Just finished a Workday AE interview loop. Different experience than most SaaS sales interviews I've been through. Sharing because there's almost nothing specific out there about this process.
I've been in enterprise sales for 8 years, mostly financial management and ERP-adjacent SaaS. This role was for a Mid-Market Account Executive position on the FINS (financial management) side.
The loop Recruiter phone screen. Standard. They ask about quota attainment history right away. Have numbers ready. Hiring manager round (45 min): They went deep on how I prospect into enterprise accounts, how I map multiple stakeholders, and how I handle deals that stall at legal or procurement. This is not a SDR-level conversation. You need real enterprise deal experience. Role play (30 min): They gave me a scenario: I'm three months into a territory, a Fortune 500 account has used a competitor for 10 years, the CHRO is open to exploring. How do I approach the meeting? I asked a few clarifying questions then went into a discovery conversation. They played the CHRO and threw objections. Key observation: they are NOT testing whether you can pitch features. They want to see if you can run discovery, understand the business problem, and link it to their strategic priorities. Panel round (3 people): One was about a deal I lost and what I learned. One was about how I manage my pipeline and what my forecasting process looks like. One was about working with customer success post-sale. Senior leadership chat: More strategic. What do I think is happening in the HCM market, how does Workday win against SAP or Oracle in a bake-off.
What separates candidates here
Workday sells to very large companies on multi-year deals. They need AEs who can run an 18-month deal cycle, manage complex buying committees, and stay patient. If your background is 60-day SMB deals or PLG motion, it's a real adjustment. Come with enterprise stories.
Comp (offer, accepted): $130k base, $260k OTE at plan, uncapped. Equity was modest compared to pure tech companies.