Cisco

4 weeks PTO at all levels, plus holidays and one week volunteer time. Longstanding flexibility with WFH and remote work.

Depending on the team, there may be crunch at times, but it isn't usually prolonged.

Regular layoff cycles.

Pay is middling.

DevOps, tooling, and procedures are decades old.

Innovation is welcomed, but it's hard to actually execute or get time or budget for.

Engineering is overstretched and inefficient due to tools from the dot-com days. The costs from the layoff-forced revolving door with competitors are massive. Headcount has been consistently growing, so find ways to repurpose the skilled employees you have instead of paying months of severance just to pay to recruit a replacement. You can completely re-skill a good engineer in a couple of months.