Management ruins everything - Software Engineer Abbott Employee Review

1.0
Mar 14, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits, stable job, interesting business problems to solve. Awesome healthcare tech products.

Cons

This was the worst software engineering job I've ever had. The reason came down to basically the worst management I've ever worked with. I have no doubt that there are other teams at this company with other managers that are great. I probably would have given 4-5 stars if I had worked on those teams. My manager's words didn't back up his actions. A shockingly immature software engineering culture was fostered despite the fact that the product we were working on was a world-class healthcare product being used in dozens of countries by millions of people. My manager was manipulative and twisted my words to seemingly always put me in a negative light. I never got decent work to do despite there being tons of opportunity that matched my skills and experience. My skills and experience were majorly overlooked and underutilized. The final straw was that despite my manager saying to me personally that I was "brilliant" and technically skilled I was threatened with a performance improvement plan. I asked my manager "Why?". My manager gave no legitimate reason. After pressing him further over several meetings I came away with the major feedback item being that I needed to format my JIRA ticket titles in a different way (which I did over the coming weeks, but is this a good reason for PIP-ing somebody?). My manager was demoted and his replacement came in and again threatened me with a performance improvement plan. I asked "why?" and he literally said. "I don't know. I was told that this was happening so I'm continuing it. Let me get back to you on that". For these reasons I left Abbott and got a promotion and pay raise in the process.

Explore other reviews about Abbott

5.0
Jun 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Team is supportive and great to work here. lot of freedom and no micromanagement.

Cons

as of now nothing but its good place to work.

2.0
Jun 15, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

• Strong brand and market position • Talented individual contributors and subject matter experts sprinkled throughout the organization • Opportunity to work on products that impact many patients

Cons

These comments reflect experience within Abbott Diabetes Care. • Culture can feel political and risk-averse, with difficult issues often addressed indirectly rather than transparently • Decision-making is slowed by multiple layers of management, many of whom appear focused more on managing upward than enabling teams and execution • Long-tenured management structures can create limited accountability, discourage new ideas, and make modernization difficult • Some leadership styles feel hierarchical and dismissive of dissenting viewpoints, making it risky to challenge the status quo • Strategic thinking and decision authority are concentrated among a relatively small group of senior leaders, creating bottlenecks and limiting innovation • Office environments and ways of working often feel outdated compared to more modern organizations • Organizational responsiveness can be frustratingly low. Routine requests, decisions, and communications often require multiple follow-ups, creating unnecessary delays and reducing accountability • Promotions and performance assessments often lack transparency, leading employees to question whether advancement is based on impact, visibility, DEI, or internal relationships • Employees navigating significant career or life transitions may experience varying levels of support, visibility, and development opportunities, making career continuity and progression feel less predictable than they should be

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