NetApp

NetApp has great benefits (ESPP, 401K, Healthcare, Bonus, Stock grants) and has nice traditions, with weekly beer bash events on Fridays. Most of the people there are very genuine and awesome to work with.

Layoffs occur every Spring (3 in the last 2 years) and more layoffs are anticipated if NetApp does not exhibit growth in the next 6 months, which is all but certain.

HR forces managers to align ratings based on a scale, assuring that a specific percentage falls into each category. If you deserve the highest rating, you may not get it if too many others did great work that year. You will be dropped to the next rating, which means less money, not to mention you are not getting the rating you deserve. The same problem exists at the bottom, where engineers are forced into the "needs improvement" category to satisfy an antiquated bell curve for rating distribution.

Sr. Management takes care of the chosen ones they worked with prior to NetApp. If you are not one of these special cases, your career is almost certain to go nowhere.

Decision-making is based on consensus across the broad organization at NetApp. It is very difficult to innovate and drive new content into Data ONTAP in a timely fashion for the customers.

cDOT is way too complex, and customers are reluctant to take the plunge. NetApp just got rid of the bulk of its support staff in the US and now has to hire and train new support in India. This should bode well in convincing companies to adopt cDOT. :(

This is not the same NetApp it was 10 years ago.

My money is on us being acquired within 6-9 months.

Open your eyes. Listen to your employees. Listen to your customers.