Modernizing state and local government recruiting

Attracting talent in a competitive market

Attracting talent is a major challenge for state and local government HR teams. Inflexible, difficult-to-use legacy on-premises systems lack the modern, customer-friendly features needed to engage top candidates. In a competitive labor market, this puts state and local agencies at a disadvantage.

State and local government’s structure also complicates technology adoption. To avoid bureaucratic complexity or coordinating with finance, payroll, and other areas to upgrade ERP systems, HR teams sometimes opt for a free-standing solution within their control. 

Workday Recruiting offers a strategic entry point to cloud ERP SaaS for HR at a relatively low cost, allowing state and local leaders to advance independently. This “land and expand” approach enables rapid value delivery, builds momentum, and establishes a foundation for broader transformation. 
 

Transforming pain points into priorities

When evaluating Workday Recruiting as an entry point to Cloud ERP SaaS, begin by identifying critical pain points like hiring obstacles, complaints around internal mobility, or the inefficiencies of managing multiple disconnected systems.

Budget considerations are central to any state and local government technology initiative. Deploying an ERP requires sufficient staffing, clear service models, and effective change management; new features require additional maintenance and integration. Organizations must plan for new standards, economies of scale, and required skillsets as part of the financial impact.

Deloitte’s state and local government-focused transformation team helps HR leaders assess readiness and navigate options, providing strategic support throughout the process. We can also assist with building the business case, confirming staffing and budget requirements, and planning for both immediate wins and long-term success. Our approach helps prepare HR organizations for implementation and maximize value of their investments over time.
 

Building for the future: Expand your own pace

Expanding over time is a major advantage of starting with Workday Recruiting. While many organizations begin with Human Capital Management (HCM), leading with Workday Recruiting enables a fast, low-risk entry to cloud-based ERP and creates opportunities to add modules as experience develops. This flexible, phased approach prevents HR leaders from making early, irreversible decisions and helps them prepare for the transition to Workday HCM, Financial Management, or Payroll, when the time comes. Workday Recruiting also provides advanced analytics, reports, and KPIs, which can help HR advocate for future needs during budget cycles.

Progress starts with participation

Local governments cannot opt out of modernization—even in smaller communities, manual workarounds and outdated integrations are unsustainable. By starting with Workday Recruiting, state and local government organizations can present a strong candidate and employee experience, accelerate hiring cycles, and build a foundation for future transformation. This approach boosts competitiveness in attracting and retaining talent and highlights how automation and best practices can improve process efficiency, compliance, mobility, and security—freeing staff to focus on serving the public.