Apple

Decent work/life balance. Good perks. Good pay. Great people, lots of smart people.

Lots of people seem to love working at Apple. I can't say I understand why.

To me, my job is boring. They don't value creativity or insight; they value carrying out the tasks that management sets for you. The company's priorities don't make a whole lot of sense, either, with respect to how resources are allocated.

Micromanagement seems to be the norm. There doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency in some areas, while other areas are on the "death march" from release to release. Secrecy between teams is irritating and leads to less innovation and poorer quality.

Work to grow your employees, not shrink them. Give us opportunities to learn, collaborate, and share. Give employees the opportunity to set directions for themselves and their teams. Find top talent and cultivate it; don't just reward whoever has been there the longest.