Workday Software Engineer Interview Questions & Process (2025)

Workday is a leading enterprise cloud platform for finance, HR, and planning. Its products help some of the world’s biggest organizations manage their people. For those preparing for Workday software engineer interview questions, it’s important to know that engineers here aren’t just building tools—they’re designing the infrastructure that runs global businesses, making the platform reliable and scalable, and making user experience non-negotiable.

With over 70 million active users under contract and massive volumes of real-time data, the technical challenges are also an opportunity for impact. Workday engineers work on high-availability systems, intuitive user experiences, and data platforms that support global enterprises.

Why this role at Workday?

If you’re considering a software engineering role at Workday, you’re stepping into a company where your work directly powers critical systems used by Fortune 500 companies and beyond. This isn’t just about shipping code—it’s about building enterprise-grade solutions that are secure, scalable, and resilient under real-world pressure. With Workday’s continued investment in AI, machine learning, and platform extensibility, software engineers are at the forefront of innovation, shaping how businesses manage people, finances, and operations at scale. It’s a role with tangible impact, strong technical rigor, and plenty of room for growth.

The interview process for a Software Engineer at Workday is designed to assess both your technical skills and how well you align with the company’s culture. Each stage focuses on a different aspect of what makes a great engineer at Workday, from problem-solving and coding to communication and team fit.

Initial Screening

A 30-minute recruiter call to discuss your background, motivations, and understanding of Workday’s mission. You’ll also get an overview of the role, team, and what to expect next.

Technical Assessment

An online coding test (typically via HackerRank) designed to evaluate your skills in languages like Java, Python, and others. The problems usually focus on algorithms, data structures, and object-oriented programming under timed conditions.

Technical Interviews

If you pass the assessment, you’ll move into technical interviews via video call. These sessions test your problem-solving through live coding, system design discussions, and technical deep dives into your past projects.

Final Interview

The final round usually includes a conversation with a hiring manager or senior leader. This covers your career aspirations, potential contributions to Workday, and a deeper assessment of your cultural fit. It’s also your chance to ask questions about the team, growth opportunities, and future projects.

Workday Software Engineer interview means covering a mix of technical depth, system design thinking, and cultural fit. Their questions aren’t just about solving coding puzzles; they’re about building real-world systems that are scalable, reliable, and user-focused. Here’s how the questions typically break down across core skill areas.

Coding & Technical Interview Questions

Workday’s coding interviews focus on your ability to write clean, efficient code and solve real-world problems. Clarity, efficiency, and structured thinking matter as much as getting the right answer.

1. Given two sorted lists, write a function to merge them into one sorted list.

To merge two sorted lists into one sorted list, you can iterate through both lists, comparing their elements and adding the smaller element to a new, merged list. Continue iterating until all elements from both lists are added. The time complexity of merging two sorted lists in this way is (O(n + m)), where (n) and (m) are the lengths of the two input lists.

2. How do you find the median in a list of sorted integers where more than 50% of the list is comprised of the same repeating integer in (O(1)) computational time and space?

Given a sorted list where more than 50% of the list is the same repeating integer, you can simply return this repeating integer. This is because the repeating integer, which constitutes the majority of the list, will always be the median.

3. Given a list of integers, write a function gcd to find the greatest common denominator between them.

To find the greatest common denominator (GCD) of a list of integers, you can write a function gcd that computes this value. For instance, with an input list like [8, 16, 24], the function should return 8, as this is the largest integer that divides all the numbers in the list without leaving a remainder.

4. Given a list of strings, write a Python program to check whether each string has all the same characters or not. What is the complexity of this program?

To determine if each string in a list has all the same characters, you can check if all characters in the string are identical. This can typically be achieved by converting the string into a set and verifying if the set length is 1. The complexity of this operation for each string is O(n), where n is the length of the string, as it involves iterating through the string to create the set.

5. Given a list of integers, write a function that returns the maximum number in the list. If the list is empty, return None.

You can write a function that iterates through the list to keep track of the largest number encountered. If the list is empty, the function should return None. For example, given the list nums = [1, 7, 3, 5, 6], the function find_max(nums) would return 7.

6. How can we calculate the sum of the salaries of employees who didn’t complete any of their projects?

You need to identify employees assigned to at least one project without an end date (End_dt is NULL). Once these employees are identified, sum their salaries from the employees table.

7. Using the employees table, get the total salary of all employees.

To get the total salary of all employees from the employees table, you need to sum up the salary column. You can achieve this by using an SQL query such as:

    SELECT SUM(salary) AS total_salary FROM employees;

8. Given a table of user sessions, write a query to get the number of days between each user’s first session and last session for the year 2020.

You can write a SQL query that selects each user’s ID, their first session date, and their last session date, then calculates the difference in days between these two dates for the specified year. The result should include the user_id and the number of days between the sessions.

9. You’re given two tables: employees and managers. Find the names of all employees who joined before their manager.

To find the names of employees who joined before their manager, you will need to join the employees table with the managers table on the manager’s id, and compare their join_date.

10. How can the Fibonacci sequence be implemented using three different methods?

The Fibonacci sequence can be implemented using three different methods: recursively, iteratively, and using memoization. In the recursive approach, a function calls itself with decreased arguments to compute the sequence; iteratively, a loop is used to calculate each number; and with memoization, previously computed values are stored to avoid redundant calculations, thereby improving efficiency.

11. How does the nearest_entries function work with a sorted list of integers and inputs N and k?

The nearest_entries function takes a sorted list of integers ints, an integer N, and an integer k, and efficiently finds the element in the list closest to N. It returns this element along with the k-next and k-previous elements of the list. If k results in an index out of bounds, the function returns up to the list’s bounds without errors, and if two values are equally close to N, it starts with the lower value. For example, with ints = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9], N = 4, and k = 2, the result is [2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

12. How do you build a random forest model from scratch with specific conditions using only pandas and NumPy?

You can generate decision trees where each tree uses every permutation of the dataframe’s columns and splits based on values from the new_point array. After constructing these trees, you take the majority vote from all trees to predict the class of new_point. Libraries like pandas and NumPy handle data, while itertools.permutations help generate column permutations, avoiding the use of scikit-learn.

13. How can you write a function to get a sample from a standard normal distribution?

To write a function that gets a sample from a standard normal distribution, you can use a programming language like Python and employ libraries such as NumPy. Specifically, you can use numpy.random.normal() with mean 0 and standard deviation 1 to generate a sample from a standard normal distribution.

System/Product Design Questions

System design interviews at Workday test how you build scalable, reliable systems that can handle real-world workloads. You’ll need to break down complex problems, make smart design choices, and communicate your ideas clearly, all while keeping cloud infrastructure, reliability, and user experience in mind.

1. Let’s say you have a table with a billion rows. How would you add a column inserting data from the original source without affecting the user experience?

One approach is to use a phased rollout and background processing to manage the changes. Start by adding the column with a default value through a database migration tool or script, which manages schema changes without locking the entire table. Then, gradually populate the new column’s data using background jobs to avoid performance issues or noticeable slowdowns for users.

2. How can you efficiently find the top 10 closest related jobs for millions of new job postings each day?

A possible system could involve transforming job descriptions into a numerical format using word embeddings and applying a nearest neighbor search algorithm, such as Approximate Nearest Neighbors (ANN), to quickly identify similar jobs.

3. How would you design a pipeline that ingests images and PDFs of resumes and transforms them into queryable text data for LinkedIn?

You would start by using image-to-text models to extract text from images and PDFs. The extracted data would then be loaded into a data mart for easy access by NLP models and analysts tracking keywords. A search API would enable recruiters to search candidates by keywords. Since real-time processing isn’t required, the focus would be on building an efficient but not immediate ingestion pipeline.

4. Why is it standard practice to explicitly put foreign key constraints on related tables instead of creating a normal BIGINT field? When considering foreign key constraints, when should you consider a cascade delete or a set null?

Using foreign key constraints is standard practice because they enforce referential integrity, ensuring relationships between tables stay consistent, unlike a plain BIGINT field. They automatically validate inserts and updates, maintaining data accuracy. Depending on business needs, you can set up cascade deletes (removing child records with the parent) or set null (breaking the link but keeping the child record) when a parent is deleted.

5. How would you create a schema to represent client click data on the web?

You can design a structured format to capture essential attributes such as user ID, session ID, timestamp, page URL, click target, and metadata like device type or user location. This schema facilitates efficient storage and querying and enables detailed analysis of user interactions with the web app.

6. How would you create a new production_companies table prioritizing correctness while also ensuring we do not include duplicates despite having a list with potential duplicates and misspellings?

To build a clean production_companies table, start by normalizing company names to catch misspellings and variations. Use deduplication algorithms and matching strategies to identify and merge duplicates before insertion. Adding unique constraints to the schema helps maintain data integrity and prevents future duplicates.

Behavioral and Culture Fit Questions

Behavioral questions in the Workday software engineer interview assess how you’ve handled various situations in the past to predict how you’ll perform in similar scenarios at Workday.

1. What makes you a good fit for our company?

Think about the qualities you have that make you unique among other candidates. Consider what you could offer not just in the role but to the company as well. On top of these, align your answers to the workday’s mission and culture. Tailor your response to demonstrate how your skills and experiences make you a suitable fit for the role and how you can contribute positively to the company.

2. Describe a data project you worked on. What were some of the challenges you faced?

Common challenges in data projects include handling messy data, coordinating across teams, and ensuring data privacy. One project required integrating multiple data sources with inconsistent formats, demanding thorough data cleaning. Another challenge was balancing stakeholder expectations while delivering on time and maintaining data accuracy.

3. What is your approach to resolving conflict with co-workers or external stakeholders, particularly when you don’t really like them? Give an example of when you resolved a conflict with someone on the job.

“When handling conflicts with co-workers or stakeholders, even those I don’t particularly like, I focus on maintaining open communication and understanding all perspectives involved. I aim to find a mutually agreeable solution by actively listening and acknowledging the concerns of others. For instance, I once resolved a conflict where a team member disagreed with my approach by facilitating a discussion to align our goals, leading to a successful compromise.”

4. Tell me about a time when you exceeded expectations during a project. What did you do, and how did you accomplish it?

Reflect on a project where you went above and beyond the initial requirements and delivered exceptional results. Describe the context, the specific actions you took to exceed the expected outcomes, and how you achieved success.

5. How comfortable are you presenting your insights?

Comfort with presenting insights can vary depending on the individual’s experience and the audience. It’s important to tailor your presentation to the audience, use clarity when explaining complex data, and be adaptable to feedback.

6. How do you prioritize multiple deadlines? Additionally, how do you stay organized when you have multiple deadlines?

Using a priority matrix can aid in distinguishing tasks that need immediate attention from those that can be scheduled later. To stay organized, employing tools like calendars, to-do lists, and project management software can help manage time effectively and ensure that deadlines are met efficiently.

Preparing for a Workday interview is about more than just getting the right answers—it’s about presenting yourself as the kind of teammate who thrives in their culture. Workday places a strong emphasis on collaboration, innovation, and continuous employee development, so make sure to highlight examples of teamwork, leadership, and proactive problem-solving from your past roles that show your alignment with these values.

On the technical side, brush up on core concepts like data structures, algorithms, object-oriented design, and foundational cloud computing principles. Practice solving coding problems so you’re comfortable thinking aloud and debugging under pressure. Even if you’re not applying for a DevOps or infrastructure role, demonstrating an awareness of cloud systems—like autoscaling, load balancing, fault tolerance, or basic AWS and GCP services—can set you apart. It shows you’re capable of designing scalable, real-world systems and thinking beyond just code.

What Is the Average Salary for a Software Engineer at Workday?

Workday software engineer compensation includes a competitive base salary, annual bonus, and equity. Senior roles or those in high-cost cities like SF/Bay Area may command significantly higher compensation packages.

Where Can I Read More Discussion Posts on Workday’s Engineering Interviews?

You can explore firsthand experiences and discussions about Workday’s engineering interviews on platforms like Reddit and Glassdoor. These resources offer valuable perspectives to help you prepare effectively.

Are There Job Postings for Workday Software Engineer Roles?

Yes! Browse the latest Workday roles on Interview Query’s job board. Filter by role, location, and experience level.

The Workday Software Engineer interview process is thorough, focusing on technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit. To prepare effectively, explore our Python Interview Learning Path to strengthen your coding fundamentals, and review key behavioral interview questions to align with Workday’s values and team dynamics.

For added motivation, see how Chris Keating landed a role with a focused prep strategy. With the right tools and mindset, you’ll be ready to contribute to Workday’s mission of innovation and collaboration.