Real Reviews

Pros

It's not the east side!

The chance to work on games is still pretty compelling. And while there aren't the upsides of a startup, you at least have corporate security.

Cons

The games group was going to be spun off almost two years ago and still has not. Independence isn't the same as a liquidity event, this should have happened. Meanwhile, it has chased Big Fish to the bottom in terms of pricing and quality.

Advice to Senior Management

It would be nice to actually do what you say you're going to do. Hiring vice presidents without reports seems to impede this.

Getting rid of the conglomerate effect should be a plus.

Pros

being proactive, independent and idealistic to a degree will help you succeed here. people often get upset about how things should be tend to leave within 2 years. solution oriented overachievers are generally rewarded and given better options. lots of options outside of main job to volunteer, and groups have good people to work with.

Cons

lacking in strategic vision, wasteful in resources due to lack of proper planning, frustrating for employees. average pay.

Advice to Senior Management

n/a

Pros

There are a great number of really competent people at Real. It's at a great location.

Cons

There needs to be a shake up in the management. Although a lot of the engineers are really talented and hardworking, there are some really really inept managers. These people suck at being technical, suck at managing people and do not realize their own ineptitude.

Advice to Senior Management

Do not give bonuses to your executives before a deal goes through. Stop hiring incompetent managers and recognize your hardworking employers. Stop screwing up.

Pros

People are nice
Work is not too stressful
Good work life balance
Great location
Manager was good at providing feedback

Cons

People are very nice, but not necessarily friendly
Hard to communicate, people often kept office doors closed
Overall lack of passion and motivation

Advice to Senior Management

Motivate your employees, they are smart and capable people. Let them create new products, and reward them for what they do.

Pros

Great Seattle waterfront location. Cheap, edible food in the cafeteria. great coworkers. Lots of brilliant people.

Cons

Siloed. Each team has their own processes. very little collaboration between groups.
Weak product ownership.
Little encouragement/incentive to innovate. New initiatives start at the top and trickle down.

Advice to Senior Management

Let employees do their jobs. Reward creativity and innovation.

Pros

The location is pretty good. The canteen is only mediocre (as opposed to the downright awful you would rightfully expect). There is free soda. The office supplies cabinets are well stocked. The benefits package is reasonable.

Cons

The overall mood at the company HQ is stagnation to the point of being ridiculously anachronistic. From the old school telephone booths (visible from the lobby), through to the glass plaques dated 2004, to the company mural (last updated 2006) every corridor and office in the place reeks of neglect.

Not much of significance happens here. Sure, software (eventually) gets written, deals (somehow) get done, the bins get cleaned, everyone shows up every day, the heating system works - but it's like Groundhog day. Nothing actually progresses.

Meanwhile, the cash pile from the Microsoft settlement dwindles and the C-level management take home their big ass paychecks. That's the deal here. Don't rock the boat. Pick somewhere else to make a mark, kiddo.

Advice to Senior Management

Renovate the office, renovate the product line up, renovate the management.

Pros

Good staff below the Director level - they want to learn and deliver

Cons

Senior leadership is not connected to its people, the marketplace or their competitors
Not a lot of opportunities for growth
Compensation program doesn't make sense and isn't consistent with the marketplace

Advice to Senior Management

Start listening to your people

Pros

RealNetworks is an established company, well known in the industry. It is always a bonus to say that you worked there. There are many company benefits.

Cons

Turnover is heavy and frequent. Decisions are many times political, without consideration to job performance or commitment to achieving company goals.

Advice to Senior Management

Establishing more staff appreciation can lead to better work performance and loyalty among the staff. The high rate of turnover affects the company's overall performance.

Pros

Real is a great place to park yourself if you have a kid or are otherwise looking for a "pay the bills" job. Benefits are decent (if unremarkable) and the pay is fine (if unremarkable). Liberal policies around work-at-home and a generally laid-back culture combine with a "meh, whatever" attitude. It's easy.

They'll send you to classes and stuff. That's nice. A great place to start or end your career. Just don't stay too long.

Cons

This company is already dead, but it's so big and management is so out of touch that it will likely be another 4-5 years before anyone notices.

The products are junk, the marketing is bad. The internal culture is broken and the external reputation is not very good. Everyone seems either frustrated or jaded. Or both.

If you actually want to do something with your career, make good products, or be excited about your job, look elsewhere.

Advice to Senior Management

If you really have all the answers, why is the business failing?
Why hire employees and ignore them?
Stop spending money on management consultants.
Manage at an appropriate level. Articulate your strategy, stop keeping everything secret.

Pros

Good place to learn. Only place where personal & professional life can be balanced. Laidback attitude of the entire senior management. Weekends are trouble free!!

Cons

Salaries are atleast 50% less than industry stds.
Employees dont have a clear roadmap ahead of them.
Promotions are not based on perfromance.
Hierachy driven organization.
No hunger to procure new business.
Information sharing is non-existant.
Politics is at an absolute high!

Advice to Senior Management

Please please please treat your employees as your assets. There should be no discrimination amongst employees based on designations. HR has to boosted.