SAIC Reviews

Pros

I worked for SAIC's Spatial Concepts and Technologies Division for and then moved to another defense contractor due to the contract ending. The atmosphere at SAIC is so different and so much better than where I'm working now, even though my current employer also has a good reputation. I noticed small things like people going out their way to hold the door open for you, things people say in the halls, etc. In my first week at my new job, I passed one lady in the hall telling another one "not to think about this place" while she was on vacation. I never heard anyone say anything like that at SAIC. I also noticed how at SAIC people seem to expect you to be sociable, which makes it a lot more enjoyable workplace. Overall at SAIC the people seemed happier.

Cons

They would expect you to work more than 8 hours a day if something was due. Sometimes felt like a contest to see who wanted to keep their job the most.

Advice to Senior Management

I guess the only feedback i have is that in retrospect, SAIC was a great place to work.

Pros

For the most part, the employees were nice and made you feel welcome.

Cons

Many people were not experienced in the Defense programs we were seeking, and the Business Unit as a whole paid for it. This defense unit is failing dramatically.

Advice to Senior Management

Provide better tools for your employees to learn new things.

Pros

Goode benefits, particularly for training. Books 24x7 and Skillsoft eLearning available to all. Other learning opportunities available for some areas, but not much for software developers. I had an office,not a cubicle. Good equipment provided. Flexible about hours worked.

Cons

Too much bureaucracy. It had gotten to the point that I bought my own office supplies instead of figure out the current complicated procedure for getting them. Senior management seems clueless at times. Often, they seem more concerned about political correctness and following the latest management trends instead of focusing on competence. Other managers vary: some were excellent, some were mediocre.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop the buzzword-of-the-day management philosophy. Instead, focus on technical competence. Often when I got a company-wide email from senior management, the only reason I read it was to get a laugh. Although, I must admit that the unintended humor in them brightened my day.

Pros

Tuition Assistance
Possible Promotion within
International company

Cons

Medical benefits are costly and the pay is too low. This may be due to this particular contract I am on.

Advice to Senior Management

Raise your salaries for employees
Pay for the total amount in medical benefits

Pros

SAIC does some extremely interesting work - good opportunity for those with strong technical competencies to learn and grow. Most people get along well within their own organizations.
Baseline entrepreneurial spirt of company still exists.
Ability to "bank time" from one week to the next may permit employee to arrange work schedule, but this is customer-organization dependent.
Benefits are competitive, although combination vacation/sick leave program can mean that an unexpected illness will absorb all vacation time.

Cons

Leadership vacuum at the moment. CEO has "resigned", but is still in place pending search. Recently fired one of the best Group Presidents - may have been a scapegoating exercise, but facts and rationale are held very close.
Stock has declined significantly and promise of IPO has not been met.
Pay is below competitive and becoming more so as bonuses and stock awards (which used to be almost universal) are being taken away from lower level employees and not replaced.
Current environment is extremely difficult due to government cutbacks - since the IPO company is in effect now run by junior Wall Street analysts, and poor short term decisions are often made to "make the numbers"

Advice to Senior Management

Consider whether IPO was really worth the price paid in terms of poor returns to employee shareholders, and employee retention. The company's assets are its employees, but they are not really treated that way.

Pros

Talented, competent co-workers, in some cases.

Cons

Very little understanding from management about what I did on a daily basis.

Advice to Senior Management

Appreciate those who work hard for you.

Pros

Good pay and a steady job

Cons

Government contracts may be affected by the current federal budget negotiations.

Pros

You get to work on a lot of interesting projects
Everyone I have worked with is smart, helpful, and nice
Atmosphere is great

Cons

Contract billable work can be hard to come by
Getting things done can take a while
You must really push upper-management to lend any guidance.

Advice to Senior Management

Management should make it a point to sit down with employees on a regular basis and assess their work load or lack there of and get a sense of how the employee is feeling about the company and about their current job status.

Pros

nice people to work for and offers good benefits

Cons

demanding work schedules are sometimes exhausting.

Advice to Senior Management

Invest more time in employee retention and team building exercises.

Pros

Highly competent staff that is dedicated to their work

Cons

No longer a flexible, de-centralized organization