Intel

Intel handled the pandemic amazingly. Work-from-home options were easy to set up (unless you're a technician). Employees felt very supported and secure.

Intel has a strong work culture of being paranoid that consistently works against it. Intel HR policies and management promote this culture of paranoia in every employee. There is too much overthinking on plans that never happen, to the point where questioning a project seems irrelevant. The attitude towards customers and competitors is often arrogant.

Pre-pandemic, the culture remained reliant on cube culture, and no one dared to pack up to leave before 5 p.m. Post-pandemic, the cube culture has dissipated, BUT management is increasingly trying to get employees back in the office through passive-aggressive actions, such as holding on-site only meetings.

There's very little camaraderie within departments, and this has a disheartening effect on employees over time. The work culture is confrontational and harsh.

Lots of pressure on engineers to solve problems with very little training. The work pace is fast and high-stress. It's mostly an ethnocentric workforce, which is great for diversity but ultimately hurts culture through the social cliques it forms and creates massive divides within groups. You are pitted against your team members, as there is a culture of usurping your colleagues' work.

Expectation of attending meetings at ridiculous hours. Some of the worst managers I ever had.

Do better, Intel.

Get rid of the managers that breed a stressful work culture.