IBM

Work-life balance, depending on position/location. Opportunity for continuing education. Brand recognition on resume, arguably less valuable than it used to be.

I have worked for IBM, as well as other small and large employers. I have always received good reviews, and I have had good relationships with my managers and colleagues at IBM. I mention that just because I don't want to give the impression that I am just a pissed off employee who got a bad review from a manager.

Having said that, do NOT come to IBM circa 2014 unless it is your last resort. This is a horribly mismanaged company right now which does not care for its employees anymore.

Hear me out:

IBM has been run for years now by self-serving executives that are hell-bent on serving their own wallets and Wall St first and foremost, even at the cost of IBM business, talent retention, etc.

IBM has sunk more than $100,000 PER EMPLOYEE into stock buybacks in the past few years alone while:

• Eliminating bonuses for most, including top performers (I have never had worse than the second-best rating at IBM in six years, and there have been multiple years that I received no bonus, including this year)
• Minimizing salary increases for most, including top performers (Ex. a typical raise for me at IBM has been 1%/yr vs. about 8%/yr outside of IBM)
• Delaying 401(K) match contributions to a lump sum at the end of the year (This cost me $800 in compound interest last year alone, and will be many thousands of dollars in loss by the time I retire, ya know...to help IBM meet its numbers)
• Declining health and retirement benefits
• Declining patent rewards and other awards
• Awarding millions upon millions of zero-cost options to executives

Compensation aside, there are so many troubling things happening:

• Financial engineering to meet ridiculous commitments to investors
• No effort to retain top employee talent, which has been exiting in droves (in part, for much, much better compensation or benefits)
• Almost no organic growth -- most growth now comes from acquisitions, which IBM uses up and mismanages until they are no longer needed or die on the vine (Check the financial reports if you aren't convinced)
• Massive outsourcing (if you are US-based) to lower-cost, lower-quality resources
• A management team with very little track record of engineering success, unlike other successful companies that I have worked for
• Outdated 1-5 grading scale for employees, with forced quotas that unfairly rank/review contributing team members -- incidentally, smarter companies have abandoned this style.
• Remarkably poor morale
• Layoffs that do not necessarily target the most underperforming employees (Ex. great contractors are often let go first)
• Arrogance from the top
• Little executive accountability and poor leadership
• Soooo much bureaucracy day to day at all levels

IBM is not the best place to work or the place that everybody wants to work. It used to be that way, but sadly I'd rather be an investor in IBM than an employee in IBM.

I would strongly recommend anybody considering working at IBM to do their homework on this company in advance. Check the employee comments and blogs, including IBM Alliance.

IBM needs to be turned upside down by executives that can demonstrate some real selfless leadership. IBM's employees need to be put ahead of IBM's shareholders again.

Quit the financial engineering and self-serving BS, and get this iconic company back on track.

Work to attract the best talent, and work to keep that talent. Promote that talent and hold it accountable. Great things can happen that way.

I have seen it elsewhere -- and so have my colleagues, fortunate enough to see this recent train wreck coming and leave for much greener pastures. I believe IBM can bounce back in the long run, but sadly I am not optimistic that this executive team can have any part in such a turnaround.