Really not what it used to be - Principal Software Engineer Workday Employee Review

2.0
Mar 28, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Still some hard working engineers hanging on with the hopes of a culture turnaround. This company wouldn't last a day without them. Good people but in roles they shouldn't be in.

Cons

When I joined, I only knew my manager. What used to be great was an almost flat hierarchy where all team members came together to solve problems and the only person asking me for an update was my manager. Now even the Senior Director will reach you directly to ask you about something you worked on and so will everybody in between. The direct low level managers are hand puppets that the Director and above control. These were mostly developers or automators who failed at becoming good engineers OR just didn't like the technology but somehow managed to score in interviews OR pull the right strings to become people managers OR can thank Workday's diversity goals (true story!). All they do is look at dashboards, scoreboards and make sure no work goes unassigned. Primary reason for no career growth for aspiring engineers. Meetings have gotten awful with everyone trying to give their 2 cents and ultimately adding no real value to conversations. Every effort is to make yourself look good because if you are not valuable, you become an easy scapegoat or get pushed aside. Not a fun place anymore and now just a race to get ahead of the other instead of working towards common goals and delivering features that wow. We also have a new wave of product managers who really have no true sense of product ownership and need a lot of hand holding and reliance on engineers to get their work done.

Explore other reviews about Workday

5.0
May 20, 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
1mo
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.
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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