OK, not great - Senior Software Engineer Ciena Employee Review

3.0
Oct 9, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Good people, helpful and smart - Interesting work - Decent gym (free), good coffee, and very good cafeteria food (note this is in Kanata, not Carling Lab 10) - Stock purchase plan

Cons

- RRSP matching plan is sub-standard compared to others in Ottawa - Management constantly over-commits to customers, then expects the rank and file to work evenings and weekends to meet these deadlines. Employees who don't meet these deadlines are punished via layoffs and/or poor performance reviews.

Explore other reviews about Ciena

5.0
Jul 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great people who work well together across company silos. Good pay, especially with stock performing well.

Cons

Extremely low attrition (~2% annually) leaves a workforce that is very experienced at Ciena. Unfortunately, this means high resistance to change and low awareness of industry best practices. Low attrition also leads to minimal opportunities for job growth.

3.0
Jun 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good work life balance, good environment

Cons

Pay is not competitive, very less stock options.

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