Google

Great perks (especially the gyms, food, and 401(k) match), smart and knowledgeable colleagues who share information, and varied technologies and projects.

Google is bureaucratic and consensus-driven. If you have bad news, an unusual idea, or background, you will be ignored or worse. Management is selected for technical skill and not even a little bit for leadership, organizational, or interpersonal skills. Promotion and evaluation procedures sap motivation, discourage collaboration, and waste time. Mountain View offices are severely overcrowded (bathrooms, parking, desk space, conference rooms).

Two clear signs that Google is on a slow decline:

(1) a culture that rejects bad news and outside ideas, and (2) a single technology answer for everything (AI) instead of looking at what serves users, publishers, and advertisers best.

Learn what motivates employees and other stakeholders.