Top down decision making and lack of innovation - Software Engineer Workday Employee Review

2.0
Jan 10, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good ideas and people. Benefits are competitive. Workplace is good with snacks and relaxed. Pay is decent for East Bay location and close to BART. Growing market for cloud HR and financial products. UI is good on par with consumer websites.

Cons

Top down decision making everywhere be it in product management or technical leadership. Central technical architects take all decisions who do not involve in daily scrums which leaves team looking for help always. Very slow to get things done. Not setup for innovation to foster. They spend too much money on operations for a cloud company. No transparency who is leaving the company, customers. Performance is not all par with consumer websites.

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
2w
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.
2.0
Jun 10, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flex work model- 50% in office Direct team is supportive- great people (hope they stay)

Cons

Constant churn in leadership and shifting priorities. Feels like we can’t get anything done. VPs and SVPs who only care about managing up. Vision is lacking Slow decisions and lots of layers of approval Women pushed out of leadership Feels like they are gaslighting people with talk of being employee first yet they hire leaders who do not live that value.

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