Cisco

Mature management. I had worked under 6 managers, and all of them happened to be very mature, co-operating, and skillful. I believe even today most managers (if not all) are very compassionate about their team members and the quality of work.

Helpful team. I happened to work with a team of very talented engineers who are always ready to join up as a team and make the work fun.

Challenging work profile. If taken positively, there is a lot to learn from the work. Management makes sure that engineers get to work on the subject of their choice. Internal movement and change in work profile is also a good option for overall career development.

Very well-organized and good HR policies. Politics is everywhere; let's admit it. But I have seen very little office politics in Cisco. People delivering results are rewarded. Maybe a few cases might be otherwise, but I haven't witnessed them.

Work pressure. Though management takes care of work-life balance, engineers often end up working more. This has been a trend after the 2008 economic recession. I would largely blame cutthroat competition for this.

Can't take a back seat. Even though Cisco is a huge organization, it's almost impossible to hide under the hood. Delivering results is key, and working smart is a must, along with working hard.

Too much over-communication. Management mostly expects everyone to be visible on emails and discussions. Sometimes it becomes a burden and causes a lot of work pressure.

Proprietary technology. Working for longer durations at Cisco may make you unaware of technological advancements in the outside world, more so if you are not very interested in learning or if you can't manage to learn due to work pressure.

Salaries are pathetic. Compared to the kind of challenging work offered by Cisco, the salary levels do not match. This eventually may force you to look outside.

It will be wonderful to see that mature management continues in Cisco. Please do take care of the team in every possible manner and restore the benefits of free snacks and fruits again. It doesn't really cost much to provide such talented and dedicated team, who work a lot to make Cisco successful.