CDK is being mismanaged into the ground - Engineer CDK Global Employee Review

1.0
Sep 11, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good work/life balance. Great team members. Line-level management is well-meaning and works hard to keep everyone growing professionally.

Cons

After the spin-off (October 2015), CDK was targeted by profit-seeking investors. Their motivation was to make the company more profitable and sell it to make a profit. This is a well understood strategy and (in and of itself) not a cause for concern. The problem was the implementation. Big Mac and the executive leadership team did not follow a well rationed plan: sell of lower-margin products, consolidate product lines, seek efficiency in product delivery, etc... Rather, they made staffing cuts here and there hoping they'd get to the magic margin number that would attract a buyer. This didn't happen in 3 years and the leadership became more frantic. The layoff in June of 2018 was a sign of how bad things have gotten. Between the layoff and the number of veteran employees leaving in September (when bonuses are being paid out), the company will not have any real experience on the floor to keep the lights on. They'll be hiring contractors only (at a premium) with no experience with the product set or customer needs. The next 3 years will be a struggle to maintain any semblance of a functioning company. I predict employees and customers will leave in droves.

Explore other reviews about CDK Global

5.0
Mar 2, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent company to work and work culture is nice

Cons

nothing much. everything is good

1.0
Jul 2, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Competitive pay and benefits (if that outweighs a toxic culture for you. My time at CDK has shown me what good leadership does NOT look like.

Cons

Leadership and management culture were the biggest issues. Poor managers are protected and good employees are left carrying the consequences. There is a strong culture of micromanagement, shifting expectations, and documentation over development. Honest feedback wasn't valued and accountability seemed to stop at management. Over time I watched team morale suffer, trust disappearing, and fellow talented employees leaving in sake of their sanity.

3
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All