Pros: Optiver is very intentional about fit. This means that employees find themselves in positions and working on projects where they are adding the most value. Optiver invests trust in people. This means that you are trusted to be honest and open, and you can trust that you can use your strengths. Optiver conducts itself with integrity. I can trust that we'll "do the right thing". Whilst that might mean that we don't participate in profitable activities that others might, it gives me confidence that we will continue to invest ourselves in trading activities that add value to the market, and that Optiver will continue to be sustainably and ethically profitable. Optiver provides a number of benefits to its employees: * CTA/metra pass * weekly massage * meals * snacks * facilities (games room, gym in building with trivial initiation fee) * 401k match * great health insurance * social opportunities.

Cons: Optiver is a reasonably small company with a flat structure. This is great for some, but for others who have a high need for boundaries, structure, and procedure, it might not be an ideal environment. Optiver can move slowly at times, being intentional about "new" things. They thoroughly think about whether new activities add market value, are compliant, and have well-understood risks and rewards. Some won't be accustomed to this and potentially find it frustrating.

Pros: Good food and large bonuses

Cons: Extremely political. The majority of where you must spend your time to survive at Optiver is politics. If you do not, you will be eaten by others that do. Management has zero interest in dissuading this behavior. Watch your commits, as large pieces of work will be quietly re-based into other developers' names. This is not by accident, as you'll start hearing word back that they're bragging about having written the code. Poor management promotes the worst people to management roles after seeing their own negative traits in them. Management is also gifted to long-term employees who cannot keep up with the technical work anymore. These managers all review each other, ensuring the quality stays low, as poor management has the majority and removes anyone that doesn't have the negative traits they hold up as ideal.

Pros: There are some really nice and smart people. Work can be interesting. Having a barista on-site is quite nice.

Cons: Shame those nice people are not in a position to make change. Optiver used to be a nice place to work. Then management and HR decided that people could be more productive if they were told that everything they do can be better or done faster. A toxic culture of blame. People become withdrawn due to the excessive load and expectations. Some teams are worse than others. If someone decides a person should go, they will be bullied out of the company using a performance improvement program. If you are going through hiring, make sure to ask for a proper base salary, since your bonus depends on your rating, and that is at the mercy of management.