A culture of 'phoning it in' - Software Development Engineer II Workday Employee Review

2.0
4 Jul 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

*** by and large defined by the team you're on - ***WLB is great - By-and-large, really solid benefits (401k, insurance, stock options, mat/pat leave) - Lots of small random benefits (e.g. SF Giants tickets, or discount on some clothing line) - A really solid infrastructure for Diversity (will elaborate in cons) - ***A lot of interesting tech opportunities, due in part to the proprietary technology (if you're not in App-Dev). A good stepping stone, or place to settle in for awhile - Generation Workday Tools Intern rotation is good college learning experience - Generally speaking, chill people

Cons

- There really isn't much clear direction. Things are just kinda, happening, and maybe you're doing the important work or maybe you're in a pigeon-hole. Problems are usually re-orged into obscurity instead of addressed in any meaningful way. It's additionally really chaotic for developers with constantly changing team-structure and vision - App-Dev (Applications Development): The proprietary language really does limit how much one learns in the role, and management knows that. The tech stack is diversifying, but expect to fight one another for the opportunities, which are far and few. Initiatives meant for developers keep getting led-along (maybe because of poor direction) - Cash salary is low, for the scale of the company. Compensation primarily comes from stock packages that lock you in for X-number-of-years (I'll acknowledge that some individuals seek out stock) - Leadership is AGGRESSIVELY anti-remote work, come post-covid (the phrase "remote work will be rare" is the common phrase) - Diversity initiatives haven't gone much further than step 1. Lots of corporate infrastructure, resources, etc., but individual/team experience is really hit-or-miss - App Dev Intern role is not a good college learning experience - The "Workday Culture" is just, weird... leadership talks down a lot, like a paternal figure, stuck reminiscing about 'The Good Old Days' (from like, 4 years ago). Personality precedes performance, persistently, especially if you can be 'One of the bro's' (really bad in some depts). And in general, you feel like an outsider if you don't view your job as more than a job, and the psychological toll is real. The unfortunate thing is that this also includes your background, as well as personality. DONT GET ME WRONG. There are some AMAZING teams, who respect one another, foster psychological/emotional safety for all identities, and have a constant curiosity. There are some AMAZING managers who are focused on the person, not your output. However, there are as many teams who foster an exclusionary crony-culture that strives for image instead of meaningful work. And sometimes those things are just a re-org away.

Explore other reviews about Workday

5.0
5 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great work life balance, great community and benefits

Cons

Forward mobility, growth, and momentum

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Workday Response
6d
Thank you for your review. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience working at Workday. Our goal is to create an open and diverse culture at Workday and we value feedback like this as we strive to become an even better company for our Workmates!
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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