Oracle – “Huge exposure and resume value, but comes at a 'cost' that employees have to bear.”

Pros

market competitiveness, that translates into arguably one of the best financial performances in the industry, and gives a powerful ability to execute game changing, aggressive strategy. in turn, this also assures a higher degree of job security, specially during times of economic stress. broad scope of business provides an exposure to the enterprise software business that very few others can match. this adds value to the resume. executive management are masters of the game, and the company makes some brilliant strategic moves. it gives employees a ringside view of an organization that is a powerful execution machine. larry ellison, all said and done, is an iconoclastic leader and brilliant strategist. in summary, the best thing about oracle is its commanding position and the way it sustains it, and for employees, the chance to be exposed to it, shape it, participate in it, learn from it.

Cons

they are stingy with employee compensation, and people are expendable commodities. they are prepared to live with mediocrity in employee ranks, because the whole strategy and ethos is based on a top-down command structure, rather than bottoms-up, employee driven performance. Mid and much of senior management are all aligned to serve larry ellison's central command structure, rather than setting high bars for hiring and nurturing motivation and performance. The career planning role of HR is non-existent; they're just administrative drones. There are lots of organization silos, even duplicative functions, who all care about reporting up the command structure rather than work together. All of this also translates into the company being weak at home-grown execution, and has a lack of vision in segments that Larry Ellison is not yet convinced about.

Advice to Senior Management

set a high bar for hiring talent, pay them well, tolerate less mediocrity. Get serious about measuring and incentivising higher performance, specially in non-sales functions.