A sinking ship - Software Engineer Workday Employee Review

1.0
31 Dec 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I worked at Adaptive Insights Business Unit and what was once a quirky startup that had poker tables, a band that played every so often, parties for every sort of holiday that you could think of. There used to be a forward thinking idea of pushing better tools to produce software. There was incentives to stick around while workday absorbed the business unit.

Cons

The unit has changed into a large corporate structure where OKRs, organizational key results rule supreme. Middle managers weaponize OKRs for their personal gains. Middle managers are constantly looking for scapegoats, shifting blames and unwanted OKRs to other teams. The business unit constantly misses targets and therefore applies incredible pressure to the teams. Poor communication amongst managers, the constant need to fulfill one manager's requirements while the other is upset that your unable to fulfill their requirements. Managers publically insulting other teams. The software code is incredibly poorly written. Numberous security holes, use of very old software. Imagine working with very old school engineers who don't care to improve the setup nor are they really helping you to do your job. If your planning to do work here, most likely these engineers will sit around attempt criticize whatever work you do in an attempt to maintain relevance.

Explore other reviews about Workday

5.0
20 May 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Workday is a truly values-driven company, and you can feel it every day. We’re in the middle of an exciting transformation to drive more innovation and speed, and while that has meant making some tough decisions, those decisions are always grounded in our core values. Employees and customers are consistently kept at the center, and there’s a real sense that doing what’s right guides how we operate and where we’re going as a company.

Cons

Decision-making can sometimes feel slow and unclear, as it’s not always obvious who has true ownership or final say. In a few areas, especially HR, leadership can feel more oriented around selling and positioning our products than around deep, hands-on practitioner experience, which occasionally creates a gap between strategy and the day-to-day needs of employees and managers.

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Workday Response
4w
Thank you for your feedback. We are proud of our culture and the success that we have achieved because of the hard work and dedication of our Workmates. Thanks for your contributions, your transparency, and for being an integral part of the Workday team during your time here.
4.0
31 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great people, benefits, culture, and pay. Lots of "workmates" with long tenures (10+ years). I truly wanted to retire from Workday!

Cons

Leadership changes freaked a lot of people out. Things felt unstable within the org for the last year (2025). The culture shifted from one that focused on employee growth to adopt all AI at all costs, and do it yesterday! It was extremely stressful to learn so much, so quickly, and create your own use cases and custom workflows - then to ultimately be laid off despite significant contributions.

1
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Workday Response
2mo
Thank you for your valuable input. At Workday, we pride ourselves on fostering a transparent workplace, maintaining the highest ethical standards, and promoting innovation. It's heartening to hear about your positive journey as a Workmate. We continue to be committed to delivering exceptional experiences for our Workmates.
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