Company: Microsoft
Date: 2013-02-24
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: former
Experience level: Senior

Still great company with many talents but hindered in some way
Pros: Lots of new technologies
Many talented people
Relatively high pay in the industry
Cons: The stack-ranking review system hurts innovation and collaboration, promotes investing within the immediate review year at the expense of long term strategic ones. If you don't know how to market/sell yourself better than your team-mates, don't look for your name at the top rank, better get prepared for leaving, as you will eventually.  
High pressure and workloads, high expectation
Need to be independent and deliver fast/accurately in a consistent manner, don't expect lots of help.