LeftHand Networks Reviews

Pros

Up and coming company with a ton of potential. LeftHand Networks has developed a Computer Storage (SAN) technology that has more features than the competitive solutions - and costs less. Working for a company that doesn't have the best product in the industry is like pushing a stone up hill; Lefthand Networks is like pushing a stone down hill...the industry and our customers are pulling us ahead at a feverish pace!

Cons

Startup feel. Although Lefthand Networks has been around for almost a decade, it still has some of the issues of a startup. For employees that can mean wearing a number of hats and going beyond normal 'day to day' activities to get the job done. Company is privately held - which may or may not be considered a 'downside', but there is a HUGE focus on keeping costs down and sometimes that focus on efficiency can take its toll on the employee.

Advice to Senior Management

Senior Management has always had its finger on the pulse of our industry, and has done a superb job of steering this company. Our management team has spent a surprising amount of time and resources on communitcation, regularly looking to its customers, employees and business partners for feedback. Hopefully they will keep us ahead of the competition so that we can continue to hold our leadership position in this space.

Pros

The company is one of the leaders in establishing and promoting iSCSI SAN technology. When you work there, you'll be involved with a wide range of cutting edge IT software and solutions. You'll have the opportunity to work with some of the most interesting and challenging software and hardware around. If you're involved in a customer-facing position (e.g., training, sales, technical support), you'll be amazed at the many varied applications for LeftHand's products. Their customer base includes every industry imaginable -- banking, education, health care, government, military, law enforcement. The benefit of all this to you as an employee there at LeftHand is the opportunity to gain experience in this wide range of industries, at least from an IT perspective.

Cons

The biggest downside to working at LeftHand can be summed up in one word: "respect" -- or more correctly, a lack thereof. Employees are treated pretty much as interchangeable, disposable cogs in the corporate machine. The company is rather small; and so, it's understandable that they need to carefully manage and control expenses. But upper management there seems to make their cost-cutting decisions (e.g., policy changes, organizational restructuring, etc.) without any real regard for the impact on the people most affected by those changes. There seems to be very little interest in even soliciting input or advice from the people who actually do the work, who would be likely to have some of the most valuable input.

Beyond that, there seems to be no real concern by management for employees maintaining a healthy "work-life balance". Employees are pretty much expected to put the needs of the company ahead of everything, including one's family. Expect to put in really long hours there. And even the weekends may not be your own. "Sweatshop" is probably too strong a word; but it's not too far off the mark either.

Advice to Senior Management

Start respecting (and listening to) your employees. Realize that they have families and lives outside of your company; and that they need to be able to leave the office behind when they go home at the end of the day.