WD Engineer, Firmware Engineering reviews

Volatile, unstable, and stagnating environment. Employees are often derailed from their career path by management with short-term myopia. Company often lays off reliable, talented and hard working engineers for cost realignment. There is a prevailing culture of apathy and short-term thinking here and at times a lack of real professional engineering standards.

The company itself doesn't care at all about its employees. It tries to emulate a Silicon Valley style without really understanding it at all. The company is slow to adapt to the market, which has caused sliding stock prices and 3 sets of layoffs with more coming. Large perks (good insurance plan, sick days, vacation) have been removed under the guise of "better deals" which are actually considerably worse. We got a ping-pong room, right around the same time they slashed our insurance benefits. It doesn't work that way. Promotions and COLA adjustments are few and far between, unless you actively press your boss about it (this may or may not work depending on your boss). If you're an electrical engineer, the job may or may not be good, I'm not too sure about the market for EEs. However, if you're a CS major you are going to be paid well under average market value. If you get placed in the wrong department, no matter how good you are, you're not going to be appreciated for your work. Frequently decisions seem to be made that benefit the shareholders, not the employees. While this isn't exactly uncommon, it's still a little depressing when you work there. Depending on your department, you might be working 12-hour days. Not because you NEED to, but because you're surrounded by people who do and you'll look bad if you don't.