Workday, Google Cloud partner on AI agents for HR, finance

Enterprise cloud application provider Workday has partnered with Google Cloud to facilitate access to AI agents for HR and finance from inside common enterprise applications.

Under the agreement, the Workday Agent System of Record and agent roadmap will be combined with Google Cloud’s agent platform and models to create a single foundation for agents from Workday, Google Cloud and third parties to collaborate on HR and finance workflows.

Specifically, Workday’s Sana self-service agent will be integrated directly into Gemini Enterprise, allowing Gemini Enterprise to pull personalised answers directly from Google’s platform.

Employees will be able to check time-off balances, update personal information, view payslips, review tax withholding information, or request leave in a single conversational flow. Managers can review team goals, approve timesheets in bulk, start performance reviews, or submit payroll input, while finance teams can ask about expense and travel policies, check eligibility for corporate cards and perform other common tasks.

The Sana self-service agent is now available on Google Cloud’s Agent Marketplace, with more agents from Workday expected to be added to the marketplace later this year.

Gemini has meanwhile been made the default AI model inside Sana, while a deeper connection between Gemini and the Workday Data Cloud will enable companies to take immediate action on HR and finance work without data ever leaving Workday’s secure environment.

Workday Australia and New Zealand VP and MD Jo-Anne Ruhl said Australian organisations are looking for practical ways to embed AI into everyday work.

“The Google Cloud and Workday partnership helps make that a reality. The deepening integration will enable AI agents to support critical workflows, helping employees access information faster, automate routine tasks, and allow employees to spend more time on high-value work that drives business outcomes,” she said.

Google Cloud chief product and business officer Karthik Narain added that the partnership significantly expands integrations between the two companies.

“From the model layer to the platform layer, Gemini and Google Cloud will now underpin some of the most critical and common workflows in human resources and finance departments globally, so employees can get faster, more accurate answers, streamline repetitive tasks, and ultimately focus on the work that matters most,” he said.

Image credit: iStock.com/CHOLTICHA KRANJUMNONG