IBM

Be there, write documentation, attend meetings, and gradually become a manager.

1. The only way to survive in this environment seemed to be through insincere flattery. Employees who engaged in excessive praise and agreement with management – 'buttering up' – were the ones who managed to stay and progress, regardless of their actual performance or contributions.

2. Many managers have been with the company for 15-17+ years, which has led to entrenched practices that can be challenging for new employees. Such long tenures in the same roles often indicate limited growth opportunities within the organization.

3. I am asking you to tell me if you stay this long in one company, will there be growth? Of course, no. So, take your decision wisely. I will say get the job and negotiate with other employees, then ditch this.

4. My experience with this employer was extremely challenging. The work environment was psychologically taxing, with constant pressure and unreasonable demands that negatively impacted my mental well-being.

5. A major issue was the intense pager duty schedule. Every team member was required to be on call 24/7 for a full week, rotating among team members. This led to frequent disruptions, including calls at 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM. Despite these intrusions into personal time, management refused to approve overtime on timesheets, dismissing concerns with, 'This is your job.'

6. The company's leave policy was equally problematic, as employees were not compensated for time off, even when entitled to it. Management practices were questionable, leading to low morale among staff. Managers Rohit Baweja, Deepa, Anand, and Sarat, in particular, were known for their excessive micromanagement, which stifled creativity and autonomy.

7. When discussing workload or seeking recognition, the common response from managers was, 'This is your job. What have you done extra, above and beyond your job role?' This approach failed to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of employees who consistently met their responsibilities, often at the expense of their personal lives.

8. The hostile atmosphere extended to daily communications. If employees were away briefly, they'd receive messages like, 'Friday is not a holiday. Are you all sleeping? Does she need to send constant reminders to get this done?'

• Identify and acknowledge employees who are actively coding, testing, and solving technical problems. • Implement a fair system to recognize and reward those doing the actual development work. Kindly note, checkpoints have been removed. Nice, no? • Reduce unnecessary bureaucratic layers that hinder productivity. • Create direct channels for technical staff to influence decision-making processes. • Balance the input of management with that of the technical team members when setting project goals and timelines. • Provide opportunities for technical staff to present their work and innovations to upper management. • Ensure that performance evaluations heavily weigh tangible contributions to projects and codebase. • Foster a culture where technical problem-solving skills are as valued as management skills.