Direction and Culture Shifting in Concerning Ways - Engineer II, Cybersecurity CarMax Employee Review

1.0
Feb 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Recognized national brand with strong market presence. Generally supportive and collaborative team environments at the peer level. Exposure to large-scale enterprise systems and complex operational environments.

Cons

Work demands frequently exceed available team capacity, creating sustained pressure without proportional compensation adjustments. Cybersecurity function appears to be losing direction and maturity, with leadership decisions raising concerns about strategic alignment, technical depth, and overall effectiveness. This has led to confusion around priorities and weakened confidence within the team. Multiple workforce reductions in recent years, including back-to-back rounds, have created instability and lowered overall confidence across teams. Career progression pathways lack clarity, and opportunities for advancement can feel limited despite internal messaging about growth. Leadership communication often emphasizes productivity and perseverance, while deeper structural challenges remain unresolved. Strategic direction can feel reactive and subject to change rather than guided by a consistent long-term plan. Employee fatigue is noticeable, and maintaining healthy boundaries between work and personal life has become increasingly difficult. Financial priorities appear focused heavily on cost containment, with less visible investment in talent development and retention. Hybrid expectations are determined at the departmental level and are trending toward increased in-office presence. Long working hours are common in several functions. There are concerns around favoritism in certain hiring decisions at senior levels, where personal relationships appear to influence selection. In some cases, this has resulted in leadership hires who lack the necessary expertise, creating additional strain and frustration for existing team members.

Explore other reviews about CarMax

5.0
May 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You are your own boss

Cons

Slow days can be demotivating.

4.0
Jun 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The perks of working at CarMax are quite extensive. Associates are offered an aggressive 401k program, Stock Purchasing Plan, in store discounts on sales and service, access to the CarMax Wholesale system, excellent healthcare, plenty of PTO, and at my location we are given as much OT as we want. My coworkers are generally good people, that I enjoy being able to work along side day in and day out. Management is very understanding in regards to calling out sick family emergencies, and schedule requests.

Cons

Despite doing the work of 5 people, and very politely asking for a raise management will not give me more than my 3% annual raise which is the single biggest let down. The bonus change of 2025 being labeled as "exciting" was straight corporate gaslighting unlike anything I've ever seen. Since the start of 2026, as of this review being written we have lost 7 associates largely due to pay, and I am soon to join those associates. Management from the store level up to corporate needs to understand that to retain their top performers they need to be compensated like a top performer. Some members of management are cliquey and moody which is very frustrating to deal with. Quality of Management varies wildly from store to store as well

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All