Company: Microsoft
Date: 2020-07-08
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: former
Experience level: Senior

Great Company, Occasionally Bad Manager
Pros: A great company that invests in innovation and succeed at a scale of customers/business at a level of few other companies. If you want to make an impact through technology, Microsoft is one of the great places to work.
Cons: Over 90% of my managers at Microsoft were average to great. But over 20+ years I had three decidedly bad managers. It's totally fine that I worked for managers that I don't get along with; but the problem is that Microsoft gives senior managers a HUGE amount of control over an employee's career path with no checks and balances. If you work for a senior manager with whom you don't get along AND they give you a bad review, then it is very challenging to move forward with your career. HR will listen to your concerns, but they don't have the power to insert you somewhere else. Instead, the new manager will put a lot of weight into the old manager's reviews.