Workday Rising 2025 in San Francisco was a defining moment for the future of enterprise technology. The event brought together more than 30,000 leaders across HR, finance, and IT, offering over 400 sessions that showcased how organizations can harness AI and data to transform work. For Semos Cloud, it was a milestone of our own. This year marked our first time attending as an official Workday partner. Having Ilija Kiroski, Head of Partnerships, and Filip Misovski, CEO, on the ground made this debut even more impactful. Our presence signaled more than participation. It underscored our commitment to deepening alignment with Workday’s ecosystem and to helping enterprises reimagine employee experience in a world increasingly shaped by intelligent technology. What Defined Workday Rising 2025 AI at the Center of Transformation The dominant theme was clear: artificial intelligence is no longer a future aspiration but the competitive reality of today. Workday introduced new Illuminate Agents for performance, case management, and financial close, each designed to execute tasks with speed and accuracy under human guidance. The acquisition of Sana reinforced this vision, adding AI-native knowledge and user experience capabilities to the Workday stack. Attendees were reminded that while AI is powerful, the greatest opportunity lies in augmenting human decision-making, not replacing it. Openness and Extensibility as a Priority The launch of Workday Build and enhancements to low and no-code customization tools highlighted Workday’s shift toward an open platform strategy. Coupled with the introduction of Workday Data Cloud, built on standards such as Apache Iceberg, the message was that integration and real-time insights will increasingly define enterprise value. This shift empowers organizations to tailor systems to their needs and expand functionality through partners. Flexible Consumption Models Another major announcement was the introduction of Flex Credits. This usage-based model allows enterprises to consume AI capabilities across different agents and monitor consumption through a single dashboard. For many organizations, this flexibility will reshape adoption strategies, budgeting cycles, and the speed at which they scale AI-driven initiatives. The Power of Customer Stories Workday Rising also highlighted enterprise leaders who shared their own transformation journeys. These stories offered proof of impact and showed how embedding AI into HR and finance processes is already delivering measurable results. The case studies emphasized culture, adoption, and human-centered outcomes alongside technology. Community and Purpose Beyond Technology The Rising Plaza, sustainability initiatives, and community-driven programming reminded attendees that innovation is not only about systems and algorithms. It is also about the social and cultural context in which businesses operate. Workday Rising succeeded in combining technology with purpose and community building. Lessons Learned From the Event The event left attendees with a set of clear lessons about the future of enterprise transformation. AI adoption must remain human-first. The strongest message from the stage and the floor was that AI must augment, not replace. Enterprises want to empower employees and managers with intelligent support while maintaining trust. Integration complexity is inevitable. The move to open data standards and agent ecosystems provides flexibility but also raises questions around governance, security, and execution. Enterprises must plan carefully for integration. Education is essential. Many organizations are still early in their understanding of agent-first models and usage-based licensing. Explaining value and guiding adoption will be critical. Execution is what creates lasting impact. Big announcements generate excitement, but credibility comes from delivering scalable, measurable outcomes that transform everyday work. How Semos Cloud Fits Into the Workday Ecosystem As enterprises embrace the innovations announced at Workday Rising, the next question is how to translate them into human-centered strategies that improve daily work. This is where Semos Cloud fits in. Total Rewards Hub Inside Workday Our Total Rewards Hub delivers a seamless experience directly within Workday. Employees can access rewards with full transparency, while HR leaders benefit from global oversight and analytics. This integration ensures that recognition and rewards are not siloed but connected to the core HCM foundation. Enterprise-Grade Recognition and Rewards Recognition is more than a gesture. When it is embedded into daily workflows, it builds culture, strengthens engagement, and improves retention. Semos Cloud integrates recognition directly into the flow of Workday, turning moments of appreciation into business infrastructure. Omni-Channel Employee Communications Change and adoption depend on communication. Our Employee Communications solution empowers enterprises to run targeted campaigns, reach deskless employees, and integrate listening channels alongside Workday modules. This ensures that the right message reaches the right audience at the right time. Continuous Feedback and Talent Development Semos Cloud complements Workday with solutions for feedback intelligence, manager enablement, and employee growth. By enabling managers to deliver timely feedback and development opportunities, we help organizations close the gap between strategy and execution. Together, these capabilities extend the Workday platform by focusing on the human side of transformation. We help enterprises activate the cultural, emotional, and motivational levers that ensure technology delivers sustainable value. Final Thoughts Workday Rising 2025 made it clear that the future of enterprise technology is open, flexible, and powered by AI. For HR and business leaders, the challenge is not only adopting these capabilities but ensuring they drive culture, connection, and performance. For Semos Cloud, this first appearance as an official Workday partner was a milestone. It showed us where the ecosystem is heading and how we can help organizations capture the full potential of AI and employee experience together. Ready to connect rewards and recognition directly into Workday? Request demo Related posts HR Tech 2025 Recap: Lessons, Partnerships, and the Path Forward read more Unlocking Greater Value from Your Human Capital Management with Semos Cloud read more Enterprise Solutions for SAP SuccessFactors, Workday & Oracle HCM read more
