Novell Reviews in Boston, MA Area

Pros

It is not uncommon to meet Novell employees with 10 or more years with the company, this speaks well of the way Novell treats its employees.
Novell places strong emphasis on hiring top talent and represents a great opportunity to learn from the best of the best in your field.
Novell is well recognized in the industry as a leader in product development and for its global network of partners.

Cons

Acquisition by Attachmate will affect corporate culture. I expect the resulting company will inherit some good things from Novell but at this moment it is uncertain what will happen exactly. This also applies to product roadmap.

Advice to Senior Management

The transition following the acquisition by Attachmate seems to be leaving out many critical processes, with senior managers disregarding day to day operations and employees confused and uncertain about what they need to do.

Pros

Given the lack of managerial oversight, the "freedom" and "independence" to expand on my skills and role even if management did not acknowledge my accomplishments and achievements.

Cons

Lack of cohesivness and communication within the company. Everyone seems to be in for themselves instead of working together.

Advice to Senior Management

The company was sold and is being split up; what advice is there to give to management?

Pros

Salary, Small company, ability to participate in company's direction, access to senior management

Cons

Growth opportunities, Company leadership in the marketplace, Senior Management ability to improve the business, lack of efficient leadership

Advice to Senior Management

Trust people, let them take decisions, reduce excessive "decision by committee" environment

Pros

Great co-workers, good benefits, good location

Cons

Low Salary, Few Career Growth options, Telecommuting flexibility varies by department, Poor interoffice communication

Advice to Senior Management

Enhance interoffice communication, increase salaries, provide consistent telecommuting options to the entire company

Pros

Novell provides great benefits - health, dental, etc

Cons

The company has not grown and there is no growth in sight

Advice to Senior Management

organic growth

Pros

Balance between work and personal life. Great place if you want to cruise in position and not work too hard.

Cons

Career opportunities. Promotions are based on relationships and not based on talent. You are better off being in a different company if you are the hard working, smart type.

Advice to Senior Management

Unless there is a serious review of who are in company leader positions and let some who hold the position purely thanks to relationships and promote some who have been deserving, there will be a drain of talent at Novell as the economy turns around.

Pros

Competitive salary; creativity is rewarded, talent is recognized. Managers are very good at sharing credit and making sr. management aware that you exist.

Cons

The salary is competitive, but due to the economy, the salary will never change. No cost of living increases or annual raises. Also, everyone is always on edge because you never know how long your job will last. Layoffs occur with uneasy regularity, and jobs are frequently outsourced to India.

Advice to Senior Management

I'd tell them to get a clue! Their employees are going without salary increases while they enjoy bonanza bonuses and plan business trips to Hawaii and Cancun. How many jobs could have been saved by agreeing to a substantial bonus reduction? How much money is being spent for President's Club travel? In the meantime, talented people are leaving because they worry that any day, they'll be the ones getting the pink slip.

Pros

The company is poised for growth.

Cons

You have to fit a predetermined profile to move departments. People hire for the resume.

Advice to Senior Management

Lot of talented people are leaving.

Pros

A collaborative environment; great customers; good visibility to-and-by senior leadership; innovation is welcomed and rewarded; some excellent subject matter experts: especially in engineering, corporate marketing, and finance.

Cons

Cannot translate our bold vision and excellent products into increase share value; Sales team doesn't seem to match the quality of the people "behind the curtain"; Always the runner-up (or worse) in the market; too much centralization in Provo.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue to make the bold market plays; work harder and getting our top-tier customers to speak on our behalf. Don't lose sight of the customers you DO have for the customers you DON"T YET have.

Pros

The company is in the midst of a transition reinventing itself in the software market space. Plenty of opportunity to be successful in businesses they have selected. Great work environment where people team to win and make the client successful. The senior leadership team is very capable of taking the company through the transition.

Cons

As the company is in transition there is much change. Workforce reduction is taking place but new skills are being added. Compensation plans need to be realigned with the new strategy of the company. Leadership skills need to be refreshed in middle management to allow the company to be successful.

Advice to Senior Management

Focus on the people as they are the company.