Bottomline reviews

Very political atmosphere - if you don't "play the game" and play hard every day you will either disappear into the background or get cut without warning. Annual contraction of staff - happened all five years I was there, at the same time every year. Often, the decisions seem either political or arbitrary because there were no glaring performance issues (they don't wait for the annual contraction to remove non-performing employees, understandably). No parity of salary - you could sit right next to someone that does the same job but has been there for less time and makes significantly more money than you. HR is too powerful - I've never worked at a company where the HR Department/Director carries as much stroke as executive management.

Obsessed over growth by acquisition and public perception instead of genuine R&D. BT will suck the life out of you if you aren't careful. It is the most bizarre culture I've ever been a part of. They truly have the people and solutions to be great but upper management is just too stubborn and arrogant to allow it. They would rather acquire a company for $50m than entrust their own employees with that investment. Yet they pound their chest about "innovation." They rely on these creepy, cult-like phrases like "with and for" and "delighting customers". It comes straight from top. Some of the worst performers know how to spin the right words and lay low enough to win corporate survivor. It is damn near impossible to get someone fired so there are a lot of B-teamers lurking. HR has betrayed the confidentiality of employees multiple times and will pass things said in private right up to the top. If the company dropped the employee stock purchase plan, I would expect a mass exodus. I believe the excellent pay and benefits has left a lot of people feeling trapped.