Pros: Zillow gets it. The management seems to put a lot of thought into what makes a great workplace and does everything they can to empower their employees to be successful and happy. One thing that always bothered me about previous employers was the lack of internal communication regarding company direction and decision making. I've never once felt like I was in the dark at Zillow, and if something wasn't immediately obvious, I've always had my questions answered honestly. As an engineer, I've always felt like I've had a clear goal and direction, and I've never had to spend time spinning my wheels wondering what I should be doing. Management works hard to unblock things if any hurdles do arise, as long as you're willing to admit when you're having trouble.

Cons: Zillow is a very team-oriented company, so if you're the type that loves personal glory and recognition, you might not do well. Achievements definitely get recognized, but arrogance is massively frowned upon. That's not really a con for most people, but it might be for some.

Pros: Zillow has a spectacular location in a downtown Seattle highrise with a very nice view: http://condodomain.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/zillow-view.gif The laid-back work atmosphere is comparable to many small startups and encourages innovation. The benefits are also competitive, comparable to those offered by much larger companies. There are also lots of cool amenities in the workplace, like: * Air hockey * Ping pong * Xbox 360 * Free soda * Red Bull * A stocked kitchen It can be a very rewarding place to work if you report to the right manager. Most of the employees are friendly, and it is a genuinely fun place to work.

Cons: New managers are not given any sort of training, and can be very ineffective and "sell out" under pressure instead of trying to act in favor of their own employees. Also, requirements for advancement are ambiguously worded, which senior management leverages to avoid giving deserved compensation and recognition. Only the people in high-profile positions will be recognized for their accomplishments. Program Management is totally unstructured, and requirements are often very poorly defined.

Pros: Great environment and culture. Company fosters individual growth. Lots of perks and morale events. Z-speaker series! We've had Arianna Huffington and Vicente Fox come give talks, for example. Transparency. Free snacks, free lunches at the end of the month and on days where there are events. Great work/life balance. Fair, competitive compensation for engineers. Engineering teams are committed to moving forward and fixing issues with both code and process, rather than band-aiding things.

Cons: Growing rapidly, which is great, but things do change a lot. Sometimes it takes a while to catch up to them. Snacks rotate too frequently. Don't get too attached to anything, because it might be gone the next month. Lots of domain knowledge is required to move through the codebase very effectively. This can be a little intimidating for new hires and can extend ramp-up to several months if your work touches multiple areas on the site. Don't feel intimidated to ask someone, though, because we've all been through it, fully understand, and are working to improve it.