Strategic Cost-Cutting Reorg: The company recently underwent a reorganization to reduce costs. While not widespread across every department, it has led to targeted layoffs and a push to offshore development roles to India and Prague. The attempt to supplement these changes with AI tools has been messy and has disrupted established workflows.
Failed Acquisition Integration: A recently acquired company in Europe lost nearly its entire workforce due to the friction of this reorganization. This has caused a significant loss of institutional knowledge and technical expertise.
Two-Tier Internal Culture: There is a palpable hierarchy within the organization. Specifically, members of the Imperva acquisition are often treated as "first-class citizens" in North America. This creates an elitist atmosphere that alienates legacy employees and prevents a cohesive "one team" culture.
Hostile Internal Transfers: Despite HR’s claims of flexibility, internal mobility is a major challenge. Certain teams (particularly on the Imperva side) are more rigid and harder to join than those at external competitors. The "family" atmosphere promised during onboarding does not exist in practice when trying to move between units.
Competitive Pressure in Ottawa: While the defence sector in Ottawa is the most stable part of the business, it is facing increasing pressure from local competitors. The combination of outside competition and internal offshoring makes it a less secure environment for local developers than it used to be.
