Step-by-Step Guide to Adding and Maintaining Help Text in Workday

Why Is Help Text Important in Workday?

Have you ever struggled to understand a particular field or step while using Workday? You’re not alone. Help text serves as an essential tool for improving user experience, reducing errors, and increasing efficiency in Workday workflows. When used correctly, help text can provide instant guidance to users without requiring additional training or documentation.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to add, edit, and maintain help text in Workday, ensuring that your users get the right information when they need it most.

What Is Help Text in Workday?

Help text in Workday is an informative message that appears when users hover over or click on specific fields, actions, or steps in a workflow. It provides clarity, instructions, or additional context to guide users through processes efficiently.

Benefits of Using Help Text in Workday

• Reduces user errors by providing real-time guidance.
• Enhances user experience by eliminating confusion.
• Minimizes dependency on IT support for common questions.
• Improves efficiency in data entry and workflow navigation.

How to Add Help Text in Workday

Follow these steps to add help text to a field or step in Workday:

Step 1: Navigate to the Configuration Page

1. Log in to Workday with administrative or configuration access.
2. Use the Search Bar to find the Maintain Help Text task.
3. Select the appropriate field or workflow where you want to add help text.

Step 2: Enter Help Text

1. Click Edit to modify existing help text or Add New Help Text for a new entry.
2. In the Help Text field, enter a clear and concise explanation.
3. Use bullet points or short sentences for better readability.

Step 3: Save and Apply Changes

1. Click Save to apply the changes.
2. Test the help text by navigating to the relevant field in Workday and hovering over it to ensure it displays correctly.

Best Practices for Writing Effective Help Text

To ensure your help text is valuable, follow these best practices:

1. Keep It Short and Clear

• Use simple language that is easy to understand.
• Avoid technical jargon unless necessary.

2. Make It Actionable

• Instead of just stating what a field does, tell users how to use it.
• Example: “Enter your legal first name as per your government ID.”

3. Use Formatting for Readability

• Use bullet points for lists.
• Break long text into shorter sentences.

4. Keep It Consistent Across Workflows

• Ensure similar fields across different workflows have consistent help text.
• Example: The “Employee ID” field should have the same explanation across all relevant forms.

5. Regularly Review and Update Help Text

• Schedule periodic reviews to keep help text accurate and relevant.
• Remove outdated information if processes change.

Maintaining Help Text in Workday

Adding help text is just the first step. Maintaining it ensures that users always have up-to-date and relevant guidance. Here’s how you can keep help text fresh and effective:

1. Monitor User Feedback

• Collect feedback from users on whether help text is clear and useful.
• Use Workday analytics to track frequent user errors and update help text accordingly.

2. Update When Policies or Processes Change

• Ensure compliance-related help text is aligned with the latest regulations.
• Modify text whenever new system updates impact workflows.

3. Test Help Text Before Finalizing

• Preview help text changes before deploying them to all users.
• Validate with a small user group to ensure clarity.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Help Text

1. Overloading with Too Much Information – Keep it concise; avoid long paragraphs.
2. Using Generic or Vague Descriptions – Be specific about the required actions.
3. Not Updating Text Regularly – Review help text at least once a year.
4. Ignoring User Feedback – If users frequently make errors, the help text may need improvement.
5. Forgetting Accessibility – Ensure help text is readable for all users, including those with disabilities.

Final Thoughts

Help text is a powerful feature in Workday that enhances user experience, reduces errors, and streamlines workflows. By following the best practices outlined in this guide, you can ensure that your help text provides maximum value to your users.

Now that you know how to add and maintain help text effectively, it’s time to optimize your Workday setup. Start updating your help text today and make Workday more user-friendly for your organization!

📌 Have you implemented help text in Workday? What challenges have you faced? Share your experiences in the comments below!