Run Away - Software Engineer II The Home Depot Employee Review

1.0
Mar 21, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

None really. There's free food around the building sometimes if you get there before the other two dozen people going for it

Cons

Most toxic place I have ever worked. First off, their main metric for productivity on my team was "butts in seats". So no matter how much work you got done, you were expected to be in your seat from 9 am sharp, until 6:30pm, with an hour lunch that better not go a minute outside of 12-1. My manager once told me this was because "if my boss walks through and sees that nobody is here, they'll think no work is getting done." Other teams at THD measure productivity by Lines of Code, widely regarded as the stupidest possible productivity metric for software development. As expected, this results in really bad, intentionally drawn-out code. Management also uses gaslighting and fear to keep employees in check. At the time I got hired by THD, they were rebranding their corporate imagine and saying they were now a "silicon valley tech company". This was because they had garnered a reputation around Atlanta for being a developer sweat shop and treating their corporate employees terribly. The rebranding was a lie. They were still the same company. A couple months into my tenure at THD, they laid off ALL of their contractors (hundreds, most of whom were recently hired and many of whom were on visas and had to leave the country because of the sudden layoffs), because they didn't meet their earnings goals, EVEN THOUGH they plainly said this was due to inclement weather that year, and they had made more money that year than they ever had previously. They did it with a clear message of "work hard or you might be next". The team that I was on was half local and half in another city. The team in the other city seemed to think that if they didn't "beat us" then they might get cut (a mentality that was, no doubt, handed down by the awful, toxic management at THD, that you will find all throughout the company at the corporate level). This created an environment of ANTI-collaboration. Teammates would actually withhold information privately, and then share it demeaning-ly in meetings, holding up development for the sake of looking like the better employee. We even had meetings that exploded into name-calling between the two teams. Everyone I know who still works for this company is miserable and trying to get out. I got out as fast as I could. I've worked at a handful of places. Some decent, some great. But THD is the only place I've worked that I would call TOXIC, and I still can't believe how terrible and childish the culture was. I would not recommend working here to my worst enemy.

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5.0
Apr 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Good management team. They really care about the employees

Cons

Sometimes it’s long hours and not enough pay.

5.0
Apr 24, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The Home Depot has a solid moral compass. They aren't about sacrificing their ethics for the sake of a sale, which I love. They also hire a diverse group of people and give a lot back to the community. They offer a lot of benefits and little treats for their employees. Although they push their associates to meet quota, they're realistic about what can and can't be accomplished.

Cons

Home Depot has two different sides to it. Store associates and those of us considered "store support" who are payed by the vendors but work in the stores 100% of the time. I constantly hear about how store associates are stressed out by management and their hours are being rearranged a lot, cut, and they often are stretched thin due to lack of full staffing. "Store support" associates who do merchandising have it better than those who work in specific departments. However, you never really gain knowledge unless you have the time to look things up and read packaging.

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The Home Depot Response
10y
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. From the top down, the key to business at The Home Depot is our commitment to not only customer service, but to our associates. Because taking care of associates is one of our core values, we’re always looking for ways to ensure our associates have equal access to growth and development opportunities. We strive to provide an environment where associates feel they’re valued, treated fairly and respected.
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