IBM Reviews in London, UK Area

Pros

Immensely proud of the achievements shown in the 100x100 Centennial film (you should watch it if you work in IT).

Cons

Feels like it's peaked - I've been here 10 years and the level of morale has never been lower, mostly down to petty penny pinching when all around there are bigger problems ignored.

The PBC system is demoralising & most people I know are looking around to what's available due to the constant cost-cutting and lack of payrises - once your joining salary is set you fall steadily further behind the outside world as each year passes.

Advice to Senior Management

Scrap the unfair and divisive PBC system, better share the profit created by the employees for the shareholders.

Pros

1. Good work life balance
2. Great brand name
3. Lot of options to move
4. Work freedom
5. Innovation is allowed

Cons

1. Disconnected management
2. Less responsibility
3. No clear understanding/segregation of duties
4. Numerous procedures
5. Software products not organised or optimised for work.

Advice to Senior Management

Please do case studies with other companies. Not with giant companies but with medium sized ones. Split IBM departments as mid sized companies

Pros

If you like being in a civil service environment.

Cons

Too many chiefs not enough Indians

Advice to Senior Management

Strip out management layers

Pros

The calibre of the people is extremely high
The company's name ensures access to clients
Work-life balance (e.g. working from home is routine, etc) is a big plus

Cons

Salaries are low, especially if you've been there for any period of time
Commission payouts poor.

Pros

- nice people
- stable company
- good education (if approved)
- great work/life balance and flexibility
- huge variety of roles

Cons

- slow (processes, processes, processes)!
- nobody is responsible (complex matrix structure)
- it doesn't matter whether you give 50% or 150%, your feedback is always "ok"
- bureaucratic
- ridiculously low pay
- incredibly stingy (no phone, no xmas drinks, no nothing)...

Advice to Senior Management

Do more to motivate people and to keep the good ones. Try and get rid of excess bureaucracy... stay in control of cost, but don't stifle your high performers!

Pros

The brand and structure of working in such a massive organisation. Job security was great. There was also a broad graduate community

Cons

In my time there, promises were left unsatisfied and often there was little choice in the project you were sent to

Advice to Senior Management

Strategy for pay review should always start with the existing employees especially at graduate level. Otherwise you will have many unhappy employees.

Pros

Flexible working
I work with a great team

Cons

Salaries and Career progression - very poor.
They spend all there money bringing in new people and dont reward the people they already have.

Advice to Senior Management

Promote from within and reward your teams.

Pros

Their is substantial growth within the Company

Cons

Maybe ask to work extra hours

Advice to Senior Management

hold more team meeting

Pros

Access to resources, including knowledge management and clever able staff
Multiple locations, ability to work from home
Good education and training

Cons

Staff are treated like cannon fodder when they want to cut costs to drive up share prices
Management flat out lie to staff
You are persecuted if you raised any serious issue such as bullying or sexual discrimination.

Advice to Senior Management

Words won't help. Management have an agenda that does not put their employees first no matter what they might say.

Pros

Good Process, Good People, Good Environment, But not a great place if you
want to develop your career and learn new skills

Cons

Consultants do not add a lot of value in GBS. Self sellers. AMS and IT services know what they are doing but get paid 40% less than GBS

Advice to Senior Management

equate pay scales. See the value that AMS delivers. The good performers do not stay. PBC is a waste of time as an appraisal method. Too many factors outside of one's control