Cisco Systems Reviews in San Jose, CA Area

Pros

Flexible work hours, Cisco brand name, ability to move around within the company

Cons

No career growth, very competitive culture (specially in the BU world), too many instated policies limiting your mobility from a career perspective.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue consolidating, simplifying the partner Cisco relationship and internal processes to enable faster TTM and beat the competition.

 Identify/retain talent and eliminate all ridiculous policies instated disabling your employees from growing.

Pros

good hands on with latest technology
learning opportunities
experience
stable company
reputation of Cisco
working with some highly skilled individuals

Cons

corporate structure and ideology - you either accept it or hate it
san jose is a dullest place on earth

Advice to Senior Management

More focus on your core products and technologies
Better marketing
Hire young people, Cisco is pretty old at it's core

Pros

* Working from home available with most managers

Cons

* Promotions/recognitions happens to small circle of 'insiders'. Even though this might be case in many other companies, in cisco - the criteria/condition needed to getting in that circle is neither clear nor transparent.
* Absolutely clueless management - Engineering as well as Personnel wise. Both middle (sr. mgr) and upper middle (director/vp)
* salary increase - Forget about getting even an inflation adjustment. Effectively, your salary (in real terms) keeps reducing.
* Huge crowd in which you will get lost. Diversity Issue.

Advice to Senior Management

None

Pros

Work from home, can leave on time, lots of social activities, a work and personal life balance, very structured company.

Cons

Projects involve way too many people which resulted inefficiency. Take too long to agree on solution and sign off documents.

Pros

The flexibility to work from home.
Worked with some really talented people.
Lots of training/education
Good pay for contractors

Cons

As a contractor - I observed a lot of office politics! Communications group puts way to many senseless ppt presentations together and redundant forms of communication. Not even sure if people are listening or awake during large webex meetings - dead silence during Q&A's. I was never een sure what exec management team actually did. For those that have worked there a long time, which seemed like alot of people, they are stuck in a rut and aren't open to anything new and do it they way it's always been done. The virtuall office (McCarthy Ranch) can't really be utilized by contractors - squatters take over the spaces that are supposed to be open to all.

Advice to Senior Management

With so many employees/contractors working offsite, need to somehow encourage more of a sense of community. From what I heard, Cisco used to have that team spirit. Hire more people as opposed to so many contractors.

Pros

high pay (especially in years when profit-sharing bonus is high)

Cons

many groups are highly political
lots of deadwood
bureaucratic

Pros

Company has pot of cash;

Cons

Too much politics in the environment; Favors offshore model and takes away US jobs;

Advice to Senior Management

Please stop moving Jobs outside USA;

Pros

Good work life balance
Work from home facility
Benefits plan is best compared to other companies
Good place for someone who just wants a secure job.
Exceptionally good bonus which compensates for less base salary.

Cons

Big company - less exposure
Compensation lower as compared to competitors
Slow individual growth.
Not much scope for innovation in certain groups.
Less recognition of good work.

Pros

It is a big company.

Cons

Management and people at the highest levels are not quality decision makers. There is a great deal of fear and silence to keep your job. If you speak up or try to fix issues you are not supported.

Advice to Senior Management

Read more management books. Need more team work and support, less internal competition.

Pros

work life balance, great benefits, for the most part great people to work with, work remotely full time

Cons

no more perks, pay for your cell even though its work related, pay for internet even though you use it to for work, promotions in IT come every 4-5 years, salary and grade levels not at market rate, huge bureaucracy and too heavily process oriented in IT makes it difficult to complete projects in a shorter time

Advice to Senior Management

provide career advancement every 2-3 years and promote the good and great workers. stock options or RSU's not worth it, so give more bonuses and promotions