What's It Actually Like to Work at Kyndryl?
Explore an inside look at working at Kyndryl, the IT infrastructure giant. We cover pay, benefits, culture, DEI, the interview process, and more to help your job search.
Working at Kyndryl offers a unique experience inside the world's largest IT infrastructure services provider, a company intentionally shaping a new identity after its 2021 spin-off from IBM. The culture, known as 'The Kyndryl Way,' emphasizes a flatter, faster, and more focused approach compared to its legacy. Employees are tasked with managing mission-critical systems for global clients, with a strong emphasis on continuous learning and technical certification. As a certified Most Loved Workplace®, Kyndryl is recognized for its commitment to creating a positive and supportive environment for its nearly 80,000-person global workforce.
- Founded
- 2021
- HQ
- New York, New York
- Employees
- 79986
- Industry
- IT Infrastructure Services
- Ownership
- Public
- Ticker
- NYSE:KD
- Kyndryl spun off from IBM in November 2021 and is now the world's largest publicly-traded IT infrastructure services provider.
- The company culture, 'The Kyndryl Way,' is built on being restless, empathetic, and devoted, aiming for a flatter and more agile organization.
- Kyndryl is a certified Most Loved Workplace®, indicating a high level of employee satisfaction and a positive work environment.
- Pay is competitive for the IT services industry, with roles like Project Manager earning salaries in line with national averages.
- The company heavily invests in employee upskilling through its 'Kyndryl You' platform, encouraging employees to earn multiple technical certifications annually.
- Key benefits include comprehensive health plans, a 401(k) with company match, and a global minimum of 16 weeks of paid parental leave for primary caregivers.
Working at Kyndryl offers a unique experience inside the world's largest IT infrastructure services provider, a company intentionally shaping a new identity after its 2021 spin-off from IBM. The culture, known as 'The Kyndryl Way,' emphasizes a flatter, faster, and more focused approach compared to its legacy. Employees are tasked with managing mission-critical systems for global clients, with a strong emphasis on continuous learning and technical certification. As a certified Most Loved Workplace®, Kyndryl is recognized for its commitment to creating a positive and supportive environment for its nearly 80,000-person global workforce.
What is it actually like to work at Kyndryl?
As the world's largest IT infrastructure services provider, working at Kyndryl means being at the center of the global economy's digital backbone. Spun off from IBM's managed infrastructure services business in late 2021, the company designs, builds, manages, and modernizes the complex, mission-critical information systems that the world depends on every day. With a presence in over 60 countries and a client list that includes 75% of the Fortune 100, the scale of work is immense.
The core of the employee experience is defined by a conscious effort to build a new culture from the ground up, distinct from its IBM heritage. This is codified in 'The Kyndryl Way,' a cultural framework built on three principles: being restless, empathetic, and devoted. In practice, leadership describes this as creating a "flatter, faster, and more focused" organization where employees are empowered to act with speed and agility to serve clients.
Daily work involves deep engagement with advanced technologies like hybrid cloud, AI, data services, network and edge computing, and cybersecurity. Employees, or "Kyndryls," are expected to be hands-on problem solvers, often working in collaborative teams to keep essential services for banking, transportation, and healthcare running smoothly. This focus on employee satisfaction and a positive work environment earned Kyndryl a certification as a Most Loved Workplace®, validating its efforts to foster engagement and create a healthy workplace where people feel valued. Most Loved Workplace CertCheck
How does Kyndryl pay compare?
Kyndryl aims to offer competitive compensation to attract and retain top talent in the highly competitive IT services market. Pay structures are designed to reflect an individual's role, experience, location, and performance. As a publicly-traded company (NYSE: KD), its compensation strategy is benchmarked against industry peers to ensure it remains attractive.
Based on user-reported data, salaries at Kyndryl are generally in line with or slightly above averages for the IT services sector. For example, a Project Manager can expect a salary that aligns with the national median for that role. It's important to note that total compensation often includes performance-based bonuses, and specific packages can vary significantly based on the business unit and technical specialty.
| Role | Typical Kyndryl Salary Range (User-Reported) | U.S. National Median (BLS) | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Manager | $91,000 - $145,000 / year | $98,420 / year | Glassdoor, BLS |
Candidates should view these figures as directional. Precise salary bands are typically discussed during the interview process and will be detailed in a formal offer letter. The company's large scale allows for significant career and compensation growth for high-performers who develop in-demand skills. Glassdoor Salaries U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
What benefits and time-off does Kyndryl offer?
Kyndryl provides a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the physical, mental, and financial well-being of its global workforce. While specific offerings may vary by country, the company has established global standards for key areas, demonstrating a commitment to employee welfare.
Key components of the U.S. benefits package typically include:
- Health and Insurance: A choice of medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to meet different needs and family sizes. This includes access to health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs).
- Retirement Savings: A 401(k) plan with a company match helps employees save for the long term. The company matches 100% of employee contributions up to a certain percentage of their salary, which vests after a set period of service.
- Parental Leave: Kyndryl has a global minimum standard for paid parental leave, offering 16 weeks for primary caregivers and 4 weeks for secondary caregivers. This is a significant commitment that places it competitively among large tech employers.
- Time Off: The company offers paid time off (PTO) that includes vacation days, sick leave, and holidays. The specific number of days depends on role and tenure.
- Wellness Programs: Employees have access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for confidential counseling and support, as well as various wellness apps and resources aimed at promoting mental and physical health. Kyndryl 2023 ESG Report
Culture, leadership, and DEI at Kyndryl
Kyndryl's culture is its deliberate answer to a critical question: how do you build a 90,000-person startup? Under the leadership of CEO Martin J. Schroeter, the company has been intentional about establishing a new identity centered on speed, empathy, and customer devotion. This is a direct pivot from the more complex, matrixed environment of its former parent company.
The 'The Kyndryl Way' is the cultural operating system. It encourages employees to be "restless" in their pursuit of innovation, "empathetic" in their collaboration with colleagues and clients, and "devoted" to shared success. This framework is reinforced through leadership messaging, performance management, and internal recognition programs.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are foundational to this new culture. The company's strategy focuses on three pillars: attracting and retaining diverse talent, fostering an inclusive culture, and enabling equity through its systems and processes. Kyndryl supports several employee-led resource groups, called Kyndryl Inclusion Networks (KINs), which provide community and development opportunities for various affinity groups, including those for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and different ethnic backgrounds. In fiscal year 2024, nearly 100% of Kyndryl's people managers completed inclusive leadership training, signaling a top-down commitment to building an equitable environment. Kyndryl Careers Kyndryl 2023 ESG Report
The hiring and interview process at Kyndryl
The hiring process at Kyndryl is designed to identify candidates with strong technical skills, a collaborative mindset, and an alignment with 'The Kyndryl Way.' As a global technology firm, the process is structured and typically involves multiple stages, though the exact steps can vary by role and region.
A typical candidate journey looks like this:
- Online Application: Candidates apply for an open position through the Kyndryl careers portal. The system uses AI to help match applicants with suitable roles.
- Recruiter Screening: A talent acquisition partner reviews the application and conducts an initial phone or video screen. This stage assesses basic qualifications, interest in Kyndryl, and salary expectations.
- Hiring Manager Interview: Candidates who pass the initial screen will speak with the hiring manager. This interview focuses on the candidate's experience, how their skills align with the team's needs, and their understanding of the role.
- Technical and Behavioral Interviews: Depending on the role, this may involve one or more rounds of interviews. Technical interviews assess specific skills through problem-solving exercises, case studies, or technical questions. Behavioral interviews use situational questions (e.g., "Tell me about a time when...") to evaluate alignment with cultural values like empathy and restlessness.
- Offer and Onboarding: Successful candidates receive a formal offer. Once accepted, a structured onboarding process begins to integrate the new employee into the company and their team.
Candidates are encouraged to be prepared to discuss their hands-on experience and to ask thoughtful questions about the company's culture and transformation journey. Kyndryl Careers - How We Hire
Career growth and learning at Kyndryl
Kyndryl positions itself as a company of lifelong learners. Given the rapid evolution of technology, continuous upskilling is not just an employee benefit but a core business strategy. The company invests heavily in professional development to ensure its workforce has the advanced skills needed to serve clients in areas like cloud, AI, and security.
The centerpiece of this strategy is Kyndryl You, a personalized, AI-enabled learning platform. It provides access to a vast library of courses, certifications, and learning paths from partners like Microsoft, Google, AWS, and SAP. The company has set an ambitious goal for every employee to earn at least two new technical certifications or badges each year. In its first full year of operation, Kyndryls collectively amassed over 2.5 million learning hours and earned more than 100,000 badges and certifications.
Career progression at Kyndryl can follow technical or managerial tracks. The company's global scale provides opportunities for internal mobility, allowing employees to move between different service practices, client accounts, or even geographic regions. This focus on skills gives employees clear pathways to advance their careers and increase their earning potential by becoming experts in high-demand technologies. The company’s alliance strategy with major hyperscalers creates unique opportunities for employees to work with cutting-edge cloud platforms and gain valuable, portable credentials. Kyndryl Services
Risks, criticisms, and what to watch
As a candidate considering Kyndryl, it's important to understand both the opportunities and the challenges inherent in a large-scale business transformation. Having been spun off from IBM, Kyndryl inherited a massive portfolio of business and a global workforce, but also a business that had seen declining revenues.
The primary challenge has been to pivot from managing legacy infrastructure to capturing growth in modern IT services like cloud advisory and implementation. The company has been executing a multi-year turnaround plan focused on signing new, more profitable contracts and reducing reliance on its former parent, IBM, for revenue. This has involved significant restructuring and a disciplined focus on margins. While the company achieved its first full year of revenue growth in fiscal year 2024, a major milestone, the pressure to maintain this trajectory in a competitive market remains.
For employees, this environment can be both exciting and demanding. The push for a "flatter, faster" culture is a work in progress, and navigating change in an organization of nearly 80,000 people can be complex. Some employees, particularly those with long tenures predating the spin-off, may find the pace of change and the emphasis on new skills challenging. However, for candidates who are adaptable, embrace continuous learning, and want to be part of building a new corporate identity, this dynamic environment can offer rapid growth and high-impact work. CRN Kyndryl Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Fiscal 2024 Results
Most Loved Workplaces® context
Kyndryl is a certified Most Loved Workplace®, part of a global network of over 1,800 companies representing 2.8 million employees. This certification is based on a rigorous analysis of employee sentiment and company policies, validating a commitment to the core elements of the SPARK framework: Systemic Collaboration, a Positive Vision of the Future, Alignment of Values, Respect, and Kindness. Research shows that top-tier Most Loved Workplaces® experience 4× higher revenue growth than their industry peers and benefit from 48% higher employee retention. Furthermore, 92% of employees at Most Loved Workplaces® apply for roles when openings arise, indicating a strong internal talent pipeline.
How we researched this report
This report was researched and written by the Best Practice Institute Editorial Staff. Our analysis is based on a review of Kyndryl's public statements, SEC filings, official ESG and corporate responsibility reports, reputable third-party media coverage, and self-reported employee data from verifiable sources. For more on our approach, please see our methodology.
Sources
- Most Loved Workplace CertCheck — Most Loved Workplace®
- Glassdoor Salaries — Glassdoor
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — U.S. Department of Labor
- Kyndryl Careers — Kyndryl
- Kyndryl Careers - How We Hire — Kyndryl
- Kyndryl 2023 ESG Report — Kyndryl
- CRN — The Channel Company
- Kyndryl Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Fiscal 2024 Results — Kyndryl
- Kyndryl Services — Kyndryl
Quick answers
Researched and edited by Best Practice Institute Editorial Staff. See our methodology.