Western Digital Reviews

Pros

Great manager, challenging, location (southern CA), good bonus. Input is valued and solicited by management, no issues with speaking your mind.

Cons

Medical insurance is designed for healthy singles person. 6K in network, 6K out of network deductible - seems doctors are in network and labs / surgery centers are out of network. Long hours, worked holidays, which leads to burn out.

Advice to Senior Management

Given the Hitachi merger - keep Hitachi's enterprise and SSD products. Do something about the long hours and poor insurance - Hitachi employees will jump ship over this.

Pros

Challenging work
Good bonuses and profit sharing
Decent benefits for entry level
Decent training
Great experience
Very interesting technology worked on

Cons

Mandatory shutdowns when vacation time is required
Can sometime demand very long hours when working towards a deadline
No big complaints, just little things

Advice to Senior Management

Encourage the paid time off during the shutdowns, but do not make it required. Difficult for employees who have limited vacation time. Other then that, really no complaints. I like the challenging work and technological advancement. Exciting place to work, and employees normally rewarded for hard work. Especially appreciate recieveing bonus during hard times of Thai flooding, since we had to work harder then ever, but profit wasn't there. Shows they care.

Pros

The people are friendly and nice to work with.

Cons

Slow promotions and rigid requirement for years working

Advice to Senior Management

Don't be so rigid in terms of years of experience as a requirement for promotion. If they are performing in the promoted position prior to the "required number of years", PROMOTE THEM!

Pros

If you are an engineer or comp science major or have a background in these fields, there are plenty of opportunities.

Cons

Can be very cut throat at times.

Advice to Senior Management

None.

Pros

I can make a real impact with my work. I am not just a person in a cube, my contributions are important

Cons

With challenges and responsibilities comes some stress and sometimes longer hours.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue to be open with information

Pros

friendly and fun people, nice location

Cons

will work you like dogs and pay you WAY below what you should be paid. Most dont realize this until they quit and find the same position somewhere else with a much higher pay.

Also, employees are treated like tools. You will be forced to take days off then end up getting laid off...only to be asked to be rehired again when they need you're skills again - what a joke. Mgmt could care less about employee morale or fair treatment.

Advice to Senior Management

Wake up and do something about employee morale

Pros

Great team to work with
Clearly defined tasks
Well paid

Cons

Low job security
Worst severance package I have seen

Advice to Senior Management

Increase severance package, especially in light of possible merger with Hitachi Global Storage

Pros

Company has good execution and quick response to market. Not a technology leader but takes quick action. A good place to learn some management skills for beginners.

Cons

No salary increase. Promotion is very slow.

Advice to Senior Management

Connect more with employee, think more for employee, not just using them as the tool

Pros

Co-worker, technology, compensation and overall environment

Cons

No punishment, no reward, management need to get tough on lazy people

Advice to Senior Management

Please reward where required, and punish where needed

Pros

higher than average salaries, relatively stable company in volatile market

Cons

Little or no advancement opportunity.

Forget about work life balance. Most people work 50-60 hours a week, so there's never enough people to get the job done on time.

Horrible PTO policy, only a small amount given to new employees. Frequent "shutdowns" where you are required to take your PTO mean you can never save up enough time off.

Poor health insurance option with Wellpoint.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop forcing employees to take PTO. Consider paying less and offer more PTO. Plan projects better, adequately staffed. Do not allow people to work more than 50 hours per week.