Stay Away if You Value Your Health & Sanity - Systems Administrator Cognizant Employee Review

2.0
Feb 4, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* For some reason there are still a few of the old guard from their acquisitions that are decent people to work with. Ie.. the leaders make it bad, not the employees. * They have fairly good incident management practices. * They usually pay at or (very slightly) above industry standard salaries. * "Unlimited time off" means that if you have a decent manager you can get pretty flexible with time off. * They have well equipped meeting rooms at most sites. * It's easy to get reimbursed for travel.

Cons

* Known stupid things happen that can't be fixed. * Managers or departments hate each other, and use their roles to conduct political warfare. * Bad mistakes are frequently made, and no one is held accountable. * Almost all effort is on fire-fighting, and little on fire-proofing. * Unhealthy work/life balance is either encouraged or demanded. * Very much a victim of No Bad News syndrome, and Groupthink. * There is lots of waste on capital and little investment in people. * Terrible "open office" trendy office environment that's loud, frenetic, and very very distracting with people constantly interrupting you. * Lots of happy talk group meetings overflowing with platitudes but with fewer facts than you can even find on media sites about the company. * They actively push out Americans in favor of bringing in H-1B visa holders to undercut and push out employees from companies they acquire. The company has an "American Headquarters" and it's a farce, the real leadership and power is overseas. Registering your company in Delaware does not mean "Made in the USA".

Explore other reviews about Cognizant

5.0
Jul 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Promotes great flexibility with hybrid work options that support a healthy personal life. Fosters a collaborative environment where team members and management genuinely support your success.

Cons

Varies by project, meaning your workload heavily depends on the client you are assigned to.

1.0
Jul 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

None, run dont even consider them

Cons

"India-first mentality." The company says it wants to work with people across the Americas and Europe, but many decisions still seem to follow an Indian way of operating without properly considering local labor laws, regulations, and workplace expectations. There are serious concerns about job stability. The company frequently praises itself for creating employment opportunities, but at the same time, it appears to be bringing more employees from India into U.S. roles while letting go of people from the Americas and Europe who have contributed to the company. This creates uncertainty and raises questions about the company's commitment to its existing workforce. Every meeting seems to be focused on AI : AI this, AI that, AI everywhere. Employees are constantly asked to complete AI related training and adapt to AI initiatives, while at the same time letting people go so they can afford AI. Compensation is another area that needs improvement. After my contributions and time with the company, my last salary increase was only $20, which felt extremely discouraging and showed a lack of appreciation for employees' efforts.

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