Seagate Technology Reviews

Pros

Salary and benefits package are competitive.
Vacation time is highly respected and seldom refused nor interrupted.
There is a high degree of respect among employees and managers.

Cons

There are fewer opportunities for those who are not educated, technical, and innovative.
The industry is one that is often vulnerable to highs and lows in the demand cycle, thus there are more regular layoffs than other industries.

Advice to Senior Management

Offer truthful feedback about the industry. Do not "sugar-coat" current conditions and performance. Reduce the length of all employee communications meetings.

Pros

Once you get used to the life there, it is comfortable, and routine.
Managers are understanding and flexible.
If you just want to bring home your salary every month and don't wish for too much changes or disruption, this is the right place for you.

Cons

Little job security. Seagate is infamous for restructuring and retrenchment.
Don't expect good pay or bonuses.
No job rotation. Some people are still doing the same specialized jobs for close to 15 years or even more. This should be a good point for those wanting to retire but a bad point for those who have the "drive" in them.

Pros

Good healthy work environment at working level

Cons

Too much management involvement on day to day activities

Advice to Senior Management

Explore options to hire more people from outside drive industry to manage teams. This will give a different perspective on running things more efficiently.

Pros

Great on your Resume
Work very close to Apple

Cons

No Advancement
Flat Salary
Multiple reorg.
Company does not have a long term directions.
High turnover rate, leaving new employee lack of product/strategy knowledge.

Advice to Senior Management

Appreciate the employees, motivate them to stay within the company.

Pros

The only good thing about working at Seagate is that they pay well. They have to, nobody wants to go into this technology field anymore.

Cons

Unable to adapt to changing markets and to utilize the talent and technology within the company to expand beyond rotating storage. Upper management is so afraid to fail, they don't take risk. Blame for the eventual failure is pushed down the organization. Lots of dead wood kissing upper management's behinds.

Advice to Senior Management

Take a careful look at what your senior management team has actually achieved lately relative to where the PC market is and what the competition has done. Very mediocre.

Pros

Good salaries, perks, lots of good people, good product line. I was overpaid, have no complaints about HR policies.

Cons

My bad luck, had a bad manager who played favorites. Result, I never got a promotion no matter what I did. When it got to lying and bullying, I finally had to blow the whistle to HR. I stayed over 8 years, should have left after a coupla years. My goof.

Apart from me, I saw business unit employees (I was in IT) putting in increasing hours, as conference calls with Asia increased and general demands of the business, especially after the accursed Maxtor acquisition. (think 9pm conference calls -- oh, no prob, I'll take it at home).

I saw little oversight between middle-mgt and upper. There was no concern to root out bad managers, their word was always gold. Saw at least two friends scapegoated out of the co.

Lots of re-orgs, swallow-ups, and moves, exacerbated by the Maxtor gobble-up in 05-06.

STX left Scotts Valley (except a coupla buildings) for Cupertino earlier this year. If you have the nerves of steel (and stomach for the high-pressure environment, at least in business units) to work for a big int'l corp with an offshore HQ model, Seagate is good on your resumé.

Always remember to get another job while you still have one, don't wait till you're riffed! If you leave after two years, just when you have learned the business, remember that corporate leadership likely doesn't care. Someone else will be hired to take on your duties, or if you are riffed, others have lots of free time to shoulder the load.

Advice to Senior Management

On the surface, company culture was great and people were happy. But, ads are not reality.

Pros

Innovative
Self-direction
Salary
Experience in cutting edge technology
Worldwide

Cons

Slow to make important decisions.

Pros

good network, systemtic , environment, friendly people

Cons

not much bonus though revenue is xxbillions

Advice to Senior Management

need to admit

Pros

A good team work environment. Respect, team work, many talents, knowledge share. Nice managers. freedom working hour. not as busy as WD.

Cons

too many managers,company cost is much higher than competitor. Once layoff, manager can survive while engineers will be laidoff. Too many meetings, manager drive meeting crasy while drive results less.

Advice to Senior Management

Manager should spend more time to follow engineers work, cannot listen to somebody only.
Make a fair comments on engineers contribution.

Pros

Solid long term performance. Great people to work with.

Cons

Could communicate with employees better. Needs more teamwork.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more creative.