Netflix Reviews in Los Angeles, CA Area

Pros

very smart, flat structure, incredibly strong leadership

Cons

no professional growth, a bit political

Advice to Senior Management

promote from within

Pros

Better than average pay
Unlimited vacation
Free lunch and snacks

Cons

No upward mobility
Frequent restructuring
Cliquishness
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Netflix makes no secret about it's high performance culture, which results in a very high turnover. Average life expectancy in this office is about 2 years, which means very often the main knowledge base of a department exists when an employee is terminated (not always for fair reasons) or chooses to leave since there is no room to grow. There are conflicting values and many managers don't practice what Netflix preaches. If you associate with the right people, this can help your career, but it is disappointing that office politics factors so heavily into a company that preaches how different they are from other corporate cultures. Yes, it's great we all get Blackberries or iPhones (and are reachable 24/7) and have a liberal vacation policy, but the aura of paranoia that invades the office due to the frequent restructurings is not conducive to successful business practices.

Advice to Senior Management

The culture in the main headquarters in San Jose is different and very disconnected from the BH office. Getting on the same page would help as would treating your employees with more respect.

Pros

They hire great, hardworking people and the management is relentless and single focused in enforcing their mission statement and driving success in DVD rental by mail and online. Everyone who works there is of above average intelligence and ability and the jobs can be rewarding and demanding. They really do hire people who are autonomous and can own a process and you can rely on those around you to provide the support you need.

Cons

They do not focus on career development and would prefer to hire someone from the outside to be your boss or replace you rather than groom you to grow into a more senior position. There are a couple of core values that they preach but do not really follow through on. There is a very different culture between the LA office and the HQ which feels inconsistent with their value system.

Advice to Senior Management

Their vision and focus is top notch and they do not need much help in achieving success in those areas. They should focus a little more on treating their people a little better and not churning through so many very competent people. also as they grow they need to realize that some of their values are difficult to maintain. for instance, they make some claims about being a flat organization but this is far from the truth.

Pros

flexible vacation policy (days are not tracked)
nice office with great technology (free drinks/sodas/snacks)
interesting work
free subscription
work with extremely competent colleagues (high performance culture)
great online dot com experience
company is well-respected

Cons

no career path, limited opportunities for career advancement (those at the top stay, mid-level to entry-level employees tend to leave after a few years)
very competitive work environment (high performance culture)
high pressure, high stress (high performance culture)
not enough support, work a lot of hours
management is (openly) not concerned with morale (if you don't like it, leave)
no job security (they are quick to lay off mediocre performers)

Advice to Senior Management

Morale is important

Pros

- Netflix treats their employees like adults, giving them both "freedom & responsibility" (a favorite company catchphrase) to do their jobs. Not hampered by lots of processes or structure, employees are empowered to find the best and most direct solutions to their problems
- Great work environment that's casual but high performance. The emphasis is on results, and not on face time in the office. If you need to take time off or work from home, you can, as long as your work gets done
- Full of really smart, fun people. You get the chance to work with a lot of highly competent and impressive employees.
- Typical benefits are fine (health insurance, etc.), but the extra perks are especially nice, such as no vacation limit and a generous hardware/gadget policy
- It's nice to work for a brand that consumers love. People tend to get excited when they hear you work at Netflix.
Overall, Netflix is one of the best work environments I've been in, except for a few major downsides ...

Cons

- There is essentially no career growth or promotions within the company. Most positions are filled externally, and people tend to stay in the exact same job for a couple of years before they get frustrated and leave. This is the number one employee complaint, which senior management knows about and seems to implicitly support
- Very high turnover, due to both voluntary departures and frequent terminations. High pressure, high performance culture coupled with frequent firings often create a culture of fear
- Titles are deflated one level lower than the rest of the industry. This is fine while at Netflix (compensation is usually appropriate for the work you do), but can be difficult once you want to leave Netflix and are looking for your next job
- As a growing company, there are increasing office politics. Netflix is no longer a small start-up, and it's suffering its growing pains as it becomes a large, established company
Overall, most employees love working at Netflix, but eventually get frustrated by the lack of career growth.

Advice to Senior Management

Value your employees as long-term assets, before you drive away great people. Good job in keeping Netflix a nimble, results-oriented place to work

Pros

You get to work on cool products, and your salary is relatively high for your job title. Also, most people that you work with are relatively competent and smart.

Cons

No growth potential - they don't have a track and they don't put resources into grooming their employees. Get the experience you need for a few years and move on to grow your career. Also, the culture of the Beverly Hills office is different than in Los Gatos. This is largely due to management and the fact that the prevailing hiring and HR philosophies are not executed quite as they should be. Although management is generally on the mark in letting people go, there have been a few notable decisions that have not quite made sense. The review process leaves much to be desired, as it still does not accomplish the desired goal of identifying the "rock stars" and separating them from the less-productive. Also, it is very common for employees to be expected to carry the workload of several people, and action is usually only taken when something big ends up falling through the cracks.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to your employees more, and be more in touch with personnel issues. What works for one group of employees doesn't necessarily work as well for another.

Pros

If you love movies, this is a great place to be. Benefits and salary are very competitive. Lots of perks like free DVDS, snacks, drinks, etc. People are fun and creative.

Cons

Depending on what area you work in, your experience can be vastly different. You will watch your cubicle neighbor leave early to go to a movie, while you're late to pick up your kid from daycare because your manager thinks a 2-hour meeting should be scheduled for 5 p.m. and include the entire department, whether it's relevant to you or not. It's also really a sink or swim atmosphere - you even have to figure out how to find your own office supplies when you start.

Advice to Senior Management

Ask exiting employees why they're leaving!

Pros

Benefits - good pay, stock purchase program, "unlimited" vacation days, free movies. Talent. The company is re-defining an industry by doing something that hasn't been done before.

Cons

No opportunity for advancement; no promotion from within. Upper management is lacking leadership skills. A great performance has no effect on job security. Difficult to maintain work/life balance because of the high-pressure, "high performance" culture. Job titles are deflated, which means that when you leave the company and go back into the job market, you will have a hard time finding another job that will pay you as much for the same title.

Advice to Senior Management

Value all of your employees, including those at the bottom of the hierarchy. Reward loyalty and performance with regard to the way in which the individual wants to be rewarded.

Pros

Liberal time off policy...oh wait, you're so overworked, you don't have time to take advantage of it. Casual dress code.

Cons

Horrible communication from upper management, and they are fully aware of this. Lack of growth potential. In fact, many employees are told during the interview process that they are expected to leave within a few years as there is no where for them to go. Understaffed and overworked, but this is excused by being referred to as a part of the 'internet culture'.

Advice to Senior Management

Pay attention to people's work performance and reward those that excel at their jobs with both salary and title compensation, not those that play politics the best. Communicate with your employees and do not operate under a culture of fear.

Pros

You are surrounded by very bright people focused on creating a great product for our subscribers and a great environment for employees. It's exciting to be on the cutting-edge of media and technology. The company offers a lot of freedom, and the responsibility that comes with it. Employees are treated like the adults they are.

Cons

If you like stability, this may not be the place for you. We have a high performance culture and in addition may change directions suddenly (for the good of the whole business), impacting people and projects in which heavy investment may have been made. The company does not manage your career; you manage your career. Depending on the department, there can be limited opportunities for advancement.

Advice to Senior Management

Reed and his team have built a great company and a wonderful environment in which to work. Be careful not to apply general concepts across an increasingly diverse employee population.