Doing things that don't matter, at a company that should matter... - Software Engineer OCLC Employee Review

3.0
Dec 29, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

OCLC has some strong technical talent, appreciation for life outside of work, and a unique and challenging mission. Its nonprofit status gives it more flexibility in providing services and software to libraries. Arguably the scope of OCLC's mission and data is similar to that of Google (at least Google Books), but where Google relies on algorithmic classification, OCLC also relies on librarians. The result is qualitatively different than what Internet search engines can provide. It is not a company where you can be unwillingly lost in the shuffle. If you can deliver a compelling result, you will be recognized , rewarded, and afforded more decision-making latitude. Fresh technical leadership will thrive here, especially if it has expertise in the mobile development and cloud computing areas.

Cons

Product design and product management is bad. Many of the software products are given resources beyond their needs, while others are slowly starved. OCLC's nonprofit status encourages this, as the bottom-line costs and benefits of any product or project are often not given enough consideration. While the technical staff has above average competence, the demands of some product managers go so far beyond what is necessary or useful that the software developers and systems administrators find themselves overworked and far outside their areas of expertise. This leads to poorly implemented software and systems, resulting in more overwork. The field of library automation was an early adopter of computers and the Internet, so there is a strong contingent of older software and data that one must navigate at OCLC. (I didn't write "legacy" software and data because there is no indication that any of it is going away soon.)

Explore other reviews about OCLC

5.0
Jul 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great team and work environment Interesting work day to day Working here feels meaningful

Cons

Compensation can be lower than average

2.0
Jun 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The benefits, particularly the thrift plan, are good for as long as they still exist. The employees are generally smart and caring people.

Cons

Upper management is neither good nor trustworthy. To go into details would most likely violate this website's TOS. Trust them not to tell you the truth, trust them to blame you if they can save themselves for another year. Any stories you've heard about a great place to work are based on old data. That company no longer exists. While layoffs have always been a threat, employees are constantly on edge now and having the CEO tell them if they want to stay on they shouldn't make trouble does not help, to say the least If you get hired here, understand that this cannot be a long term destination. Get your experience, have an exit plan, don't get comfortable and fade into mediocrity because that is your future, and that's if you are lucky. I just want to add that everything the other reviews say about the president is true. He absolutely did mock employee responses to an opinion survey at a town hall.

3
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