Company: IBM
Date: 2009-09-22
Overall rating: 1/5
Employment status: former

IBM Drowns in Reporting Requirements
Pros: Okay, so the main benefits in having worked for IBM on your CV is that it's a major IT firm in the world and is well known even to those that don't work in IT. Benefits are average for an IT firm.
Cons: Some IT firms I've worked for have been dire due to providing too little information to their R&D staff, but IBM is dire for doing totally the opposite; I used to receive over 50 emails a day that were reporting on the world and its wife. It's what I term a "snow job" - you can't see the information you require as it's hidden amongst so much other junk!

Before the firm I was working for got taken over by IBM, we used to issue one weekly report outlining accomplishments and projects status during the week. When I left IBM, I was having to complete over five reports per week.

To be honest, I'm concerned at the lack of real R&D performed by IBM - they seem overly keen to buy technology (by taking over small companies) rather than develop it themselves.

One final point is that IBM only thrives on "networking" between employees. The gifted networkers get promoted but the gifted Developers often get ignored and treated as average.