Pros

Competitive salaries with the market. A significant number of talented people to work with and learn from. A diverse culture within every department. Great benefits for health and finance.

Cons

Uses the GE philosophies on employee reviews using a bell curve to evaluate and a mandatory number of employees must be in the top range to be promoted and the bottom in a high pressure situation to quit or be fired. The average or core personnel are given the carrot of still getting a bonus, but no promotion or raise. The environment leads to a lot of back stabbing and almost no collaboration between peers who fear giving someone an advantage over them during reviews. One of the most dysfunctional places I have ever worked.

Advice to Senior Management

Jack Welch may have brought GE out of its plight or the economy at a global level did. But using his methods of treatment of employees makes working at Cisco an undesirable and hostile place to work. Jack also believed the nothing but the bottom line mattered. After working at Cisco I can see why other former employees warned me about it being a meat grinder.