Workday with OpenAI Agents SDK

How to integrate Workday MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK

Trusted by

GET STARTED FOR FREE GET A DEMO

30 min · no commitment · see it on your stack

Introduction Also integrate Workday with TL;DR What is OpenAI Agents SDK What is the Workday MCP server Supported Tools & Triggers Creating MCP Server - Stand-alone vs Composio SDK Step-by-step Guide Complete Code Conclusion How to build Workday MCP Agent with another framework Explore Other Toolkits FAQ

Connect Workday without Auth hassles

We manage OAuth, API Key, token refresh, and scopes, you just build.

Try for Free

Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Workday to the OpenAI Agents SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Workday agent that can request vacation days for next week, check your current absence balance, find all open job postings i manage through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your OpenAI Agents SDK agent real control over a Workday account through Composio's Workday MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

Also integrate Workday with

ChatGPT Antigravity Claude Agent SDK Claude Code Claude Cowork Codex OpenCode Cursor VS Code OpenClaw Hermes CLI Google ADK LangChain Vercel AI SDK Mastra AI LlamaIndex CrewAI

TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:

Get and set up your OpenAI and Composio API keys
Install the necessary dependencies
Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Workday
Configure an AI agent that can use Workday as a tool
Run a live chat session where you can ask the agent to perform Workday operations

What is OpenAI Agents SDK?

The OpenAI Agents SDK is a lightweight framework for building AI agents that can use tools and maintain conversation state. It provides a simple interface for creating agents with hosted MCP tool support.

Key features include:

Hosted MCP Tools: Connect to external services through hosted MCP endpoints
SQLite Sessions: Persist conversation history across interactions
Simple API: Clean interface with Agent, Runner, and tool configuration
Streaming Support: Real-time response streaming for interactive applications

What is the Workday MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Workday MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Workday account. It provides structured and secure access to your HR, payroll, and recruiting data, so your agent can perform actions like managing time off, retrieving employee details, tracking job postings, and analyzing interview feedback on your behalf.

Automated time off management: Easily create new time off requests or check absence balances for yourself or others, making leave management effortless.
Employee data and profile retrieval: Have your agent fetch profile details for the current user or any specified worker to simplify onboarding and HR processes.
Comprehensive job posting insights: Instantly retrieve information about job postings, including descriptions and screening questionnaires, to aid recruiters and hiring managers.
Interview feedback analysis: Let your agent pull and summarize interview feedback entries to streamline debriefs and improve hiring decisions.
Access to holiday and leave events: Quickly get holiday schedules and leave status values for better workforce planning and scheduling.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools

Triggers

Create Business Title ChangeCreates a business title change instance for a worker with the specified data.

Create Job ChangeTool to create a job change instance for a worker in Workday.

Create Payroll InputsTool to create payroll inputs in Workday.

Create Time Off RequestCreates a time off request for the specified worker and initiates the business process.

Get Absence BalanceRetrieves balance information for a specific worker's absence plan.

Get Assignment Change Group Cost CentersRetrieves cost center instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Assignment Change Group JobsRetrieves job instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Assignment TypesRetrieves assignment type values for job changes in Workday.

Get Business Title ChangeRetrieves a business title change instance by ID.

Get Business Title Change For WorkerTool to retrieve a business title change instance for a specific worker.

Get Candidate Availability TemplateTool to retrieve the candidate availability template version for a specific job posting.

Get Collection of JobsTool to retrieve a paginated collection of jobs from Workday Staffing system.

Get Collection of PayrollTool to retrieve a collection of payroll inputs from Workday.

Get Company Insider TypesRetrieves company insider types from Workday Staffing API.

Get Contingent Worker TypesTool to retrieve contingent worker types from Workday staffing API.

Get Country InfoRetrieves detailed information about a specific country from Workday.

Get CurrenciesRetrieves currency instances for job changes in Workday.

Get Current UserRetrieves the current authenticated worker's profile information from Workday.

Get GrantsRetrieves grant instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Headcount OptionsRetrieves headcount option instances that can be used as values for other endpoint parameters.

Get History Instance for WorkerTool to retrieve a specific history instance for a worker.

Get History Items for WorkerTool to retrieve a collection of history items for a specific worker.

Get Holiday EventsReturns the holiday events for the specified workers and time period.

Get InterviewTool to retrieve detailed information about a specific interview from Workday Recruiting.

Get Interview FeedbackRetrieves interview feedback for the specified interview ID from Workday Recruiting API.

Get Job By IDTool to retrieve detailed information about a single job instance by its ID.

Get Job Change FrequenciesRetrieves frequency instances for job changes in Workday.

Get Job Change Location InfoTool to retrieve location information for a specific job change in Workday.

Get Job Change PositionRetrieves position details for a specific job change in Workday Staffing API.

Get Job Change Reason InstanceRetrieves a job change reason instance from Workday.

Get Job Change ReasonsRetrieves a collection of job change reasons from Workday.

Get Job Change Reason ValuesRetrieves job change reason instances that can be used as values for other staffing endpoint parameters.

Get Job Changes Group TemplatesRetrieves job changes group template instances in Workday.

Get Job Changes Job ValuesRetrieves job instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.

Get Job Changes Worker ValuesRetrieves worker instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.

Get Job ClassificationsRetrieves job classification instances for job changes in Workday.

Get Job PostingRetrieves detailed information about a specific job posting including job description.

Get Job Posting QuestionnaireRetrieves screening questions and questionnaires associated with a specific job posting.

Get Job Profiles ValuesRetrieves job profile instances from Workday Staffing API.

Get Job Requisition ValuesRetrieves job requisition instances that can be used as values for other endpoint parameters.

Get Job WorkspaceTool to retrieve a single workspace instance for a specific job.

Get Job WorkspacesTool to retrieve a collection of workspaces for a specified job ID.

Get Leave Status ValuesGet all available leave status values from Workday.

Get My Job PostingsRetrieves job postings assigned to the authenticated user (current recruiter).

Get Organization Assignment Business UnitsRetrieves business unit instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Organization Assignment CustomsRetrieves custom organization assignment instances.

Get Organization Assignment FundsRetrieves fund instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Organization Assignment RegionsRetrieves region instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Organization Assignment WorkersRetrieves worker instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Pay Group by Job IDRetrieves the pay group for a specified job ID.

Get Payroll Input InstanceRetrieves detailed information for a single payroll input instance by ID.

Get Pay Slip Instance for WorkerRetrieves a specific pay slip instance for a worker.

Get Pay Slips for WorkerRetrieves a collection of pay slips for a specific worker.

Get Proposed Position ValuesRetrieves proposed position instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.

Get ProspectRetrieves a single prospect instance for talent matching and best-fit analysis.

Get Prospect EducationsRetrieves the educational background of a prospect from Workday Recruiting API for talent matching and best-fit analysis.

Get Prospect ExperiencesRetrieves the work experience of a prospect for talent matching and best-fit analysis.

Get Prospect Resume AttachmentsRetrieves resume attachments for a specific prospect to help prepare for upcoming interviews.

Get Prospect SkillsRetrieves the skills of a prospect from Workday Recruiting API for talent matching and best-fit analysis.

Get Supervisory Organization ValuesRetrieves supervisory organization instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.

Get Time Off Entries for WorkerRetrieves a collection of time off entries for a specific worker.

Get Time Off Plans For WorkerRetrieves a collection of time off plans for a specific worker.

Get Time Off Status ValuesRetrieves available time off status values from Workday.

Get Time TypesRetrieves time type values for job changes in Workday.

Get Worker Business Title ChangesRetrieves business title changes for a specific worker.

Get Worker Eligible Absence TypesRetrieves a collection of eligible absence types for the specified worker.

Get Worker InfoRetrieves detailed worker information including staffing data.

Get Worker Leaves of AbsenceRetrieves the Leaves Of Absence for the specified worker using the working absenceManagement v1 API.

Get Workers Collection StaffingTool to retrieve workers and current staffing information from Workday.

Get Worker Service DatesTool to retrieve service dates for a specified worker from Workday Staffing API v6.

Get Worker Staffing InformationTool to retrieve a worker's current staffing information from Workday.

Get Worker Time Off DetailsRetrieves a collection of time off details for the specified worker.

Get Worker TypesRetrieves worker type instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.

Get Worker Valid Time Off DatesRetrieves valid time off dates for a worker, indicating when they are eligible to take time off.

Get Workspace InstancesTool to retrieve workspace instances that can be used as prompt values for other Workday API parameters.

Get Work Study AwardsRetrieves work study award instances for job changes in Workday.

List CountriesRetrieves country values from Workday Recruiting API.

List InterviewsRetrieves a list of interviews with job requisition and recruiter assignment details.

List Job PostingsRetrieves a paginated list of job postings from Workday Recruiting system.

List JobsRetrieves a collection of jobs from Workday Staffing system.

Retrieve Worker Leave of AbsenceRetrieves the leave of absence details for a specified worker.

Update An Existing PayrollTool to partially update an existing payroll input instance in Workday.

Update Job Change Business TitlePartially updates the business title for a specific job change.

Update Message Template By IDTool to update a message template in Workday by its ID.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

Composio's Composio SDK helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Composio SDK

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Composio SDK works

The Composio SDK follows a three-phase workflow:

Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

Composio API Key and OpenAI API Key
Primary know-how of OpenAI Agents SDK
A live Workday project
Some knowledge of Python or Typescript

Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

OpenAI API Key

Go to the OpenAI dashboard and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models, or you can connect to another model provider.
Keep the API key safe.

Composio API Key

Log in to the Composio dashboard.
Go to Settings and copy your API key.

Install dependencies

pip install composio_openai_agents openai-agents python-dotenv

Install the Composio SDK and the OpenAI Agents SDK.

Set up environment variables

bash

OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...your-api-key
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your-api-key
USER_ID=composio_user@gmail.com

Create a .env file and add your OpenAI and Composio API keys.

Import dependencies

import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv

from composio import Composio
from composio_openai_agents import OpenAIAgentsProvider
from agents import Agent, Runner, HostedMCPTool, SQLiteSession

What's happening:

You're importing all necessary libraries.
The Composio and OpenAIAgentsProvider classes are imported to connect your OpenAI agent to Composio tools like Workday.

Set up the Composio instance

load_dotenv()

api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
user_id = os.getenv("USER_ID")

if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set. Create a .env file with COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_key")

# Initialize Composio
composio = Composio(api_key=api_key, provider=OpenAIAgentsProvider())

What's happening:

load_dotenv() loads your .env file so OPENAI_API_KEY and COMPOSIO_API_KEY are available as environment variables.
Creating a Composio instance using the API Key and OpenAIAgentsProvider class.

Create a Tool Router session

# Create a Workday Tool Router session
session = composio.create(
    user_id=user_id,
    toolkits=["workday"]
)

mcp_url = session.mcp.url

What is happening:

You give the Tool Router the user id and the toolkits you want available. Here, it is only workday.
The router checks the user's Workday connection and prepares the MCP endpoint.
The returned session.mcp.url is the MCP URL that your agent will use to access Workday.
This approach keeps things lightweight and lets the agent request Workday tools only when needed during the conversation.

Configure the agent

# Configure agent with MCP tool
agent = Agent(
    name="Assistant",
    model="gpt-5",
    instructions=(
        "You are a helpful assistant that can access Workday. "
        "Help users perform Workday operations through natural language."
    ),
    tools=[
        HostedMCPTool(
            tool_config={
                "type": "mcp",
                "server_label": "tool_router",
                "server_url": mcp_url,
                "headers": {"x-api-key": api_key},
                "require_approval": "never",
            }
        )
    ],
)

What's happening:

We're creating an Agent instance with a name, model (gpt-5), and clear instructions about its purpose.
The agent's instructions tell it that it can access Workday and help with queries, inserts, updates, authentication, and fetching database information.
The tools array includes a HostedMCPTool that connects to the MCP server URL we created earlier.
The headers dict includes the Composio API key for secure authentication with the MCP server.
require_approval: 'never' means the agent can execute Workday operations without asking for permission each time, making interactions smoother.

Start chat loop and handle conversation

print("\nComposio Tool Router session created.")

chat_session = SQLiteSession("conversation_openai_toolrouter")

print("\nChat started. Type your requests below.")
print("Commands: 'exit', 'quit', or 'q' to end\n")

async def main():
    try:
        result = await Runner.run(
            agent,
            "What can you help me with?",
            session=chat_session
        )
        print(f"Assistant: {result.final_output}\n")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}\n")

    while True:
        user_input = input("You: ").strip()
        if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit", "q"}:
            print("Goodbye!")
            break

        result = await Runner.run(
            agent,
            user_input,
            session=chat_session
        )
        print(f"Assistant: {result.final_output}\n")

asyncio.run(main())

What's happening:

The program prints a session URL that you visit to authorize Workday.
After authorization, the chat begins.
Each message you type is processed by the agent using Runner.run().
The responses are printed to the console, and conversations are saved locally using SQLite.
Typing exit, quit, or q cleanly ends the chat.

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Workday and OpenAI Agents SDK:

import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv

from composio import Composio
from composio_openai_agents import OpenAIAgentsProvider
from agents import Agent, Runner, HostedMCPTool, SQLiteSession

load_dotenv()

api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
user_id = os.getenv("USER_ID")

if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set. Create a .env file with COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_key")

# Initialize Composio
composio = Composio(api_key=api_key, provider=OpenAIAgentsProvider())

# Create Tool Router session
session = composio.create(
    user_id=user_id,
    toolkits=["workday"]
)
mcp_url = session.mcp.url

# Configure agent with MCP tool
agent = Agent(
    name="Assistant",
    model="gpt-5",
    instructions=(
        "You are a helpful assistant that can access Workday. "
        "Help users perform Workday operations through natural language."
    ),
    tools=[
        HostedMCPTool(
            tool_config={
                "type": "mcp",
                "server_label": "tool_router",
                "server_url": mcp_url,
                "headers": {"x-api-key": api_key},
                "require_approval": "never",
            }
        )
    ],
)

print("\nComposio Tool Router session created.")

chat_session = SQLiteSession("conversation_openai_toolrouter")

print("\nChat started. Type your requests below.")
print("Commands: 'exit', 'quit', or 'q' to end\n")

async def main():
    try:
        result = await Runner.run(
            agent,
            "What can you help me with?",
            session=chat_session
        )
        print(f"Assistant: {result.final_output}\n")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}\n")

    while True:
        user_input = input("You: ").strip()
        if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit", "q"}:
            print("Goodbye!")
            break

        result = await Runner.run(
            agent,
            user_input,
            session=chat_session
        )
        print(f"Assistant: {result.final_output}\n")

asyncio.run(main())

Conclusion

This was a starter code for integrating Workday MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK to build a functional AI agent that can interact with Workday.

Key features:

Hosted MCP tool integration through Composio's Tool Router
SQLite session persistence for conversation history
Simple async chat loop for interactive testing

You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom business logic, or building a web interface around the agent.

How to build Workday MCP Agent with another framework

ChatGPT

Use Workday MCP with ChatGPT

Antigravity

Use Workday MCP with Antigravity

Claude Agent SDK

Use Workday MCP with Claude Agent SDK

Claude Code

Use Workday MCP with Claude Code

Claude Cowork

Use Workday MCP with Claude Cowork

Codex

Use Workday MCP with Codex

Cursor

Use Workday MCP with Cursor

OpenClaw

Use Workday MCP with OpenClaw

Hermes

Use Workday MCP with Hermes

CLI

Use Workday MCP with CLI

Google ADK

Use Workday MCP with Google ADK

LangChain

Use Workday MCP with LangChain

Vercel AI SDK

Use Workday MCP with Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI

Use Workday MCP with Mastra AI

LlamaIndex

Use Workday MCP with LlamaIndex

CrewAI

Use Workday MCP with CrewAI

OpenCode

Use Workday MCP with OpenCode

VS Code

Use Workday MCP with VS Code

Explore Other Toolkits

Ashby

Api Key

Ashby is an applicant tracking system that handles job postings, candidate management, and hiring analytics.

Async interview

Api Key

Async interview is an on-demand video interview platform for streamlined hiring. Candidates record responses on their schedule, so employers can review anytime.

Bamboohr

Oauth2Api Key

BambooHR is a cloud-based HR management platform for small and mid-sized businesses. It streamlines employee data, HR workflows, and reporting in one easy interface.

TOOLKIT MARKETPLACE

FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Workday MCP?

With a standalone Workday MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Workday tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Workday and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Can I use Tool Router MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK?

Yes, you can. OpenAI Agents SDK fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Workday tools.

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Workday while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Workday scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Workday data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

Used by agents from

Never worry about agent reliability

We handle tool reliability, observability, and security so you never have to second-guess an agent action.

Get started for free Get a demo↗

Harsha GaddipatiCo-founder, Slashy

Karan skipped his own birthday party to fix our critical issue. It was 10 pm and he diverted his Waymo to help us instead. This really sets the bar, shows you the commitment you need to have when users rely on your software.

Abhi AryaCo-founder, Opennote

A lot of students tell us that the moment their connected tools start talking to each other inside Opennote feels almost magical. The agent just knows them, and it has immensely helped in keeping new users on the platform.

Nirman DaveCEO, Zams

We chose Composio over Pipedream because it delivered depth where it mattered. It supported niche tools and tricky edge cases that other platforms simply ignored. Giving us confidence to scale without compromising.

Ryan YuFounder, Extra Thursday

As a solo builder, shipping fast is life or death. The only way I can outcompete incumbents is by outmanoeuvring them. Getting bogged down in the complexities of managing agent auth would have been a death sentence for Extra Thursday.

Tomisin JenrolaFounder & CEO, SwarmZero

Before partnering with Composio, adding tool integrations was a slow, resource-intensive process. Each integration could take weeks or months of engineering time, and maintaining them meant constantly keeping up with API changes.

Jerome LeclancheCo-Founder, Ingram Technologies

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

Harsha GaddipatiCo-founder, Slashy

Abhi AryaCo-founder, Opennote

Nirman DaveCEO, Zams

Ryan YuFounder, Extra Thursday

Tomisin JenrolaFounder & CEO, SwarmZero

Jerome LeclancheCo-Founder, Ingram Technologies

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

Harsha GaddipatiCo-founder, Slashy

Abhi AryaCo-founder, Opennote

Nirman DaveCEO, Zams

Ryan YuFounder, Extra Thursday

Tomisin JenrolaFounder & CEO, SwarmZero

Jerome LeclancheCo-Founder, Ingram Technologies

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

How to integrate Workday MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK

Table of Contents

Connect Workday without Auth hassles

Introduction

Also integrate Workday with

TL;DR

What is OpenAI Agents SDK?

What is the Workday MCP server, and what's possible with it?

Supported Tools & Triggers

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

How the Composio SDK works

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

Install dependencies

Set up environment variables

Import dependencies

Set up the Composio instance

Create a Tool Router session

Configure the agent

Start chat loop and handle conversation

Complete Code

Conclusion

How to build Workday MCP Agent with another framework

ChatGPT

Antigravity

Claude Agent SDK

Claude Code

Claude Cowork

Codex

Cursor

OpenClaw

Hermes

CLI

Google ADK

LangChain

Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI

LlamaIndex

CrewAI

OpenCode

VS Code

Explore Other Toolkits

Ashby

Async interview

Bamboohr

FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Workday MCP?

Can I use Tool Router MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK?

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Workday while using Tool Router?

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

Used by agents from

Never worry about agent reliability