Workday's New Head of Product on AI and Improving Enterprise Software Experience

Gerrit Kazmaier, the new president of product and technology at Workday, recently discussed the future of enterprise software on The Verge’s Decoder podcast. Kazmaier acknowledges the widespread frustration users have with enterprise platforms like Workday, which many encounter during job applications or daily HR and finance tasks. He highlights a fundamental tension: for some employees, using Workday is just a tool to complete tasks, while for HR and finance professionals, it constitutes their core job.

Kazmaier emphasizes that enterprise software today must function as part of an intelligent ecosystem rather than a monolithic system. He envisions Workday as a flexible platform integrated with other vendors’ solutions, reflecting the diverse and evolving needs of modern organizations. This ecosystem approach supports a better work experience by allowing users to bring their own devices, AI models, and workflows into the system.

A central theme of the conversation is the role of AI in transforming enterprise software. Workday brands itself as an AI platform, aiming to leverage AI to automate routine tasks like filling out forms, improve recruiting by identifying the best candidates, and enhance contract intelligence. However, Kazmaier cautions about the risks of AI-generated errors and biases, underscoring the need for specialized training, guardrails, and domain-specific models to ensure accuracy and fairness.

Kazmaier draws parallels between autonomous vehicles and AI in enterprise software, noting that mission-critical systems must work reliably 100% of the time. He stresses that AI in enterprise contexts must be purpose-built and rigorously tested within narrow domains to deliver dependable outcomes. This approach contrasts with superficial AI overlays and aims to revolutionize workflows rather than merely automate legacy processes.

Addressing the notorious reputation of Workday’s user experience, Kazmaier advocates for a relentless focus on fundamentals: understanding user workflows in detail, improving search and assistant capabilities, and deploying conversational AI interfaces where appropriate. He highlights Workday Everywhere, which integrates AI-powered chatbots into collaboration tools like Slack and Teams to simplify common tasks such as requesting personal time off.

Kazmaier is candid about the challenges of bias in AI, noting ongoing lawsuits alleging discrimination in Workday’s hiring tools. He explains that mature AI systems require carefully curated training data, guardrails, and continuous evaluation to mitigate bias and improve fairness. He believes AI can ultimately help organizations make more unbiased decisions than humans, provided these systems are designed and governed responsibly.

On organizational structure, Kazmaier describes Workday’s product teams as divided into AI, applications (HR, finance, industries), and infrastructure. He underscores the company’s strong cloud-native technology foundation and its strategic investment in AI expertise to drive innovation. Workday’s AI initiatives span from employee self-service to contract intelligence, reflecting a broad and mature application of AI across the enterprise software stack.

Kazmaier’s decision-making framework emphasizes mitigating human biases, engaging the right expertise, understanding details, and having the courage to act decisively. This approach aligns with his product philosophy of incremental, disciplined improvement rather than expecting overnight transformations. He believes that consistent focus on core user needs and workflows will gradually elevate the Workday experience.

Looking ahead, Kazmaier envisions conversational AI as a natural interface for simpler workflows like information retrieval and self-service requests, while more complex tasks will continue to require rich, interactive user interfaces. He stresses that AI will augment rather than replace traditional UI elements, enabling more intuitive and efficient enterprise software experiences.

In summary, Gerrit Kazmaier’s vision for Workday is one of thoughtful AI integration, ecosystem collaboration, and relentless focus on user experience fundamentals. By addressing the complexities of enterprise workflows with mature AI models and a flexible platform approach, Workday aims to transform how organizations manage their most valuable assets: people and money.