Guaranteed overtime during the end of any development cycle for major OR minor releases. Mostly because of poor planning by management, and over-promising by marketing.
Heavy political atmosphere with emphasis on "towing the company line" rather than getting the job done. Even internally!!
Lots of off-shore hiring and foreign hiring, few American workers employed - most are Indian, Chinese, or Mexican. I have nothing against cultural diversity, but these are literally people from another country that have been relocated for their job with a work visa. In other words, they do not employ very many *Americans* (except maybe in HR). I was one of 3 Americans on my entire floor of over 300 people.
Furthermore, they outsource testing and development jobs heavily to India, China, and Russia because it saves money. They close other offices (except HQ) in the U.S. or anywhere around the world if they fail to meet the cost-benefit ratio. This is a highly profit-driven public-traded company that cares way more about their bottom line than satisfying their customers or employees.
Developers may easily work 50-60 hours a week as a normal work week. During crunch time, working 80 hours per week is not unheard of, and it ends when the managers say it ends. The pay does not increase with overtime as workers are salaried, they are simply given some extra comp days - but that is not worth the frustration and stress involved in this entire process.
Most developers look like they have been there forever and the light has gone out of their eyes. Everyone who works there only cares about a paycheck; they accept the status quo, and most don't venture beyond their cubicles or their manager's office.
The company culture is anti-new-ideas (although they say to your face that they have an open-door policy, you are just open to talk, not to be listened to unless you have worked there for 10 years). Heavily political.
Oh, and what the CEO says is GOD as far as anyone is concerned. They will always tell you "Well, he writes out paychecks, so...."
