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Mixed Bag - Software Engineer VMware Employee Review

3.0
6 Dec 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

* Diversity among BUs in terms of the projects and technology focus with some cutting edge stuff happening * Company is really transforming, history has shown that technology companies that rest on their laurels quickly crash and burn. Based on what is happening in VMware I'm pretty sure VMware won't be one of them * Decent benefits and salary, RSU grants have really gone hill though, pretty disappointing

Cons

As much as VMware has been transforming technology wise, they still fail to address a lot of the toxicity in the management chain and culture It is still very much about who you know, kissing up, not rocking the boat and conforming. The hierarchy is also complex making transparency difficult , there are people who I would say can get away with socializing and not doing much work which can have a severe impact on the morale of those who do it Then there are the talkers, those who are put in lead positions which actually shouldn't be as they know very little about the projects they are leading yet they will be loud and argumentative often at times making incorrect and sometimes foolish claims but they do it in front of management who just think they are correct because the management doesn't know any better And the last point is that is now mostly Indian, I don't know what breakdown is in terms of the engineering workforce but given what I see I wouldn't be surprised if it was like 80% or something. Now I have had many Indian coworkers over the years some of them good, some of them bad. But the disproportion at VMware especially in cases where one knows somebody from their home province pulls them over and sets them up in a high level position when they are basically equivalent to a new grad just adds to the toxicity

Explore other reviews about VMware

5.0
24 Jun 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

VMware is a big company but in many ways had a startup vibe. That was great because the resources and infrastructure of a big company were there, but it gave most people I worked with freedom to work on many projects, influence, move around, and contribute in many ways. Plus, many things moved faster than they might at other companies of the same size. Perks were really great including bonuses, events on the campus, opportunities, etc.

Cons

The biggest con is the annual layoff. During most of the years I was there, we were growing like crazy, beating expectations, gaining in stock price, etc. It was always positive and upward. However, every single January, it was known that there would be a round of layoffs, even when all numbers were looking great as they almost always were. Management called it restructuring. But, over the years, some really good people were let go for no apparent reason. Then to add insult to injury, a week or two later, there would be a company quarterly meeting discussing how VMware was doing so well and is still hiring, but they had to make some changes. It always felt dishonest and the sympathy for those let go came across as disingenuous.

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