Company: IBM
Date: 2012-08-09
Overall rating: 2/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Junior

"We're IBMers, we have no life, and no money!" is the running joke here.
Pros: The attitude and capability of the majority are good. There are a couple of incompetent basket cases that you will learn to handle, but on the whole the people are great. 

The culture is easy going amongst the grunt worker bees, and also allows for flexible working hours (although that might depend on your manager and/or department). The medical benefits are great should you choose to spend a little more. 

The IBM brand also keeps attracting good people to join so you'll make good contacts if and when they leave.
Cons: Poor salary is the top complaint at the site. Fresh graduates join despite the low pay in hope of a fat bonus (because IBM is a MNC!), only to realise the bonus is really, really, pathetic. Management and HR keeps doing "market surveys" to benchmark salaries, only to consistently adjust them to significantly below market. As a result, the mediocre and terrible stay and move around (even becoming managers), while the great people keep leaving. There are even those who endure the ridiculous salary for 1-2 years just so they can put the IBM name on their resume. 

The number of night conference calls are also frustrating. You are expected to take them to report status to your international counterparts. Some poor souls may take 4 night calls a week!

There are also a number of incompetent people who get lead/manager roles in the company because of the high turnover. They are the most experienced people who stay behind, but they consistently drag the teams down. Management does nothing to resolve this, and consistently reports to the execs that "things are great!".