Technologists vs. Academics while CEO is cosplaying a motivational speaker - Anonymous employee OCLC Employee Review

1.0
Jan 30, 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Nice people. Cafeteria was cheap. Compared to other places, low stress tech environment. Benefits and time off ok

Cons

Oclc needs to figure out if it's an academic institution or a software company. In an academic institution you can get away with paying less , having outdated technology, etc. But you get people, who might know library science but aren't as knowledgeable in tech. So your tech will be behind. But then you should have all this library tech innovation and research. Which has decreased a lot. If you're a software company, tech people need to be at the table and informed about products promised. And paid appropriately. Accountability needs to exist. You can't let people who been there 30 years dictate direction just because they've been there 30 years. Technology is old. On top of old stuff is just a new wrapper. New technology is viewed with suspicion even though it's at least 5 years behind elsewhere. Going back to the office because you spent a lot of money on open concept EVERYONE hates besides the CEO? That won't keep people for long. CEO gets an office while promoting open office concept that's loud and spreads diseases easily is pretty tonedeaf. Maybe someone should challenge Skip to work on the 4th floor for a few months?

Explore other reviews about OCLC

5.0
Jul 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great team and work environment Interesting work day to day Working here feels meaningful

Cons

Compensation can be lower than average

2.0
Jun 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The benefits, particularly the thrift plan, are good for as long as they still exist. The employees are generally smart and caring people.

Cons

Upper management is neither good nor trustworthy. To go into details would most likely violate this website's TOS. Trust them not to tell you the truth, trust them to blame you if they can save themselves for another year. Any stories you've heard about a great place to work are based on old data. That company no longer exists. While layoffs have always been a threat, employees are constantly on edge now and having the CEO tell them if they want to stay on they shouldn't make trouble does not help, to say the least If you get hired here, understand that this cannot be a long term destination. Get your experience, have an exit plan, don't get comfortable and fade into mediocrity because that is your future, and that's if you are lucky. I just want to add that everything the other reviews say about the president is true. He absolutely did mock employee responses to an opinion survey at a town hall.

3
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