Dell

In terms of benefits and culture, Dell was one of the best companies I ever worked for. Their policies are very family-friendly, and they provided a generous package of vacation, days off for other needs, 401K, healthcare, etc.

I was dubious about the prospects of working for Dell when they acquired my company, but it turned out to be a mostly positive experience. I'm sorry my 3 years there ended.

Like any large company, Dell has internal bureaucracies that are inefficient and often maddening. The timecard system is decades old, slow, and unstable. The security policies, such as changing passwords every 60 days, are nonsensical. But my biggest complaint stems from their decision to enter the software business, acquiring companies left and right, and then deciding to abandon software, laying off hundreds of people and divesting the remaining pieces. Hardware companies have the wrong DNA to do software, and Michael Dell should have known this. The acquisitions followed by layoffs damaged careers and destroyed good products. Dell did a disservice to many people through this "experiment".

Stay out of software; stick to what you know.

Build organically and stop depending on acquisitions for growth.

When cutbacks are necessary, stop treating people as "expenses" and view them as "investments". Good people can be re-tasked to do new things.