday always keeps you learning, and how people and ps...
2025-06-0628 minUnsafe Harbor: a podcast about Workday#11 - Dani DeMaio & Scott LawrenceBack by popular demand, I talk to Dani DeMaio & Scott Lawrence in this episode. Dani is a Global Director of People Systems and Technology for a customer in the tech sector and Scott is a HRIS Manager for a customer in the Financial Services space. If you haven’t heard their original episodes of the Unsafe Harbor podcast, I highly recommend checking those out. Scott was episode #1 and Dani was episode #6. We cover a TON of ground in this episode related to mergers & acquisitions, selling the benefits of Workday to the company being acquired, how to give fee...
2025-05-2353 minWorkday GoldTransitioning to being a Manager: Leadership Beyond the TitleSend us a textIn this episode of Workday Goal, host Keith Bitikofer and guest Christian Delcid tackle the journey from Workday analyst to manager. They explore practical strategies for developing leadership skills before a management position opens, including volunteering for coordination roles, practicing effective delegation, and finding leadership opportunities outside the workplace. Keith shares what qualities he looks for in potential managers and why raising your hand when others won't is a crucial indicator of leadership potential.Beyond tactics, they dive into the realities of management—from having difficult conversations to handling confidential information—and...
2025-05-1638 minWorkday GoldHow AI is Transforming Workday RolesSend us a textIn this episode of Workday Gold, hosts Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid tackle the transformative impact of AI on Workday professionals. They share practical examples of how they're using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot to revolutionize their daily work, from meeting preparation to request categorization and document creation. Through candid discussion, they reveal how different AI platforms produce dramatically different results and why "AI first" thinking is essential for career survival in 2025.Beyond just tool recommendations, Keith and Christian explore the deeper implications for Workday analysts' career paths, including...
2025-05-0947 minWorkday GoldUnlocking Growth Opportunities in Workday SpaceSend us a textIn this episode of Workday Gold, Keith and Christian explore Chapter 14 of "Workday Gold Software Support Edition", Growth Opportunities. They discuss the importance of self-awareness in preventing burnout, understanding your "why" for supporting Workday, and embracing continuous learning in a rapidly evolving ecosystem. Keith shares personal experiences and coaching insights about the challenging transition from being an individual contributor to a manager, emphasizing the need to shift from a tactical to a strategic mindset.The conversation highlights essential leadership principles, including protecting your team while maintaining accountability, and concludes with practical...
2025-05-0235 minWorkday GoldMy Favorite Workday Sayings (Part 2)Send us a textIn this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid explore various sayings and phrases that resonate within the Workday ecosystem. They discuss the importance of focusing on manageable steps, the challenges of user expectations, and the significance of data integrity. The conversation emphasizes the need for effective communication, collaboration across departments, and the necessity of clear documentation in business processes. Through their insights, they offer valuable takeaways for both Workday administrators and users.For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching...
2025-04-1830 minUnsafe Harbor: a podcast about WorkdayWorkday AI Workflow ExperimentCheck out this Workday AI Workflow that I've been experimenting with. Please note, this is just a personal experiment I'm running in my free time but I wanted to share a quick demo, what I'm learning as a result of all of this, and the principles I'm (loosely) holding onto during this AI murkiness. Here's the full video and you can also view the video on YouTube and Spotify as well. Let me know what you all think. Also, if you are building AI agents or workflows for the Workday ecosystem, I would love to connect with you about...
2025-04-1419 minWorkday GoldMy Favorite Workday Sayings (Part 1)Send us a textIn this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid explore various sayings and concepts related to Workday software support. They discuss the importance of job profiles, the challenges of configuring Workday, and the value of community in problem-solving. The conversation also touches on metrics like turnover, the unknowns in Workday support, and the necessity of taking action despite uncertainties. The hosts emphasize the importance of understanding real processes and the myth of Workday experts, concluding with a call to action for listeners to engage with the community.
2025-04-1132 minUnsafe Harbor: a podcast about Workday#10 - Neelan & Adi from MandoIn this episode, we’ll be talking to Neelan Veloo and Adi Viswanathan, the co-founders of Mando, the AI Co-pilot for Workday Admins. Mando is an official Workday Partner that is using AI trained on Workday Community and knowledge contributed by a team of Workday experts.We’ll talk a lot about Mando, how it works, and how we’re preparing for all of the incoming AI innovation. Before we get into that, I did want to make sure that I shared some information. My company is a happy Mando customer. As an independent podcast, I’ve decided...
2025-04-031h 14Unsafe Harbor: a podcast about Workday#9 - Mahdi Kafi, Founder @ Turbin AIIn this episode, we’ll be talking to Mahdi Kafi. Mahdi is an independent consultant in the Workday ecosystem and the Founder of Turbin AI. Mahdi has been in the Workday space for 7 years and he’s been independent for almost 4 of those years.Mahdi is definitely someone to follow if you’ve ever entertained the possibility of becoming an independent consultant. He’s super open about the best and worst parts of being independent and he gives A TON of great advice for making the leap. There is a link to his company, podcast, and LinkedIn in the s...
2025-03-2748 minWorkday GoldLeverage Workday Rising and RUGs to Build RelationshipsSend us a textIn this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and co-host Christian Delcid discuss the importance of regional user groups and how to get the most value from attending Workday Rising. They explore how these platforms can enhance relationships, networking, and professional development within the Workday community. The conversation also touches on the value of creating personal user groups and the unique experiences offered at Workday Rising events. Christian Delcid and Keith Bitikofer discuss the vibrant atmosphere and opportunities at Workday Rising, likening it to a pep rally filled w...
2025-03-2142 minUnsafe Harbor: a podcast about Workday#8 - Carla CorleyIn this episode, we’ll be talking to Carla Corley. Carla is the Managing Partner at Corner Office Consultants. Carla and her team have exclusively been recruiting Workday talent for the last 12 years. The more I learn about Carla and Corner Office, the more there is to appreciate. However, the Workday Compensation & Market Guide that they make available is one of the many things that sets them apart. If you don’t know about the Compensation & Market guide, you need to check it out. I’ll have a link in the show notes that you can use to requ...
2025-03-2045 minWorkday GoldGovernance and Standards for Workday SoftwareSend us a textIn this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid discuss chapter 10 “Governance and Standards’ of Keith’s book and delve into the intricacies of governance and standards within Workday. They explore the importance of having a clear understanding of governance, the necessity of establishing an escalation path for decision-making, and the nuances of release management and deployment methodology. The conversation emphasizes the balance between structure and flexibility in organizational processes, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of Workday support. They delve into the intricacies of change management within Workday, emphasizing the imp...
2025-03-0746 minUnsafe Harbor: a podcast about Workday#7 - Dana NairnIn this episode, we’ll talk to the one and only, Dana Nairn. Dana is a Principal Advisor on Kognitiv's Implementation Services team. She’s been in the ecosystem for almost 11 years. Let’s be real, you have probably already heard of Dana or have seen one of her posts on LinkedIn. I mean, she’s the #WorkdayWoman after all. This was a really fun conversation. We cover some of the recent changes to the Workday Pro Certifications, Public GMS tenants going away, what it’s like working for a WD Partner versus a customer, and more. With all of...
2025-02-2645 minWorkday GoldLeadership and Product Ownership of Workday SoftwareSend us a textIn this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid discuss chapter 10 “Leadership and Product Ownership’ of Keith’s book and explore the themes of leadership and product ownership within the Workday environment. They discuss the importance of building relationships and understanding the dynamics of influence, distinguishing between positional and relational influence. The conversation emphasizes the need for effective communication and storytelling to highlight the achievements of Workday and the support team within a given Workday customer.They discuss the importance of effective communication within teams. They explore how Workday's strate...
2025-02-2144 minWorkday GoldSuccess Matters: How Do You Measure It in the Workday Space?Send us a textIn this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid discuss chapter 9 “Success Matters: How Do You Measure It?’ of Keith’s book and explore the complexities of defining and communicating success in the context of Workday implementations. They discuss how success can be defined differently depending on the perspective of various stakeholders, including leadership, end users, and support teams. The conversation emphasizes the importance of gathering feedback through surveys and discussions to understand how different groups perceive success. They also discuss the importance of understanding leadership perspectives, navigating changes in lea...
2025-02-1444 minUnsafe Harbor: a podcast about Workday#6 - Dani DeMaioIn this episode, we’ll be talking to Dani DeMaio. Dani is the Global Director of People Technology & Systems for a customer in the Tech industry. She has been in the ecosystem for almost 7 years and is a regular attendee at the Houston Regional User Group. Dani’s experience is really interesting. She’s definitely played a player-coach role within the ecosystem and she’s able to almost effortlessly go from talking about detailed Workday configuration to then talking about how to strategically deploy features. I think her perspective and experience has fully prepared her for naviga...
2025-02-1344 minWorkday GoldManaging Your Workday Team WellSend us a textIn this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and co-host Christian Delcid discuss key themes from chapter 8 “Managing Your Workday Team Well,” in Keith's book, Workday Gold Support Model Edition. They discuss effective team management and employee engagement within the Workday ecosystem. They explore the importance of providing authentic feedback, stepping out of comfort zones, and the significance of intentional leadership. The conversation also highlights creative ways to celebrate progress and foster a positive work environment, especially in a remote setting. Takeaways- Providing feedback can be ne...
2025-01-2432 minWorkday GoldBuilding Capacity Within Your Existing Team (Part 2)Send us a textThis week, Keith continues his conversation with Christian Delcid about chapter 7 in Keith's new book, Workday Gold: Software Support Model Edition. The chapter is entitled “Building Capacity Within Your Existing Team.”In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid discuss strategies for building capacity within existing teams, focusing on effective delegation, the importance of understanding team preferences, and how to manage support services like AMS (application management services). They also delve into the nuances of submitting support tickets and the art of troubleshooting, emphasizing the need...
2025-01-1741 minUnsafe Harbor: a podcast about Workday#5 - Greg HigginsHappy New Year and welcome back to the Unsafe Harbor podcast! In this episode, we’ll be talking to Greg Higgins, Manager of HRIS Solutions & Analytics for a pretty big customer. He has been in the ecosystem for almost 10 years and is a regular speaker at Workday events like Rising and Regional User Groups.
I’m super excited for this episode because we get to talk about one of my favorite things in Workday: Discovery Boards. We’ll cover the good, the bad, the ugly, and we even talk through how Discovery Boards could improve.
2025-01-1647 minWorkday GoldBuilding Capacity Within Your Existing Team (Part 1)Send us a textThis week, Keith speaks with Christian Delcid about the first part of chapter 7 in Keith's new book, Workday Gold: Software Support Model Edition. The chapter is entitled “Building Capacity Within Your Existing Team.”In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid discuss strategies for building capacity within teams, particularly in the context of Workday software support. They explore the challenges of managing workloads, the importance of tracking time to understand projects versus daily support work and strategies for handling incoming requests. The conversation also touches on the potential of A...
2025-01-1035 minWorkday GoldStaffing for WorkdaySend us a textIn this episode of the Workday Gold podcast, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid discuss Chapter 6 of Keith’s book, Staffing for Workday, as well as the intersection of AI and Workday, focusing on the staffing challenges within the Workday ecosystem. The conversation emphasizes the need for creativity in sourcing talent and the significance of understanding both functional and technical aspects of Workday. In this conversation, Christian Delcid and Keith Bitikofer explore the dynamics of HR and IT roles within Workday, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and adaptability in tea...
2025-01-0343 minWorkday GoldMastering Workday Support: Strategies for SuccessSend us a textIn this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid explore various strategies for supporting Workday users effectively. They discuss the importance of personal growth, building relationships with other customers, understanding user needs, and the significance of experimentation in the workplace. The conversation also delves into the challenges of operating in a firefighting mode and the necessity of strategic decision-making to enhance productivity and satisfaction in the Workday ecosystem.In this conversation, Keith and Christian talk about:Building relationships with other customers is crucial.Listening to...
2024-12-2044 minWorkday GoldBuilding Your Own Personal BrandSend us a textThis week, Keith speaks with Christian Delcid about building your own personal brand. In this conversation, host Keith Bitikofer talks to Christian Delcid as they explore the importance of personal branding, particularly in the context of the Workday ecosystem. They discuss how personal branding serves as a digital interview, the significance of networking and building relationships, and the role of podcasting in establishing credibility. The conversation also touches on the challenges and strategies of content creation, the impact of social media, and the long-term value of publishing a book as a m...
2024-12-1342 minWorkday GoldHandling Support RequestsSend us a textThis week, Keith speaks with Christian Delcid about the 4th chapter in Keith's new book, Workday Gold: Software Support Model Edition. The chapter is entitled “Handling Support Requests.”In this episode of Workday Gold, host Keith Bitikofer speaks with Christian Delcid as they discuss various aspects of supporting Workday, including handling support requests, the importance of change management, and the role of communication in ensuring successful outcomes. They emphasize the need for thorough testing, user involvement in release management, and the significance of building relationships with end users to enhance the over...
2024-12-0640 minWorkday GoldBuilding Your Workday Support Model (continued)Send us a textThis week, Keith continues his conversation with Christian Delcid about the 3rd chapter in Keith's new book, Workday Gold: Software Support Model Edition. The chapter is entitled “Building Your Workday Support Model.”In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer speaks with Christian Delcid as they delve into the intricacies of managing Workday systems, focusing on the importance of distinguishing between configuration and transactions, budgeting for flexibility, governance in multi-company environments, and establishing defined processes for support requests. They also discuss the significance of backlog management and technical debt, emphasizing the need...
2024-11-2937 minWorkday GoldBuilding Your Workday Support ModelSend us a textThis week, Keith has a conversation with Christian Delcid about the 3rd chapter in Keith's new book, Workday Gold: Software Support Model Edition. The chapter is entitled “Building Your Workday Support Model.”In this episode, Keith Bitikofer speaks with Christian Delcid about the latest features in Workday R2, including AI tools that enhance user experience. They delve into the importance of building a robust support model for Workday, emphasizing the need for collaboration between HR, IT, and finance. The conversation highlights the role of a Workday Product Owner in aligning system capa...
2024-11-2238 minWorkday GoldBuilding a Foundation (continued)Send us a textThis week, Keith continues his conversation with Christian Delcid about the second chapter in Keith's new book, Workday Gold: Software Support Model Edition. The chapter is entitled “Building a Foundation.”In this episode, Keith and Christian discuss the intricacies of supporting Workday, focusing on evaluating support structures, establishing healthy processes, and the importance of change management. They explore how organizational complexity impacts support staffing needs and the necessity of adapting to constant changes within the Workday ecosystem.In this conversation, Keith and Christian talk about: How evaluating your Workd...
2024-11-1535 minUnsafe Harbor: a podcast about Workday#4 - Joshua AlexanderIn this episode, we’ll be talking to Joshua Alexander. Joshua is an Account Executive at Syssero. I initially met Joshua while he was a recruiter for Syssero and he’s easily become one of my favorite people in the ecosystem.
Since Joshua gets to connect with both hiring managers & candidates, he has such a fascinating perspective of the current state of the Workday world. On this episode, we talk recent shifts in the ecosystem, seasonal trends, and skills that are growing in demand. Here’s my conversation with Joshua.
Connect with Joshua:
Joshua's...
2024-11-0835 minWorkday GoldBuilding a FoundationSend us a textThis week, Keith speaks with Christian Delcid about the second chapter in Keith's new book, Workday Gold: Software Support Model Edition. The chapter is entitled “Building a Foundation”In this episode of the Workday Gold podcast, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid discuss key insights from Workday Rising and delve into the foundational aspects of supporting Workday. They emphasize the importance of understanding the minimum viable product during implementation, the stabilization phase post-launch, and the necessity of aligning organizational policies before configuring the system. The conversation also touches on the...
2024-11-0838 minWorkday GoldBuilding a FoundationThis week, Keith speaks with Christian Delcid about the second chapter in Keith's new book, Workday Gold: Software Support Model Edition. The chapter is entitled “Building a Foundation”In this episode of the Workday Gold podcast, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid discuss key insights from Workday Rising and delve into the foundational aspects of supporting Workday. They emphasize the importance of understanding the minimum viable product during implementation, the stabilization phase post-launch, and the necessity of aligning organizational policies before configuring the system. The conversation also touches on the strategic role of Workday within orga...
2024-10-2838 minUnsafe Harbor: a podcast about Workday#3 - Shannon WhitleyIn this episode, we’ll be talking to Shannon Whitley. Shannon is a Director of People Operations & Systems in the Tech space. He has been in the ecosystem for 10+ years and has been part of multiple Workday implementations.
I initially learned about Shannon through his Boomerang integration and WOW, am I glad that I found out about his LinkedIn & Github pages. Shannon might be one of the best when it comes to creating contributed solutions. Be sure to check out Shannon’s LinkedIn & Github pages.
Just as a heads up, this conversation happened before Workday Rising...
2024-10-0446 minUnsafe Harbor: a podcast about Workday#2 - Keith BitikoferIn this episode, we’ll be talking to Keith Bitikofer. Keith is a wealth of Workday knowledge and insight. He is the author of the book “Workday Gold: Software Support Model Edition”, he’s been a regular speaker at Workday Rising & DevCon, and he’s personally coached dozens of people across the ecosystem.
With his 30+ years of IT experience and his experience being Early Adopters to functionality like Workday Learning, Prism, & Extend, Keith has a developed unique perspective on where the ecosystem has been and where it could potentially go. I’m so thrilled to share my conversation...
2024-09-1238 minWorkday GoldWhat Makes Workday Different from Legacy Systems?Send us a textThis week, Keith speaks with Christian Delcid about the first chapter in Keith's new book, Workday Gold: Software Support Model Edition. The chapter is entitled “What Makes Workday Different than Most Legacy ERP Systems?”In this episode, Keith and Christian explore the fundamental differences between Workday and other legacy systems, highlighting Workday's ability to streamline business processes and empower non-technical users. They also discuss the implications of Workday's business model, including the functionality of Extend and the coming app marketplace. Additionally, they touch on Workday's constant evolution and the need for Work...
2024-09-1247 minUnsafe Harbor: a podcast about Workday#1 - Scott LawrenceIn this episode, we’ll be talking to Scott Lawrence, who is an HRIS Supervisor supporting a fast-growing customer in the waste management space. If you spend any time on LinkedIn, you’ve probably seen one of his posts or solutions ranging from topics like Workday Worksheets to Security Reports. Scott holds Workday Certifications in HCM & Security but he’s also a master documenter and teacher.
Scott has quickly become one of my favorite follows on LinkedIn. If you haven’t yet connected with him on LinkedIn, I would highly, highly recommend it.
Connect with Scott:
2024-09-0549 min