IBM

I can't speak for most IBM offices, as I've heard that your IBM experience depends on the culture of your office and how good your managers are at shielding you from all the process and bureaucracy. In that respect, I have nothing but admiration for my managers. My coworkers were also great. We were an acquisition, so we fought to keep our culture, with more success than I anticipated.

Also:

• There are very smart people at IBM; you just have to know where to look, as nothing is easy to find.
• There is relatively easy access to IBM software, if you need it. The flip side is you have to fight very hard to be able to use non-IBM software if they decide there is an "equivalent" tool made by IBM.

Many random-seeming decisions, including layoffs, lack of reinvestment in the group, and overburdening the remaining employees with everyone else's work.

Benefits are not good.

There's a seemingly arbitrary review process that is clearly more political than merit-based.

The higher-ups still seem to think that offshoring is a good idea.

Be good to your employees. Don't treat them like replaceable cogs. Most can get a job somewhere else. You should give them reasons to stay instead of hoping they leave and then hiring a fresh graduate for much less money and expecting them to perform immediately just as well.

Also, giving yourselves bonuses for laying off hard-working employees looks really bad.