Company: IBM
Date: 2009-02-08
Overall rating: 2/5
Employment status: current

Under Sam's oversight, "respect for the individual," a former core IBM value, has become a thing of the past.
Pros: IBM has a great deal of bright, talented, dedicated, hard-working people -- and there's a lot to learn at a company of this size.  I used to be able to also say there are many opportunities in a company of this size, since if you didn't like your first job, you could always apply for a position in another area / division.  Today, however, with nearly quarterly downsizings / job outsourcings going on, when you do look for a new job within IBM you're often competing with hundreds to thousands of others who were just advised they're on the way out the door and have only 30 days to find a new job in IBM.  As a result, over the past 8 years or so, mobility within the company has been very limited. -- as has upward mobility due to IBM's laser focus on reducing SG&A (sales, general and administrative = headcount) expenses quarter to quarter.
Cons: Employee morale is poor, and workloads are unreasonable (with many working 60+ hours per week in salaried positions) due to IBM's laying off so many American workers in 2009 (in spite of reporting record earnings for 2008).  IBM's performance appraisal and rating system, called the Personal Business Commitments (PBCs) system, is a flawed system which forces managers (I know, I was a manager myself for 10 years) to "skew" the ratings to match a normal, "bell shaped" curve distribution.  For all but the few fortunate workers who are able to secure a top rating, the system is demoralizing, and is seen as an unfair way of keeping pay increases and bonuses low.