Microsoft Program Manager II Reviews
Found 190 reviews
"You have a really good work-life balance" (in 2281 reviews)
"Smart people (more at HQ than the field)" (in 1802 reviews)
"Work-life balance can be a challenge" (in 1197 reviews)
"Outdated review system which is anything but fair" (in 530 reviews)
No problems
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookDisapproves of CEOI worked at Microsoft for more than a year
Pros
left alone to do my job, access to all microsoft software without having to go through IT so had the tools I needed.
Cons
It's microsoft, sometimes you just can't do the things you need to do without having to fill in a form which is always on sharepoint and takes ages to fill in
Advice to Management
simplify
Microsoft2017-02-02- Helpful (3)
When it's good ,it's good... when it's not, it's really not
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNeutral OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Microsoft full-time for more than 6 years
Pros
Good salary, good bonuses, if you perform. Good benefits, such as excellent medical. Perks, like fitness compensation and bus pass. Decent parking.
Cons
Very few good managers, constant flux, low gender diversity. Culture is very different from team to team, so choose your team wisely, and hope your leadership stays the same as the culture will change if you get reorged or your management changes. Advancement is based as much on who you know and how you play politics (maybe even more), than on your skills and contributions
Advice to Management
You need to start doing something to retain good managers... every good manager I've had has left the company. Remember, people don't quit jobs, they quit managers... so when all the good managers are running away, how can you expect to keep good employees?
Microsoft2017-09-16 Would benefit from flatter management structure, and most teams are bad, but there are good pockets
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Microsoft full-time for more than 4 years
Pros
Great work-life balance Moving team to team internally is super easy, so if you have a bad team you can keep spelunking about until you find a good fit
Cons
Managers are typically mediocre Many product teams are weak Pay is so-so compared to other companies in tech Many benefits and events are stilted toward employees with kids and families, so if you're young, get the new hire bonus and stock, Microsoft on the resume, and go elsewhere.
Advice to Management
A flat product team reporting structure is a happy reporting structure. People who have been at the company for 10-15+ years and are still in the Senior band of leveling need to be put on performance-improvement-plans by default.
Microsoft2017-08-31Like working at MS
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookDisapproves of CEOI have been working at Microsoft full-time for more than 4 years
Pros
1) Flexible hours 2) Friendly culture 3) Good benefits 4) Overall the atmosphere in the company is welcoming, and friendly. 5) The projects are challenging and help you grow as a professional
Cons
1) Little access to sunlight and windows 2) Many projects don't get pursued until they are well established by another company. Makes it hard to do groundbreaking work. 3) Salaries don't measure up to the quickly increasing housing prices in Seattle.
Advice to Management
Much of the information needed to do your job (outside of the technical knowledge) is tribal knowledge as opposed to well documented and organized
Microsoft2017-06-30- Helpful (2)
Program Manager 2
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Microsoft full-time for more than 9 years
Pros
Microsoft offers an average salary and benefits package that includes a very good "Stay Fit" package but nothing that raises an eyebrow. The compensation bar is slowly becoming diluted. I am sure that I could get a comparable package at Amazon or Google.
Cons
Be aware that there is no preference for internal hires before external hires. You are always competing against someone else! Often times it is who you know, not what you know. You are always on guard for the "next layoff".
Advice to Management
Take a hard look at nepotism. So many times I applied for a job that was internally filled before the REQ is posted. Satya wants to lead yet middle management doesn't want to follow. Your ICs are your greatest asset!!
Microsoft2017-07-13 Great Company, horrible middle mgmt
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Microsoft for more than 6 years
Pros
- Mostly smart folks in the tech side, mostly hired newly graduate MBAs in the business side who don't contribute much other than create PPT and presentation all around.
Cons
- Stop hiring MBS fresh out of college or business team to make them create PPT 40hrs/week.
Advice to Management
- Reward people who are in the company rather than hire someone outside and directly offer them higher level and compensation, care for our loyal employees first!
Microsoft2017-05-01Great place to work
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Microsoft full-time for more than 4 years
Pros
Lots of opportunities, smart people, great customers, stock growing nicely
Cons
Inconsistent top down management leads to some randomization, weak soft perks (no free food, few parties, few awards), on call for service teams
Advice to Management
All good mostly - just focus on achieving alignment with the teams and folks reporting to you, don't just suddenly snap to new directions. Bottom up, that's fine. Top down, it leads to non-customer focused allocation of resources.
Microsoft2017-01-28Microsoft is a great place to work
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Microsoft
Pros
Great benefits, most people are awesome
Cons
Internal politics can really slow you down
Microsoft2017-01-14Great company for opportunities
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsNeutral OutlookNo opinion of CEOI worked at Microsoft for more than 20 years
Pros
Great opportunity to advance. Pay is on the nose. People are crazy smart. When you talk about tech companies that are on the cutting edge Microsoft is top notch.
Cons
Review system still is broken even though they say it has changed. Behind the curtain it remains a mess. Employees if they stay too long in groups get stuck and have to leave.
Microsoft2016-12-17Interesting work, issues found in any large company
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Microsoft
Pros
Interesting problems, autonomy to work, work actually used to inform decisions/influence business, lots of career movement possible, good compensation
Cons
Learning curve can be difficult (especially due to over-usage of acronyms), huge orgs can result in reinvention of the wheel if lines of communication are not good.
Microsoft2016-11-08