Microsoft

• Good benefits overall.
• There are still a lot of smart people around.
• Freedom to move within the company every two years.

• Politics and more politics. Decisions are made based on how well you build your relationship with upper management rather than how smart you are.
• The work itself will not get recognized.
• Re-orgs: I have never seen a company having a massive re-org every year. The vision keeps changing, goals are reset. It is very bad overall for the product.
• Agile product development is missing.
• Still using old and stale technology for product development, like for source control and bug management.

I think managers need to start thinking differently. The reasons which made Microsoft such a successful company are no longer valid.

It is a very competitive world out there, and everyone has to change.

Also, there is a need to embrace third-party/open-source tools. Support innovation.