Symantec Reviews

Pros

great team to work with, good communication among the team!

Cons

can always get paid more!

Pros

Huge company where you can work and excel to learn about corporate sizes and opportunities. Good benefits, though negative news are never shared

Cons

promotions not always given on performance but rather by knowing someone. Huge company, individual performance does not seem to matter

Advice to Senior Management

do what you are supposed to do, do not try to grow into higher positions, it is given to you, and only then you should perform at that level

Pros

The flexible atmosphere and the trust between each one. Very timely recoganition and the enviorment here is inpiring and full of confidence.

Cons

The salary range need to be reviewed and planneed more aggressively to attractive talents.

Advice to Senior Management

Review the salary level of Symantec in China compare within the computor software industry. We are about to loss advantage even compare with the local companies.

Pros

The benefit to working at Symantec is that it's a company that's been able to grow a robust brand by way of some strong, but not always well though out, acquisitions. The other interesting aspect of the Symantec experience is that the company supports both enterprise and consumer customers. This offers a much broader perspective and potential for employees to observe two very different aspects of the business.

Cons

Symantec has the worst culture of any company I have worked for in my professional career. Unfortunately when your corporate growth strategy is driven by inorganic growth by way of acquisition you can't always control the culture of the employees you inherit. Symantec's many acquisitions have bred a culture that can do nothing but refuse to play well between business units, share information poorly amongst teams, back-stab, and drive silo'd behavior. You know the culture is bad when 4 years after an acquisition you show up at a meeting and people still introduce themselves as members of the company they used to work for. Let's not forget about all the poor performing employees picked up in acquisitions that tend to stick around forever. Politics are rife at every level of the organization and I have never experienced such immaturity at the corporate level as I did when working for Symantec.
The unfortunate aspect of a growth strategy by way of acquisition is that the top talent become disenfranchised very, very quickly and leave as soon as they can. Sadly Symantec is seen as a revolving door of top talent and many of the must influential, smartest, and most innovative leaders I have ever worked with left Symantec as quickly as they could.
Let me be very clear to the reader about what I am about to say; this is a subject I feel worth mentioning as it is a severe leadership issues at Symantec. By no means am I chauvinistic and some of the best bosses I have ever had have been females. However the female leadership at Symantec (this includes Directors and above) are the worst, most inept, leaders/management team I have seen in my professional career. The over 40, female HR rule has given some of the most abominable leaders a save haven to reside at Symantec. I worked for a few of these aforementioned execs and was absolutely horrified.
Nepotism, while pretty common at most companies, was especially prominent at Symantec. I have no issue with this practice if the employees are the best candidate for the job but that was far from the case at Symantec.
In my subjective opinion I do not think Enrique can hold a candle to JT. Subjectively I am not a huge fan of his style and don't necessarily subscribe to his leadership style. He is a poor speaker and do not think he has done enough to really define the company by way of his leadership. JT was a phenomenal leader and had a great vision. I just don't think Enrique has the experience required to lead a company of this size.
The Veritas acquisition... What can I say about this move that Wallstreet hasn't already said...

Advice to Senior Management

Get rid of the dead weight (and this includes the executives) and stop the politics. Encourage top talent to stay in order to prevent draining your most important asset.

Pros

Very smart people to work with - when their passion is fueled. Decent salary and benefits. Decent company if the interest is in the security side of technology, as long as you are prepared to work hard and dedicate long hours. If you luck into a great manager along the way, there is so much to be learned.

Cons

Extremely political - impedes ability to get the job done. Philisophically encourage 'open door policy' of speaking up & out - in realtiy look to be 'blacklisted' if you do. Much incompetent middle management, and too many layers, making it harder to get the job done. Senior management so busy managing up to promote their own career advancement that they are not in touch with the 'everyday' employees on their teams or their challenges. Really limited opportunities for career advancement - it's all about who you know and whether you play the game. Low morale due to overwork (regular head-count cutting with no replacement opportunities), discouragement of any negative commentary (don't speak out or you'll be out) and constant 11th hour budget cutting impacts ability to complete projects and deliver on promises. Low morale of some employees causes disruption, distraction and discouragement in other employees. Often penny-wise but pound-foolish with spending.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to your people. Affect change based on that feedback to prove that you are listening. Utilize your top talent by investing in their career *advancement* not just career development, and you'll likely see less attrition. Allow employees to contribute to decision-making process - where this is done, there is always less dissention and more engagement and ownership. Hold your leaders accountable especially as it relates to employee retention.

Pros

Nothing great to write about this company. Lots of politics. Location of the workplace is very good.salary is ok.

Cons

There is no work life balance. Promotions are very hard. Lots of policies within company.no appraisals within one year

Advice to Senior Management

Give employees a proper work life balances. Plan things well don't just put ad hock requirements and expect it to be completed in short period of time and that too with good quality of code.

Pros

Good Salary and Benefits, big company culture.

Cons

The usual big company issues.

Advice to Senior Management

Figure out how to isolate star performers and get some innovation done.

Pros

1. Technologies are good
2. Leader in the Anti-virus domain
3. Some of the peers are good

Cons

1. Too much of management changes
2. Employee hierarchy is not proper
3. work-home balance is not there sometimes
4. Preference for promotions only given to few who are close to the manager

Advice to Senior Management

Please don't keep making too many changes in the organization. A employee might sometimes have to deal with 2 - 3 managers, which is total waste of time.

Pros

Open environment and opportunities to perform

Cons

Don't know what is expected to be in top band. Promotions happen at the top rank in spite of the poor Employee Net Promoter Score.

Advice to Senior Management

Just by going through the prescribed way won't get you there. There should be a review of the reality rather than feeling happy about followed the process.

Pros

Good compensation and a strong sense of team. The people I work with directly are good despite a significant amount of distraction. They/we get the job done under circumstances that are difficult.

Cons

Convoluted sales management structure, too much dead wood in some of the professionals. Reporting methods are not focused on the things that matter to a sales effort. Marketing is run by great people, but key messages are lost. Product Management decisions are made without enough consideration of field requirements.

Advice to Senior Management

For sales management, focus on the metrics that matter. For acquisitions focus on not diluting the success, in terms of product management, marketing, development and customer support.