Before deploying Workday in 2021, Formula 1’s HR function relied on a mix of legacy systems and manual processes. “We could see there was efficiency to be gained from implementing a system that would connect all our sources of people data and do everything we needed, all in one place,” says Alastair Goss, HR systems lead.
As a relatively small organisation with a global operational footprint and high public profile, Formula 1 faced unique complexity. The need for agile, connected systems was clear.
Reaching new levels of agility and efficiency.
“The way we work isn’t straightforward,” Goss explains. “We use contractors throughout the season to carry out some core work functions, such as broadcasting. In addition, we’re a publicly listed organisation, which brings compliance complications.”
Formula 1 selected Workday after a market review and continues to see growing benefits. “The more time goes by, the more the improvements we’re experiencing confirm we made the right decision,” Goss says.
We could see there was efficiency to be gained from a system that would connect all our sources of people data and do everything we needed, all in one place.
HR Systems Lead
Speeding ahead with an improved employee experience.
Formula 1’s phased go-live began in September 2022 with Workday Human Capital Management, Payroll, Absence Management, and Recruiting, followed by Time Tracking, Talent Management, and Learning in early 2023. With support from implementation partner CloudRock, Formula 1 gained fast visibility across its data sources.
“Before Workday, we held everything separately—performance, absence, payroll, recruitment data. Now, it’s just there,” says Goss.
The impact extended far beyond the head office. “Many of our employees are UK-based but travel globally. Having an app that enables access to data from anywhere has been fantastic. If someone’s traveling home after a Grand Prix, they can book time off from their phone. That’s really positive for them,” Goss says.
Shifting recruitment into top gear with AI and HiredScore.
In 2024, Formula 1 faced a growing recruitment challenge: 78,000 applications for just 150 roles—an average of 520 applicants per job. “Our TA team was drowning, frankly. We were missing stellar candidates,” Goss recalls.
After seeing a HiredScore demo at Workday Elevate London, the value was immediately clear. “The business case wrote itself. We had a choice—hire more people or find a smarter solution.”
Formula 1 integrated HiredScore into Workday Recruiting in early 2025. While the technical implementation was smooth, navigating internal compliance was the larger task. “We had to get our legal, audit, and data privacy teams comfortable with AI touching candidate data for the first time,” Goss explains. “Bringing them in early was vital.”
The benefits quickly surfaced. “We had one role with 600 applicants, but nearly all were rated A or B — because the job spec was too vague,” Goss says. “We rewrote it and instantly saw a better distribution. That insight was immediate.”
HiredScore and AI are freeing up our TA team to focus on what really matters—having better conversations, delivering stronger candidate experiences, and spending more time supporting hiring managers.
HR Systems Lead
Accelerating results with HiredScore and Workday.
F1 is already seeing some early results:
Screening time has been reduced by 20%—from an average of 13.3 days in Workday to 10.6 days using HiredScore for brand-new applicants. “It means the recruitment team can screen and contact top talent quickly and more efficiently. They’re not wasting time reviewing all the CVs manually,” says Goss.
76% of preferred candidates are reaching the interview stage, thanks to AI-supported grading across both new and existing applicants. This improved match rate has been achieved in just a matter of weeks after go-live.
It’s also shifting TA culture. “There’s often pressure to move fast,” Goss says, “but we’ve learned that taking time to write better job specs unlocks huge downstream value.”
The TA team embraced the tool from the start. “HiredScore and AI are freeing up our TA team to focus on what really matters—having better conversations, delivering stronger candidate experiences, and spending more time supporting hiring managers.”
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