SanDisk Director Reviews

Pros

Great Team, Great Company, Great Products

Cons

After being acquired most of the good people left.

Pros

Good work/life balance; great people; very diverse environment; strong company values that are genuine, not corporate mumbo jumbo; very ethical company; high confidence in executive staff; the bonus program is excellent (in some years I've gotten as much as 170% of my target bonus)

Cons

Some dysfunction is inevitable in any company, as are politics, but I don't think SanDisk has more than its share of either; benefits are OK - the basics - but unimaginative; equity compensation has gotten a lot leaner

Pros

Compensation above average Working time is flexible for exempt employees Leaders in 2D Memory Technology

Cons

Company is becoming more of "Operations" than "Technology" based Silicon Valley company Toshiba builds the fundamentals of the Technology-SanDisk follows, does not lead Poor Technical Upper management skills Missed estimates the last 4 quarters in a growing Silicon Valley environment; not a good sign Commodity based industry; stock very unstable and heavily dependent on big customers

Pros

The main reason to work at SanDisk is the excellent remuneration. Salaries are good, bonuses can be excellent. And pretty decent individuals in the teams.

Cons

SanDisk likes to think of itself as a big startup, and that's a problem - it's not a big startup. Individuals who do unscalable things (like VPs spending 16 hours a day digging into minute details that their reports' reports should be investigating) make this a difficult place to work. Also, the company's disregard for services is atrocious; groups like IT can make a positive business impact, but not if all the budget is cut. Also, the predilection towards advancing employees from Israel at the expense of US employees is very disheartening.

Pros

The world leader in flash memory produces industry-leading, high-quality products; B2B and B2C opportunities, truly global company and global perspective.

Cons

Politics like nothing I've experienced in 20 years. Also, the executive team from MSystems (an acquisition) now runs the company -- if you're not from MSystems, you chance for advancement is limited. The good marketers don't stick around here long. I

Pros

Good bonus scheme (including stocks) and salary. Other benefits are also good (e.g. health coverage).

Cons

Very tactical, short-term focus. As a result, priorities change on an overly frequent basis and most work appears throw-away with little opportunity for re-use. There is no focus on a long term strategy in terms of either a business model or IT services to support it.

Pros

Good compensation. Work very independently. Nobody will tell you how to do your work.

Cons

No training. Archaic work methods. Constant reorgs and reshuffling. Extremely political. Almost any activity is spread across 3 continents. No long-term vision. This is a typical semiconductor company:sell more silicon that costs less money. The products themselves are considered fancy and unreasonably expensive packaging. It is all about moving NAND Exabytes.

Pros

The company is competive in terms of compensation. It can definitely be a good place to gain experience and grow capabilities. Engineers are kings there.

Cons

The company behaves in a very tactical manner. They generally have a strategic vision but do not make it very public nor do they incent departments to nest their objectives. Troubles have been encounters when Divisions were not aligned on overall goals. Stock price continues to take hits. Administrative (Finance, HR, IT...etc) departments are second class citizens and viewed as a cost more that an investment.

Pros

Friendly, talented, smart people, great work environment Company focus on wellness, healthy cafeteria choices Solid business strategy Talented leadership Great culture and values Bright cheerful workspaces, free fancy coffee drinks, free oatmeal in the morning The cleanest bathrooms I've ever seen

Cons

Challenging administrative processes with old technology & systems

Pros

Sandisk is an extremely fast paced and challenging company to work for. There are no shortage of opportunities for growth and professional challenge. You will be pushed to achieve and deliver things at a pace that you would think not possible. If you can deliver in this environment, then you will be successful (and well compensated). Great people (generally) to work with and a main reason why I come to work each day.

Cons

The pace is also an issue. Extremely aggressive (and sometimes unrealistic) deadlines drive unbelievable stress and burnout is a major concern. The pace also creates situations in which things are often done “fast” vs. “well” and often those compromises come back to haunt you. Overall organizational maturity is low but slowly improving (lack of process and procedures, etc.). The entire company is VERY tactical and “hands on” at all levels. This can be extremely frustrating for those who come from larger organizations where thinking strategic is common. Attempts by many to try to mature the business and change this culture have been met with significant resistance (our outright failure). The company is extremely “frugal” and budget cuts and headcount pressure are a constant. This creates additional pressure on those who are trying to deliver. Work-Life balance is nonexistent and the company seems all too willing to take as much as you will let it. If you are the workaholic type, this place will bury you.