VMware Staff Technical Program Manager reviews

Back-stabbing is unbelieveable. Mostly from the 'entrenched' employees (5+ years at the company). People literally go to your manager and complain about things they easily could handle directly with you. Some managers seem to enjoy sharing this with you and thus getting themselves in the middle of a grade school spat. My former manager was classic "queen bee" type. Gossipy and evil. Current one seems to enjoy drama too, though is a nicer person. Has a second-in-command that runs the show to his own liking, literally adding and subtracting people from the group meeting calendar on a weekly basis depending on whether he's ticked off at you or not. This is NOT the place to start a career, nor the place to advance in mid-career. If you're at the end of your career, have a thick skin, and don't give a flip about anything but the salary, come on in.

If you're in one of the not-so-good groups, it is like living in a tribe of primitives from 10,000 B.C. Strong personalities set the direction. Whoever yells loudest, throws the most effective tantrum, or interrupts the most, that's who sets direction. Managers talk smack about other employees during your 1:1 (backstabbing anyone?). It feels like middle school with the people who suck up to the manager getting the promotions. Anyone who thinks for himself is shunned. Individual contributors are simultaneously told to "think for yourself" and "follow the conventions". Managers meddle in individual contributor work while ignoring their own managerial work. Performance reviews are late and without constructive input. No one knows why they got the bonus (or lack of) they got. Abuse of manager power can be epic.