Dell

• Flexible work hours
• Allowed to work from home
• Early dismissal on Fridays in some groups
• No dress code

When Microsoft decided to oust its old-timer CEO Steve Ballmer, there were rumors inside of Dell that the Board wanted to do the same, so Michael Dell decided to take the company private in order to prevent that.

I remember when we had that meeting in Round Rock in November of 2013 announcing the privatization of Dell. Everybody was clapping, there were balloons and cake, and Michael Dell was high-fiving people as he got to the stage and said that the Roadrunner (him) had defeated Wile E. Coyote (Carl Icahn).

Then we got the announcement that there was going to be a Voluntary Separation Program, followed by an Involuntary Separation Program. It was explained that if people in your team were to leave Dell either voluntarily or involuntarily, the survivors were expected to take on all the workload.

I was lucky enough to find a job elsewhere and left before the layoffs. I had lunch in 2014 with a couple of friends who were still working for Dell, and they told me that raises, bonuses, and hiring were frozen until further notice.

Maybe the company is doing better these days, but I would look for positive signs before thinking about joining it.

Dell has too many layers of management. When I was working for Dell, I had a Team Lead, a Manager, a Senior Manager, a Director, a Senior Director, etc. Michael Dell should reduce the management levels.