Set Up Workday HRIS Integration via SFTP in Rhythms

Last updated: June 22, 2026

Integrate Workday HRIS with Rhythms via SFTP for enhanced user data synchronization.

This guide will walk you through setting up the Workday HRIS integration in Rhythms, which utilizes SFTP for secure data transfer. This integration focuses on syncing user profiles and metadata from your Workday instance to enrich existing user data in Rhythms, thereby enhancing user experiences.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • Administrator access to your Rhythms workspace.

  • Administrator access to your Workday HRIS system.

  • SFTP credentials and connection details.

Setup Steps in Rhythms Portal

Step 1: Access Settings

  1. Log in to your Rhythms portal.

  2. Click on Settings in the left navigation panel.

Step 2: Navigate to Security In the settings menu, click on Security. This will open the Security and Permissions page.

Step 3: Configure HRIS Sync Scroll down to the HRIS Sync section. Click on Setup next to "No HRIS integration connected".

Step 4: Select Integration Method In the HRIS setup dialog, select Workday SFTP as your integration method. This will configure Rhythms to connect with Workday using the SFTP protocol.

Workday Configuration Steps

To enable the SFTP integration, you will need to perform several configurations within your Workday instance.

Step 1: Generate Key Pair on Workday Workday will need to generate a public/private key pair to connect to the SFTP server.

  1. Log into Workday.

  2. Search for and click the task "Create x509 Private Key Pair".

  3. Give the key pair a name and click "OK".

  4. Copy the "RSA-SSH" formatted key. Create a file on your local computer in a text editor with this copied key and name it rsa.pub.

  5. Run ssh-keygen -i -f rsa.pub to generate an SSH key that uses the OpenSSH format. This command will output a new SSH key that you can use in the next step.

Step 2: Enter the Public Key in Rhythms Enter the public key you generated in the previous step into the Rhythms configuration. The SSH public key format should include the key type (e.g., 'ssh-rsa', 'ssh-ed25519'), base64 encoded body, and an optional comment, with spaces between each element. For example: ssh-rsa AAAABB1 keycomment. The public key typically begins with ssh-rsa, ecdsa-sha2-nistp256, ecdsa-sha2-nistp384, ecdsa-sha2-nistp521, or ssh-ed25519.

Step 3: Custom Reports Generation You will need to create the following Custom Reports on Workday:

  • users.csv: A file that contains all user-specific information.

  • user_groups.csv: A file where each user is mapped to their group.

  • groups.csv: An optional file which may contain additional information about the groups.

When creating the reports, ensure you select the Advanced report type and have the Enable as Web Service box checked. For the Data Source, select "All Active Employees".

  • users.csv file with the following columns:

    • user_id (Required): A unique ID representing the user.

    • username (Required): A unique human-readable user name.

    • email (Required): The primary work email for the user.

    • first_name (Required): The first name of the user.

    • last_name (Required): The last name of the user.

    • job_title (Required): The job title of the user.

    • work_address_street (Optional): Work street address.

    • work_address_locality (Optional): Work locality such as the city.

    • work_address_region (Optional): Work region such as the state.

    • work_address_postal_code (Optional): Work postal code.

    • work_address_country (Optional): Work country.

    • cost_center_name (Optional): Name of the cost center.

    • department_name (Optional): Name of the department.

    • division_name (Optional): Name of the division.

    • employee_type (Optional): Identifies the relationship between the organization and the user.

    • employment_start_date (Optional): Employment start date.

    • manager_email (Optional): Employee manager's email.

  • user_groups.csv file with the following columns:

    • group_name (Required): The name of the group.

    • user_id (Required): The unique ID representing the user. Must match the user_id in the users.csv file.

  • Optional groups.csv file with the following columns:

    • group_name (Required): The name of the group. Must match the group_name in the user_groups.csv file.

You may also need to create an XSLT transformation to ensure the custom report is generated in CSV format.

Step 4: Create Enterprise Interface Builders (EIBs) You will need to create an Enterprise Interface Builder (EIB) for each report you want to sync.

  1. Within Workday, search for "Create EIB" and fill out the "Name" and select "Outbound EIB".

  2. On the following page, select "Get Data" and enter the Custom Report you created in the previous step.

  3. Under the "Transformation" tab, choose the correct file name for that report (e.g., users.csv, user_groups.csv, or groups.csv).

  4. Click "Deliver" and select "SFTP" as the "Delivery Method".

  5. Copy the provided Username (e.g., 01jk9k3s02w0tjgcnq58ebv2e5) and Server Address (e.g., sftp.workos.com) and add those to the EIB configuration.

  6. Select the x509 Key Pair that was created in Step 1.

  7. Select "OK" and launch the integration.

Configuration Details (Rhythms Portal - continued)

Once you've selected Workday SFTP as your integration method, you'll need to provide the following details within the Rhythms portal:

  • SFTP Server Details: Host (e.g., sftp.workos.com), port, and connection information.

  • Authentication Credentials: The Username provided by Rhythms (e.g., 01jk9k3s02w0tjgcnq58ebv2e5) and the Public Key generated from Workday.

  • File Path Configuration: The directory paths where Workday exports user data, including the filenames (users.csv, user_groups.csv, and optionally groups.csv).

  • Sync Schedule: How frequently you want data to sync between systems.

What Gets Synced

The Workday HRIS integration will sync the following user information:

  • Employee profiles and basic information.

  • Organizational structure and reporting relationships.

  • Job titles and department assignments.

  • Employment status and dates.

  • Custom metadata fields (as configured).

  • Important: This integration focuses on enriching existing user profiles with HRIS data. User provisioning, such as creating new user accounts or deactivating users, is typically handled through Directory Sync (SCIM) or other dedicated provisioning methods.

Verification

After completing the setup:

  • Check that the HRIS Sync section shows "Workday SFTP connected".

  • Monitor the sync logs for any connection issues.

  • Verify that user profiles are being updated with Workday data.

Step 5: Test Directory Connection (in Rhythms Portal) Next, you will verify whether the configuration is correct and start syncing the directories. A full sync usually takes a few minutes, but may be longer depending on the directory size. Click "Start sync" when you are ready to connect your directory.

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

  • Verify SFTP credentials are correct.

  • Check that firewall rules allow connection to the Workday SFTP server.

  • Ensure file paths are accessible and contain expected data formats.

Data Sync Problems

  • Review sync logs for specific error messages.

  • Confirm Workday export files are in the expected format.

  • Check that user identifiers match between systems.

Support

If you encounter issues during setup or need additional assistance:

  • Contact your Workday administrator for SFTP access details.

  • Reach out to Rhythms support for integration troubleshooting.

  • Consult your IT team for network connectivity requirements.

Note: This integration enhances user profiles by syncing metadata from your HRIS like Workday, BambooHR, etc. The sync process runs automatically based on your configured schedule.