Don't come here right out of college - Software Development Engineer Workday Employee Review

1.0
Sep 29, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Easy to land a job right out of college as a software engineer Can easily go on cruise control if thats your thing Unlimited PTO Flexible wfh policy

Cons

Coming here right out of college as a SDE really set me back in terms of my skills and my career path. The biggest obstacle is using xpresso, workday's proprietary language that is specifically designed to make building workday application features very VERY easy. Try explaining xpresso during interviews - you will be met with a lot of confused looks. It is also a skill that isn't transferrable and it silos you as an engineer - you don't get exposed to the full SDLC nor do you get exposed to industry standard technologies and practices. Too many engineering managers are questionable at best. MANY of them do NOT know how to code, nor do they have technical knowledge of how software is developed. QA is a complete joke, many QA / automation engineers don't have engineering backgrounds, workday gets away with this because WATS (another proprietary tool) is a super straight forward GUI point and click tool to write test scripts...which is why if you want a career in engineering, you most definitely do NOT want to join as QA. Obviously, most of my cons are targeted towards career and skill development. Workday's hiring bar is INCREDIBLY low, don't be fooled by getting an offer from them while you are still in college. Also, due to their rapid hiring - their culture that they were once known for is also rapidly deteriorating, maybe the higher ups don't really care since the stock price has surged?

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

avatar
Workday Response
2w
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.

1
avatar
Workday Response
1w
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.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All