Netflix

Higher than market salary Free lunches Unlimited PTO

Fear-based, highly competitive culture, driven by upper management.

Mid-management is forced to follow suit, otherwise it will be their job on the line.

Everyone is under pressure to deliver, but nobody provides guidance as to what is expected. If you're a superstar, you're supposed to figure it out on your own.

Zero tolerance to even small mistakes – you're expected to work as a perfect robot. If you make a mistake, you're out immediately, with no chance for correction.

Zero communication about your performance; it is all up to management to decide how you're doing. So, you don't know whether you made or are making mistakes.

Project management does not exist, hence no planning is happening, just loose email exchanges.

You don't feel like part of the team. There are virtually no teams, just people trying to prove something and keep their jobs.

As a result, many decisions are short-sighted since they provide immediate credit. Long-term decisions are usually on the back burner until all of a sudden they become critical, and then it is all hands on deck.

You're expected to work long hours and weekends on a regular basis.

Basically, if you accepted an offer, you are owned by Netflix.

Documentation is non-existent; people are secretive about knowledge transfer.

All in all, Netflix's motto 'Freedom comes with Responsibility' turns into the situation where the company has freedom to do whatever it wants, and employees have all the responsibilities.

Trust and respect people. The fact that you pay high salaries and provide unlimited PTO does not mean that you own people's lives. Give people freedom for mistakes, at least one. One mistake means nothing, especially in the first year of employment. Encourage planning.