Smart people enjoying excellent perks, with extremely spotty management.
Pros
Everybody who's paying attention knows how great the perks are. Between on-site gyms, massage, a wide selection of health benefits, 401k and stock grants, competitive salary, and of course the free, gourmet meals, it's one of the cushiest jobs in Silicon Valley. The technical challenges are interesting, and the code base is enormous. Engineers are encouraged to fix any and all problems, on their own teams or completely separate projects. There is a lot of freedom to do anything that interests you, as long as you have time.
Cons
Having good management seems to be a non-goal, at least below the highest levels. The only requirements for becoming a manager are having good enough technical skills to reach the correct job level, and expressing interest. Because of this, middle management is extremely hit-or-miss. Employees are often expected to figure out how to grow on their own, with little or no guidance, even for those fresh out of school. Many managers still have technical responsibilities, and let their people-management responsibilities fall by the wayside. It is unclear so far just how Larry Page taking over as CEO will affect the company as a whole, at least in terms of work environment.
