Working at Microsoft in Redmond, WA: 393 Employee Job Reviews by Real Employee working in Redmond, WA Area

"Although MSFT was not my direct employer, it offers opportunities to work in IT for the large software company."

What do you like about working at Microsoft?

"I like the flexible work environment."

What don't you like about working at Microsoft?

"Some teams have stressed production flows, management, and infrastructure."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Team communications cannot be under-emphasized; communication is very valuable and key to meet production cycles and improve workflow and deadlines."

What do you like about working at Microsoft?

"I like everything."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Be yourself."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Continue the same."

"Bitter about the good people laid off and the loafs that are protected by upper management."

What do you like about working at Microsoft?

"In the beginning it was an exciting place to be involved in leading edge technologies."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Be very selective in which group you choose to join."

What don't you like about working at Microsoft?

"I don't like the deteriorating level of professionalism in project management principles as well as just plain business acumen in many organizations. There is no recognition of the value of PM fundamentals; no one I worked with could barely understand logic diagramming or principles of WBS creation. They just use MS Project to make pretty pictures that did a great job of showing how late their next project delivery would be."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Start paying attention to the fundamentals, forget the touchy-feely junk, and start with sound PM fundamentals. Use knowledgeable people to plan work before committing to a delivery, and root out the good-ole-boy protections for incompetent people who sit on the web all day doing the photography hobbies and never deliver on time."

"Forget the Jungle - welcome to the Pressure Cooker."

What do you like about working at Microsoft?

"The opportunity to work with driven professionals who exhibit significant mental 'horsepower' is always present at Microsoft. You'll find something or someone who can challenge you every day."

What don't you like about working at Microsoft?

"The forty-hour work week was not part of the lexicon during my time at Microsoft. This isn't automatically a bad thing, but when employees are castigated and have their desire to contribute questioned for 'only working sixty hours last week' on a product which was still eighteen months from release to manufacturing, it's a sign that the work/life balance is critically skewed."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Look for good people skills, not merely solid technical acumen in those you assign to oversee others. I've seen far too many Microsoft managers--and worked under a few--who have excellent technical abilities, but the people skills of a stone wall."

"Started great... flamed out after dealing with abusive management."

What do you like about working at Microsoft?

"I like working around a bunch of smart people."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Bring your A game."

What don't you like about working at Microsoft?

"Management and human resources pay lip service to 'work-life balance'. MSFT culture allows a good deal of managerial abuse towards contractors and ICs."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Allow easier movement out of groups if Windows CE becomes too inbred with abusive managers."

"My company was bought and used as a guinea pig for Microsoft Service platforms."

What do you like about working at Microsoft?

"I like the benefits package."

What don't you like about working at Microsoft?

"Microsoft has no idea how to run a service company, or how to treat people who are on call 24x7."

"Renowned employer."

What do you like about working at Microsoft?

"I worked very closely with the UX Design lead and was exposed to their design process."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"To interview successfully with Microsoft, designers must have a strong portfolio and be able to sell their work while explaining their decision making process."

What don't you like about working at Microsoft?

"While working closely with the UX Design lead, I felt disconnected from the rest of the team."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"While integrating contractors into the production process, allow them to attend occasional design reviews on the PM level. This will allow free flow of information and a glimpse into the decision making criteria for each specific project."

"Good"

What do you like about working at Microsoft?

"I like using the latest technologies."

"Expects employees to act like startups but there are big company limitations."

What do you like about working at Microsoft?

"It is results-oriented."

What don't you like about working at Microsoft?

"It relies on the individual's evangalization in lieu of program management, especially in setting multi-level goals."

"Being a mechanical engineer at a software company is frustrating, but interesting."

What do you like about working at Microsoft?

"Generally, technical analysis wins any argument. Uninformed biases do not play a major role in things. Performance is (mostly) respected."

What don't you like about working at Microsoft?

"Software people make lousy manufacturing process types. The supply chain system is so rigid that schedule is lost to those biases. Improperly derived information is nearly impossible to purge from the system."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Don't let enthusiasm for a new product overpower application realities."

"Dynamic, motivating, fun and intellectually challenging at the same time."

"It's great to work for Microsoft if you are in the right group working on the right project(s)."

"Microsoft as it is."

What do you like about working at Microsoft?

"You can learn how things could be done if you wanted to."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Open your eyes. Microsoft might waste your talent for no apparent reason."

What don't you like about working at Microsoft?

"Who works for Microsoft has decided to speak well about Microsoft. Otherwise, they won't work for Microsoft for too long. I left Microsoft and only I know what I have survived there. I needed 2 full years to recover. I know what is happening there. I know who, why, where... The fact that I was silent for 2 years and that I would probably remain silent for the rest of my life speaks for itself. All that if Microsoft is good and if Microsoft is bad is a political game in the sense that if I would speak against Microsoft I must be Linux or Google oriented. But after 15 years with Microsoft's technologies all around the world, I know what bothers that company better than all those lovers and haters. What they have, Microsoft cannot fix. For some time they will force the respect with their money, and beyond that they will vanish. It is irreparable. Sure, some teams can live in isolation for some time, and maybe even not need to pretend how good it is there. For me it was a pure horror, not that I was in a bad department or team, but learning that to reach that isolated probably in good part you must fight for about 5 years and seeing scenes that cannot belong to any normal software company in the world, and I've seen a lot... That does not make the entire Microsoft a good company at all. Anyhow, if I decide to speak, a novel on How my mother survived holocaust and I survived Microsoft will be definitely published at least on-line. I definitely know that many people would rather forget than put themselves into a position of being under Microsoft's attack if they speak openly. For me, I can't have any respect for them. I can either ignore them, or if I need to complete my recovery, write something about my experience. Good Yes, you can cheat yourself into believing that anything is good then, and join Microsoft in forcibly establishing dominance for some time. It is someone else's choice, not mine."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"None that would help."