Corporate Telecom - What do you expect? - Anonymous employee Lumen Employee Review

2.0
May 17, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

If you are part of the network group, you will likely keep your job. Benefits and flexibility are very good. Pay is ok. Lower level management means well and does the best they can.

Cons

If you are part of anything other than network (i.e Prism, cloud, IT services), you are most likely going to be laid off very soon. The Level(3) merger has brought with it the same Reduction in Force management recipe previously seen with Level(3)'s quarterly lay-offs: Cut, cut, cut until profitable. CTL's stock dividend is one of the highest, and this hampers the free cash available for investments. Basically, neither CenturyLink nor Level(3) have innovated on their network, which is complicated as each is a Frankenstein's monster of acquisitions and disparate technologies. CenturyLink management repeats the "network first" mantra as if to warn other business lines that their time is soon coming to an end. Executives lack credibility, and middle management layers essentially focus on empire building and political maneuvering. I am shorting CTL stock with confidence.

Explore other reviews about Lumen

5.0
Jun 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Easy to learn, manageable schedule, supportive management

Cons

Changes in systems with many malfunctions, confusing workflows, policies set with little guidance (like figure it out yourself)

2.0
May 13, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

work life balance, excellent time off so long as manager doesn’t micromanage/track and limit FTO, nice people, leadership has turned the business around.

Cons

No pay raises even with great performance review (5years with zero raise) No career growth/progression - been on a high-performing team for 5 years and not one person on the team has been progressed or promoted during that time. Little opportunity for career advancement and growth New jobs within the company are going to external hires, not much grwoth for current employees

avatar
Lumen Response
1mo
Thank you for your transparency about your experience. We want to hear from people like you to learn how we can do better. We are sorry to hear about your experience. Lumen is taking a proactive approach to pay equity and regularly conducts market reviews to ensure Lumen's pay is market competitive, positioning us at the forefront of compensation best practices. Your review will help us take any necessary action. We're glad you value work-life balance, our people, and leadership. Please reach out to us at CTLHRActionTeam@lumen.com if you would like to discuss anything further with your review. Thanks for being part of the team.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All