You'd better be ready to suck up to your boss - Senior Developer Harmonia Employee Review

2.0
Feb 29, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They have a decent benefits package and their pay is at or just below industry standards. The Blacksburg location is right on VT campus, meaning that you're centrally located. There is a weekly developers' meeting, but you'd better keep your head down during it. Once a month there's an extra-company activity where food and drinks are paid for. Equipment-wise, state of the art. Dual screen monitors, Dell laptops with docking stations and they don't get crazy about you using it as your own laptop. The network is well thought out, the VPN is well-configured so, if you're working from him, it's easy. They give Christmas bonuses.

Cons

It is a my-way-or-the-highway, personal-initiative squelching experience. I was actually let go over using the wrong notation when creating variables private to a web page, because that wasn't the way that the program manager liked to create variables. There was no comment on the code I created. The place is exceptionally narrow at the top - there is nowhere to go here until someone quits or dies. Firing occurs without notice - you don't get a review, your boss doesn't like what you did so you're out. As for the work environment: head-down programming. You've got your task, so shut up and do it. This year they screwed up taxes for everyone in the company by leaving off Christmas bonuses, meaning that a good portion of the employees filed an incorrect return and would have to refile. They're trying to start a .Net developers' division. The lead is a mediocre programmer but probably the most accomplished micro-manager of his time. This is particularly bad because he doesn't spec out the work he wants done. Expect directives like, "Do it like it is in this other program I wrote, but not really" and then corrections by Outlook email (if he doesn't take your code over himself and rewrite it without warning you).

Explore other reviews about Harmonia

5.0
Feb 4, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great culture, especially under new CEO. Cutting edge technologies. Mission and customer focus. Above market compensation. Terrific employee events.

Cons

None - it’s a great place to work!

1.0
Feb 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The CEO demonstrates authenticity and a sincere interest in employee growth. Note there was a change in CEO (Saboo is no longer acting CEO)

Cons

*The Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) consistently overrides employee authority and dictates decisions instead of collaborating. *Roles and responsibilities shift without discussion, creating confusion and frustration. *High performers' contributions are minimized or ignored by the CAO. *The CFO promised autonomy at hiring but did not uphold that trust. *Executive leadership communicates poorly and unprofessionally. *Chain of command is unclear, leaving employees caught between two sets of expectations. *Executive leadership does not know how to lead anyone. They were plastered with a nice title and comfy salary. Some communicate/dictate to their teams while others do not communicate at all. Worst team I've ever seen.

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