To withdraw a Workday application, sign in to the same employer’s Workday career site, open Candidate Home, find the job in your list of submitted applications, open the menu beside it and choose Withdraw Application, then confirm. The status changes to show the application as withdrawn.
If the menu has no withdraw option, the employer has not enabled it for the stage your application is in, so email the recruiter and ask them to withdraw it for you. Before you confirm, check the employer’s rules: some do not let you reapply to the same requisition after a withdrawal.
Key takeaways
- You withdraw in Candidate Home on the employer’s own Workday site, with the account you applied from. Each employer’s site is separate.
- The menu beside the application is labeled Manage, Action or three dots, depending on the employer. The option inside is Withdraw Application.
- A missing option is a setting, not a glitch. Workday shows the button only at the stages where the employer allows withdrawal.
- Withdrawing can be final for that job. Washington University in St. Louis and Ohio State both say you cannot reapply to the same requisition.
- Do not withdraw to fix a mistake. Send the correction to the recruiter.
01
How do you withdraw a Workday application?
- Go to the employer’s careers site and sign in with the email and password you used to apply. The option exists only for candidates who have a Candidate Home account on that site.
- Select Candidate Home in the header.
- Find the job under My Applications or Submitted Applications. Match the job title and the requisition number.
- Open the menu beside it. Depending on the employer, this is a Manage drop-down, an Action button or three dots in an Action column.
- Choose Withdraw Application.
- Read the confirmation message, then select Withdraw. Employers write this message themselves, so read it instead of clicking through.
- Check the status. The application should now show as withdrawn. At the University of Virginia the label is “Application Withdrawn.”
The wording differs from one employer to the next. These four publish their own instructions:
| Employer | Where the application is listed | What to select |
|---|---|---|
| University of Virginia | Submitted Applications | The Manage drop-down, then Withdraw Application, then Withdraw |
| Washington University in St. Louis | My Applications | Action, then Withdraw Application, then confirm |
| Washington and Lee University | My Applications | The three dots in the Action column |
| Ohio State University | Submitted Applications | The application itself, then withdraw |
If you are not sure which pages you are looking at, the Workday job application guide explains how Candidate Home and per-employer accounts work.
02
Why is there no withdraw option?
Workday’s administrator documentation gives the reason. Withdrawal by candidates is something each employer sets up, stage by stage, and if a stage has no withdrawal setting, the Withdraw button does not display there. So the option can be missing because:
- the employer never enabled candidate withdrawal
- your application has reached a stage where the employer did not allow it
- the application is already closed, for example because it was declined
- you are signed in to a different account, or to another employer’s Workday site, so the application is not in the list
- the application is still a draft, in which case you delete the draft instead of withdrawing
When the option is missing, a short email does the job. Send it to the recruiter who has been in touch with you. If nobody has, use the recruiting or human resources contact on the employer’s careers page.
Subject: Please withdraw my application: [job title], [requisition number] Hi [recruiter name or recruiting team], Please withdraw my application for [job title] ([requisition number]), which I submitted on [date]. I could not find a withdraw option in my Candidate Home account. [Optional reason, one line: I have accepted another position. / My circumstances have changed.] Thank you for your time. [Optional: I would be glad to be considered for future openings.] Best regards, [Your name] [Email address used on the application] [Phone number]
Keep the reason to one line or leave it out. For other short notes to recruiters, see how to message a recruiter.
03
Should you withdraw, or do something else?
Withdrawing removes you from consideration. It is the right move when you have accepted another job or no longer want this one, and the wrong move when you only want to change something.
| Your situation | Best move |
|---|---|
| You accepted another offer | Withdraw, and tell any recruiter you have already spoken with |
| You no longer want the role | Withdraw, so the team stops spending time on your application |
| You have an interview scheduled | Tell the recruiter directly first, then withdraw; see how to decline an interview |
| You found a mistake in your application | Do not withdraw. Send the recruiter the correction |
| You want to attach a better resume | Do not withdraw. Send the new version to the recruiter or bring it to the interview |
| You applied to the wrong job | Withdraw that application and apply to the right requisition |
The reason for caution is the combination of two rules that employers publish. Ohio State tells applicants that a submitted application cannot be changed or resubmitted, and that a withdrawn application cannot be followed by a new one for the same position. Withdrawing to “start over” can therefore take you out of the running for that job altogether.
04
Can you reapply after withdrawing?
Often not to the same requisition. Washington University states that once you withdraw, you cannot reapply to the same job requisition. Ohio State says the same about a specific job, and adds what to do if it happened by accident: contact its HR Connection service, which connects with the recruiter for that position.
What still works:
- Other openings at the same employer. The rule those employers describe is tied to one requisition. Applying to a different job is a separate application, and the guide to applying to multiple jobs at the same company covers how to do it well.
- Asking for a reversal. If you withdrew by mistake, write to the recruiter or the employer’s HR contact the same day. Only the employer can reopen it.
- A later posting. If the role appears again under a new requisition number, treat it as a new opening. The guide to why jobs get reposted explains what that usually means.
On the employer’s side, Workday records a candidate’s withdrawal under a reason that maps to “declined by candidate,” not as a rejection by the employer.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Where is the withdraw button in Workday?
In Candidate Home on the employer’s Workday career site. Find the job under My Applications or Submitted Applications and open the menu beside it, labeled Manage, Action or three dots depending on the employer. Choose Withdraw Application and confirm.
Why can’t I withdraw my Workday application?
Most likely the employer has not enabled withdrawal for the stage your application is in. Workday’s documentation says the Withdraw button does not display at stages without that setting. Check that you are signed in to the right employer’s site, then email the recruiter and ask them to withdraw the application.
Can I reapply after withdrawing a Workday application?
It depends on the employer, and often you cannot reapply to the same requisition. Washington University in St. Louis and Ohio State University both tell applicants that a withdrawn application cannot be followed by a new one for the same job. Other openings at the employer are unaffected.
Can I undo a withdrawal in Workday?
Not by yourself. If you withdrew by accident, contact the employer’s recruiter or HR help desk as soon as you can. Ohio State, for example, asks applicants to contact its HR Connection service, which then connects with the recruiter for the position.
Does withdrawing an application hurt my chances later?
A prompt, polite withdrawal is a normal part of hiring. Workday records it as the candidate’s own decision, not as a rejection. The practical risk is narrower: at some employers you cannot apply again to that same requisition, so withdraw only when you are sure.
Sources
- Workday Documentation: Steps: Enable Candidates to Withdraw Their Job Applications: the Withdraw button for candidates with a Candidate Home account, why it is missing at some stages, the confirmation message and how the withdrawal is recorded.
- University of Virginia Human Resources: Applying for a Job at UVA, External Applicants: the withdrawal steps under Submitted Applications, the resulting status and draft applications.
- Washington University in St. Louis Human Resources: External Applicant FAQ: withdrawing from My Applications, the confirmation step and the rule against reapplying to the same requisition.
- Ohio State University Human Resources: Applicant Frequently Asked Questions: how to withdraw, what to do after an accidental withdrawal, and limits on changing a submitted application.
- Washington and Lee University: Workday Application Instructions: viewing or withdrawing an application from the Action column in Candidate Home.
Published by Jobbie and last updated on October 6, 2026. This guide is general information for job seekers, not legal, tax or financial advice. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.