Company: IBM
Date: 2016-04-14
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Confirmed

Great place to work , process oriented company, below average hikes, powerless HR
Pros: - Fantastic work life balance: work from home, unlimited sick leave facility, great policies for women
- Good policies overall - shift/standby allowances, mobile, data card, fuel reimbursement if working in support projects
- Extremely process oriented company - once you get to understand the processes, its smooth sailing. 
- Ocean of knowledge - if you are here to learn and for experience, there's infinite possibilities. Wealth of trainings and experience can be gained. The top consultants in virtually any field are just a click away. 
- Contacts / Networking is everything - this is a pro as well as a Con. If you have the right network, you can get virtually any kind of assignment you want
- If you know how to crack the processes, you can get the band progressions regularly. Pay attention to the process based trainings. they are more important than you realize.
- Its a laid back company. If a person wants, he can relax and have a chilled out life here. On the flip side, if you want to work, you will get terrific opportunities. 
Have patience, and follow the process. You will get what you want.
Cons: - Below average salary hikes. top rating for continuous 5 years, and total pay rise since joining is <50%. Average <10% hike per year. 
- Variable pay is a joke. Its dependant on company performance and can range from 10-50% of what is promised (GDP). Performance bonus (for 1 rating) is usually a decent amount. 
- HR is powerless. Everything , from leaves, hikes, promotions, appraisals, WFH approvals is in people manager's hands. If you have a good PeM, your life is set. If he turns out to be "evil", it can be pretty bad. 
- Contacts / Networking is everything - this is a pro as well as a Con. If you have do not habe the right contacts, you will be shuttled around to random projects by the resource managers. Zero bench policy ensures that they will tag you in virtually any account that will take you in. So BUILD YOUR NETWORK
- If you do not understand the internal processes, you will be lost. Promotions, hikes, appraisals, approvals - everything has a process to it. Have patience, and follow the process. You will get what you want.