Pros
AMD is constantly looking for new ways to compete with Intel. It is this rivalry that pushes innovation and product quality, pushing everyone to think creatively about how to do more with much less resources than Intel. AMD is extremely family friendly. All of my managers supported taking time off for family or health reasons, and though the culture is to push through it, this is considered to be above and beyond expectations. Working from home is perfectly acceptable, and everyone assumes you're reachable on your company-provided cell phone if you're out of the office.
Cons
Since the departure of founder Jerry Sanders, AMD has been wandering aimlessly for the next innovation. Customer satisfaction is important at the time of sale and after the sale, but no/little thought is given to what the customer will want when the products are being designed. The term "customer-centric innovation" that Hector Ruiz pushed for so many years has nothing to do with innovation around the product (AMD acquires companies with good ideas, it does not have an R&D of its own). Even after the sale, software that supports the product is a necessary expenditure that is minimized. AMD has lost its crown as the leading processor innovator and speed king, and has never understood that it has a role in developing hardware+software solutions that will create demand for processor products. Though it is possible to be promoted to team lead or manager with enough effort, director and above titled open positions are almost always filled from the outside by someone with experience working with that title. Despite all of the HR promises about reviewing the skill set of employees, continuing education to develop the skills of employees, and the value placed on employees' work, AMD does not value its employees and treats them as a necessary expenditure: * Medical benefits are structured to minimize costs to providers and waste as much of the employee's time as possible (e.g. blood tests can not be performed in any doctor's office, and the insurance company will have the employee paying a significant percentage of the costs). * IT continuously seeks excuses not to fix your equipment. * Sabbticals are a privilege, not a right, and may be postponed as long as it takes to achieve profitability but non-profitability does not affect executives' bonuses. * Administrators are for department directors and above. Everyone is expected to: - book their own travel - fill out their own expense reports - look through the catalog of office supplies, though the director's admin will obtain director's approval to buy office supplies. * Coffee and tea are free but vending machines and cafeteria are expensive. * If you're there long enough, their outsourced employee recognition vendor may send you a catalog of AMD-logoed junk to select from (for 5 years of service, I picked the watch with gold trim which came with a note warning that it is not water resistent). Directors and above have certain privileges that make working harder (to get the coveted rank) desirable... until you understand that directors are hired from the outside. The concept of "management by walking around" is completely foreign in this culture. Instead, AMD has a culture of maximizing required approvals, forms, and meetings for Managers, Directors and the various Vice President ranks (VP, Corporate VP, Senior VP, Executive VP) segregating managers from their direct reports. Executives are members of an elite club with special privileges including access to the corporate jet, access to in-house IT, and exclusive meeting rooms. Management style is typically "manage by fad" and changes every 9 months.
