Intense Work - Staff Software Engineer Databricks Employee Review

3.0
Sep 9, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- The people are by-far the best engineers I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Think of the best person on your team, and they are merely average at databricks. - The work is fun, pay is top-notch.

Cons

- Bait and switch on RTO, now requires 3 days per week with badge tracking. - Hours can get intense approaching releases. - There is an elitist vibe at the company where the engineers think know they are the best and look down on other companies. Been laid off? Don't bother applying as you will be pre-filtered. Any roles last shorter than 2 years? Be prepared to have pristine references. - Old boys club; any change that impacts user facing surface area expect to need L8 approval from your Uber-TL, and whoever at the company is the gatekeeper. There is a definite in and out crowd highly correlated with tenure and seniority.

Explore other reviews about Databricks

5.0
Jun 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* high growth * faced paced * brilliant co-workers

Cons

* long hours, but you learn a lot

2.0
May 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great teams made up of smart, motivated people. Databricks is an exciting place to work because it is part of the growing data and AI tools space. The benefits and income are also good overall.

Cons

Databricks no longer feels like a startup. There are now multiple layers of bureaucracy, and leadership can feel territorial rather than collaborative. Over time, it can seem like business growth and internal politics have become stronger drivers than innovation or employee experience. For long-tenured employees, it may become harder to stay excited or feel challenged. Other companies may offer a more energizing environment.

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