Microsoft

If you're a fan of Microsoft products, there's no better place to use the latest technology. Depending on your group, you may be using products that aren't even available to the general public.

There isn't a single best way of doing things at Microsoft, so each organization is free to develop its own best practices. From a career perspective, changing groups is like changing companies without having to start earning vacation again.

The privacy policies are top-notch. I have a lot of faith in my employer doing the right thing with a customer's personal data (even when I'm the customer) because I've been a part of so many reviews where privacy is highlighted as one of the most important things.

Too many fiefdoms: Microsoft was once a place where the best technical solution would win the day. There was time to argue the best way of implementing a feature.

There are some important people around with delicate egos. Say the wrong thing, and they will go out of their way to put in a bad word at review time.

Easy to get stuck in the wrong role: I've witnessed people getting dropped in the wrong role after a reorganization. If you haven't been in your current role for 12-18 months, you could get stuck in an area that's outside your specialization. Come review time, that could mean a black mark on your review or the end of your job.

1. Get rid of stack ranking.
2. A good technical person does not automatically mean a good lead.
3. Put more weight into MSPoll. If you've seen entire groups flee when a bad manager came in, figure out who those people are and don't allow them to become leads. A bad manager should not be allowed to become a manager of another group after they've messed up the previous one.