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Novel Work, Toxic Culture

Software Engineer-II
Current Employee
Has worked at Microsoft for 6 years
November 4, 2025
Redmond, Washington
2.0
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDoesn't Approve of CEO
Pros

Name recognition, Good coworkers, Novel problems to solve

Cons

Culture is continually getting worse:

  • Recurring layoffs
  • Return of stack ranking
  • Losing our best engineers to better-paying jobs because Microsoft has failed to keep the deal (Lower Pay == Work-Life Balance)
Advice to Management

Focus more on retaining talent, pay more, and stop putting every egg in the generative AI basket.

Additional Ratings

Work/Life Balance
3.0
Culture and Values
2.0
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
3.0
Career Opportunities
3.0
Compensation and Benefits
2.0
Senior Management
1.0

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