IBM reviews

IBM no longer has respect for the individual. Employees are treated as commodities. Benefits have eroded and IBM no longer pays market for their skills. Some items that are touted as benefits (such as tuition reimbursement) are not available for the employee population at large. IBM used to have a pretty good bonus program (variable pay) but the percentages have tumbled even as the stock has risen to a 7 year high. IBM touts itself as a company that supports work-life balance, but the truth of the matter is that they've laid off so many people that the folks that are left (that haven't been reclassified as non-exempt workers) are forced to work more hours to get the same job done. Also, IBM lags other companies in their own leveraging of technology. My advice: if you have a comparable offer elsewhere, take it. If you work for IBM in the US and haven't already been offshored, it's just a matter of time. IBM is so process-heavy that it can't get out of it's own way. People in IBM use the "process" to avoid doing the right thing for the customer. Way too much red tape for my taste and the customer always takes a back seat to whatever IBM's pet program is at the time.

Tom Watson, Junior and Senior, are probably rolling over in their graves. Retention appears to be low in that young, smart, talented people put in a couple of years, gain experience and a nice entry on their resume, then leave.