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Engineering is a career dead-end

Software Engineer
Current Employee
Has worked at Handshake for 4 years
December 19, 2023
1.0
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDoesn't Approve of CEO
Pros

Full commitment to remote work. Pay is competitive.

Cons

The reviews don't lie. There has been a massive negative shift in the company's culture throughout 2023, starting with the performance-based layoffs at the beginning of the year.

Internal company surveys also reflect the sentiment; employee confidence and pride in the company have tanked. No action has been taken by leadership to change this.

The engineering organization has been in disarray ever since the surprise Fall 2022 re-org, and re-orgs are now regularly happening every six months. Like your team or what you're working on? Don't get too attached; soon enough you'll be on a new team in a new product area that nobody is familiar with, with no training. Teams are disbanded with no thought put into maintaining the domain knowledge of the team members, and documentation is nonexistent.

Collaboration is starting to break down, no doubt due to the company's "performance culture" and focus on individual impact above all else. Tribalism is becoming common, where other teams will try to put a stop to any work that crosses into their domain, regardless of project priorities.

Worst of all are the performance reviews. First of all, it takes months to even receive your reviews. By the time you do, you're already a third of the way into the next cycle. Then there are the reviews themselves, and despite the supposed culture, performance is not rewarded. The most minor of missteps will be used against you to knock down your review score, even if they were due to factors outside of your control. It's also a common theme that negative feedback is not regularly shared by managers, so negative reviews come as a complete surprise.

Additional Ratings

Work/Life Balance
3.0
Culture and Values
1.0
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
2.0
Career Opportunities
1.0
Compensation and Benefits
4.0
Senior Management
1.0

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