Microcultures and growing pains as company scales - Anonymous employee Workday Employee Review

3.0
May 4, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good work-life balance, very family-oriented. Solid benefits/perks (amazing by normal standards, but not quite up to the top companies in Silicon Valley).

Cons

Often unclear how promotion and reward decisions are made. As in most large companies, microcultures abound - some teams have better cultures than others. CEO and people directly below are great leaders, but next level down not so much. Strange demographics - 2 large groups: ex-PSFT (40s-50s in age, spent whole life in Ent SW), and recent college grads. If you don't fall into one of these categories, it may feel lonely. Cult-like culture around Dave Duffield and Workday. Not necessarily bad, but a little creepy.

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Workday Response
10y
Thanks for raising your concerns. It’s important we hear them. If you’re willing, we’d be happy to hear more of your thoughts. Please contact employee.feedback@workday.com. Any feedback you share will be kept confidential.

Explore other reviews about Workday

5.0
Jun 19, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Work life balance is very good

Cons

Too much org level changes

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Workday Response
1w
Thank you for sharing your experience at Workday. We're delighted to know that you've been making the most of your time with us and have been benefiting from a good work-life balance. This feedback is incredibly valuable as it helps us provide an even better working experience and benefits for our Workmates.
3.0
Jun 29, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent engineering talent and knowledgeable coworkers. Strong engineering culture with high code quality standards. Modern technology stack and opportunities to work on large-scale enterprise software. Good work-life balance compared to many tech companies. Competitive compensation, benefits, and employee perks. Collaborative environment with supportive teammates. Opportunities to learn new technologies and grow technically. Stable development processes and mature SDLC practices. Strong emphasis on testing, code reviews, and software quality. Flexible work arrangements (depending on team).

Cons

Large organization means decision-making can be slow. Significant amount of process and bureaucracy before changes reach production. Cross-team dependencies can slow delivery. Career growth can depend on organizational priorities and manager support. Frequent reorganizations can shift priorities and disrupt long-term projects. Innovation may move slower than at smaller startups. Internal tools and processes can sometimes feel overly complex. Communication between teams can occasionally be inconsistent. Like much of the tech industry, the company has experienced layoffs, creating uncertainty for some employees. Promotions can take time and require navigating multiple approval levels.

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Workday Response
2d
Thank you for your thoughtful review. We're aware that there's always room to grow, but at Workday, we take pride in our dedication to our Workmates and the 'employee first' ethos we've embedded since day one. We value your feedback as well as the praise you have provided in your review.
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