Company: Microsoft
Date: 2012-06-27
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Confirmed

Fantastic breadth, promising products but absolutely terrible management of people and creativity.
Pros: The company is involved in such a mind-boggling breadth across the tech sector that most people could find a product/area to be passionate about. Benefits are great and company locations are widespread making it possible to work in various parts of the globe. Employees and managers are very respectful of competitors.
Cons: The management mentality is archaic - you have to 'do your time' before you get to a position where you have relative freedom of judgement and influence. Organization of the work space is old fashioned and not conducive to creativity. Radical innovative ideas are squashed instantly. If you have any fundamental question about organization and process, you'll have to ask someone 3 levels above your rank to get a satisfactory answer. Decisions are extremely top heavy. Horizontal movement is restricted. Latest review process encourages petty squabbles and interpersonal rivalry way more than it does excellence.