Blog
July 31, 2024
From Workday Student to Organizational Change Management, Beth Warrick’s Expertise Transforms Clients
Attain Partners is thrilled to welcome Elizabeth (Beth) Warrick to Team Attain! A leader in the Workday ecosystem, Beth will serve higher education clients working to transform their student experiences and streamline internal operations.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have Beth join our growing Enterprise Advisory team. She brings decades of experience driving digital transformation in higher education institutions—beginning with her time working at universities in different components of campus to her tenure in the Workday implementation space. She has a firsthand understanding of college and university operations and the formal organizational change management background to ensure our clients see the most return on their investments in Workday HCM, Finance, or Students. I cannot wait to see the impact she will have on our clients!
Jessica Schein
Strategic Account Director, Attain Partners
We sat down with Beth to learn about why she chose Attain Partners and hear about the expertise she brings to her role.
Attain Partners (AP): Can you please share a bit about your experience in the Workday ecosystem?
Beth Warrick (BW): I have six years of experience in the Workday ecosystem and hold certifications in Workday HCM, Workday Student Core, Workday Student Curriculum and Records, and Workday Student Recruiting and Admissions. Additionally, I have completed the Workday Configurable Security course. At my previous employer, I primarily worked on the Organization Change and Training Team, but for about 18 months, I served as a Functional Consultant for Workday Student implementations. During this time, I led the Student Recruiting and Admissions Workstream and mentored junior consultants, helping them build their knowledge of higher education and student recruiting and admissions.
AP: How have you seen Workday Student and Workday Human Capital Management/Financials (HCM/FIN) benefit higher education institutions?
BW: One of my new colleagues at Attain Partners referred to Workday as a game changer for higher education and I agree. Workday provides a modern, streamlined, cloud option for institutions who are ready and willing to transform their operations. Creating efficiency and thereby saving money which for higher education is critically important. In addition, Workday Student provides an interface that students are experiencing in other applications—creating a positive, less intimidating, and more personalized experience. More than Workday as a tool, the process of implementing Workday requires that institutions collaborate across the departments, breaking down silos that may exist. The process helps build empathy and understanding across the community that ultimately serves the institution in measurable and non-measurable ways.
Another outcome of the implementation process is the reimagining of existing processes. Many institutions maintain business processes or workflows that are no longer as efficient as they could be. Implementing Workday requires institutions to outline how data and processes will be entered and flow; while sometimes institutions can keep their existing processes intact, the opportunity is there to rethink, refine, and reduce what some see as the red tape present in many organizations.
AP: What brought you to Attain Partners?
BW: I sought a new employment opportunity that aligned with my values and passions, as I believe this alignment is essential for success given the significant amount of time we spend at work. Attain Partners’ seven core values, The Attain Way, resonate deeply with my own, and Attain Partners’ clients share my passion for making the world a better place. I was particularly excited to see that Attain Partners prioritizes education as a key industry to serve.
AP: What are the biggest ways you’ve seen organizational change management (OCM) transform institutions?
BW: Change can be challenging for any organization, but I have found that higher education institutions face unique cultural attributes that make change less frequent. With 30 years of experience in higher education, encompassing roles in student affairs, student recruiting and admissions, faculty affairs, HR, and institutional research, I have a deep understanding of these nuances. Organizational Change Management helps transform institutions by asking insightful questions that drive positive change. The most powerful questions include “Why?” and “How does [___] serve the future of the institution?” Once the college or university has determined that a change makes sense for them, OCM helps the variety of stakeholders within the institution align to the change and feel a part of making the institution better. We want change to be something in which everyone plays a part and finds benefit from.
Many higher education organizations may lack the capacity for transformational change simply because they don’t encounter it regularly. Building change knowledge and capacity within a college or university can be incredibly powerful. It reduces the fear of change, diminishes resistance, and creates a more positive view of change. This readiness paves the way for more effective responses to future political, social, and economic challenges.
AP: Which of our seven core values speak to you the most?
BW: It’s difficult to choose just one, so I need to combine two values to answer this question. Invent the Future is a powerful value that initially drew me to Attain Partners. It emphasizes creating a better world and highlights the incredible impact our clients have in improving the world. It also reflects our commitment to partnering with our clients to turn their visions into reality. The second value that resonates deeply with me is Have Absolute Integrity. To help clients invent the future for their organizations, we must be trusted and trustworthy. An effective and transformative partnership thrives on trust, and trust is built on integrity.
AP: What do you like most about the work you do?
BW: Honestly, it’s the challenges that I enjoy the most. I’m a problem solver and thrive on tackling puzzles and mysteries. My job involves understanding these challenges and finding solutions that not only address the immediate issue but also empower clients to handle future challenges. I also love the emphasis on individuals that my job requires. Organizational change relies on individuals willing to support and adopt new behaviors to sustain the change. Humans are complex, and there’s no single method to ensure change happens. I relish the constant challenge of learning about people, their motivations, fears, and goals, and using that understanding to drive meaningful change.
AP: What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
BW: I love seeing the “change lightbulb” go on for clients. It’s incredibly rewarding when a client starts to understand how change management works, embraces the change capacity they are building, and sees how it can continually benefit their organization. Consultants are often seen as outside experts who impose solutions, but I view my role differently. I see myself as an educator, confidence builder, and coach for the client. When I know I’ve helped someone become more skilled and effective at managing change within their organization, I feel truly successful.
Attain Partners – Digital Transformation Experts
No matter if your organization is beginning its digital transformation journey or 10+ years into driving sustained change, Attain Partners is here to help you achieve your goals.
Driving digital transformation from Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions to Data Services, Analytics, and Applications Modernization, Attain Partners provides end-to-end solutions that help advance our clients’ important missions.
Under the strategic leadership of Partner Reshma Patel-Jackson, our Attain Digital practice aligns our core digital and transformation services to enhance market focus and emphasize delivery excellence, addressing diverse client needs and providing enterprise-wide strategy and technology transformation expertise at scale.
Enterprise Business Solutions – Learn More
Learn more – Beth Warrick
Beth Warrick has over 30 years of experience in higher education in a variety of roles and several types of institutions. She possesses a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Washington (Seattle). Beth is an experienced and skilled change management, organization development, process improvement, and training professional. Beth is powered by building relationships, envisioning, implementing, and improving innovative programs and processes. Beth has supported over 15 Workday ERP implementations in both change management and functional roles. Beth Warrick is a Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP), is Prosci certified, and has completed the Design Thinking Certification from IDEO U.
