Fine... but in decline - Anonymous employee F5 Employee Review

3.0
Feb 23, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Many smart people-- there is a lot to learn here Work/life balance is good Great Benefits Beer on Friday Free gym Free coffee/soda pop/sparkling water Cheap parking or fully paid bus pass Employee recognition trip to Hawaii for high performers Good place for bicyclists Location is near the water Better than amazon

Cons

Company is very political. The term "old boys club" fits. New IT upper management in the past year has resulted in morale declining rapidly. It used to be a supportive place to work but the blame game is picking up fast. Bad managers who drive away employees are kept, and good managers are leaving. Too many managers per employee. Management strategy seems to consists of generalized process improvement and platitudes. Expect to work with lots of consultants/contractors Fun group activities have been much less frequent since management changes. Commute is bad unless you live in Magnolia, Ballard or LQA. High expectations for new hires who end up doing fairly basic tasks. Hardware sales slowing and new offerings don't seem to be catching on. The Street has noticed. Stock price is down and appears stuck. Best company to work for ratings are the result of marketing blasts. Overall, it's probably as good or better than many places. The great benefits speak to that. It is sad how much the quality of work life has fallen in the past 2 years. It's like going from a Ferrari to a Ford. It is still fine, but not amazing.

Explore other reviews about F5

5.0
May 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* I enjoyed the collaborative team culture. Everyone was supportive and willing to help each other. * The work-life balance was good, and the overall working environment was relatively low stress. * I had opportunities to work on large-scale enterprise products and collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Cons

* One area I felt could be improved was compensation growth. As my responsibilities and technical skills expanded, I was looking for opportunities that offered stronger career and compensation progression.

4.0
Jul 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, wellness and mental health considerations.

Cons

Organization seems to be influx about where they are heading. Makes it hard to create goals for the entire org and get proper direction.

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