France Telecom Reviews

Pros

It is still a great company to work for, a lot of investment in R&D has been done over the last 5 years and it looks great on a resume.

Cons

The excessive number of management levels often cripples the decision-taking process, sometimes you also see the beginning of a prject without ever knowing how (or if or when) it ends.

Advice to Senior Management

Management should definitely listen more to the skilled workers and people who know the job instead of pushing decisions. However a lot has been done for improvement lately.

Pros

Organizational structure allows for easy movement between positions and collaboration with co-workers at any level. Pay increases with level of education/experience. Lots of vacation time, fun people, relaxed atmosphere.

Cons

As in any company, there will be some employees who don't find it necessary to do their job. Though this is not FT's fault, the company wasn't very proactive about turning the work habits of those individuals into productivity.

Advice to Senior Management

Be stricter with those who don't contribute. It's not fair to those who DO to see the slackers get away with it!

Pros

When I was there, there were some real opportunities identified. I undertand they are out of the product dev business in that lab - and are just M&A'ing. Putzers I call them. Too much time going to conferences, speaking, making speeches, watching what others are doing, and trying to duplicate the successes of lean startups. The conservatism of the otherwise very bright and well trained Indian management was potentially well synergized with the loud and outspoken Jewish Analysts, of which I was a contractor.

Cons

They R&D lab management would not see a real leading edge opportunity if you rubbed their faces in it. The culture of following the real valley risk takers was as toxic as arsenic on Gateway blvd.

That kind of a do-nothing management in a leading telecom is a shame, a dirty shame. I understand however that FT's boston lab is pretty good.

Advice to Senior Management

Guys, take your analysts at least seriously enough to walk through the assumed market adjudications. You don't have to take everything on faith, but following every new startup idea that gets a 2M seed round is not becoming for a global player - FT needed at that time, a global strategy for B2B commerce.

Pros

worked in an open env with interesting people

Cons

too many absence among workers

Advice to Senior Management

good work

Pros

Interesting industry
Large customer base and leverage in the market

Cons

Difficult communication across geographic teams/cultures
Slow decision making process
Lack of clear corporate strategy

Advice to Senior Management

More decentralized decisions

Pros

FT in North America was a great place to work because management really seemed to be appreciative of the talent that they had on board.

Cons

While FT in North America, New York office was a really wonderful place to work, unfortunately, the New York office has closed. Too bad!

Advice to Senior Management

FT in North America was a really, really great place to work. At some point in the future, it could make sense to reconsider re-opening a New York office.

Pros

A lot of time for doing personal tasks. The social benefits are good and it was placed close to my home.

Cons

I got bored easily and the coworkers were annoyed. The managers did not know how to manage the talent and people

Advice to Senior Management

Nothing to say, you should focus on person rather than projects. Peoples is bla in the middle of the night so long

Pros

employee benefits - personal life friendly environment
wide range of opportunities
interesting and competent people

Cons

difficult to graps to big picture
importance of office politics
weak leadership culture

Advice to Senior Management

strengthen middle management layer

Pros

Work on cutting edge technology
Good work environment
Good benefits
Reasonable work life balance

Cons

Deal with extreme politics
Slow moving
Lack of communication

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to employees
Improve internal communication
Engage employees

Pros

Working in a small, detached office, management flows faster and smoother.
There is a lot of understanding for personal issues.
My manager in particular really understand technical issues, making everything easier to do.
Very focused on innovation.

Cons

Slow decision making on high level.
Everyone wants to be a manager, without focusing on "getting hands dirty" to really grasp technology.
Fear into embracing new and innovative ideas, while professing a fake culture of innovation.

Advice to Senior Management

Just stop pretending being an innovative company and admit that you are a follower of what other companies do.