It isn't what it used to be - Software Developer/Technical Lead SunTrust Employee Review

Where to start? IT / Software development is geared toward an onshore technical lead / onshore global resource coordinator / offshore development model. The companies SunTrust works with for offshore development are who you'd expect, IBM and Infosys, and their expertise on cutting edge platforms ranges from barely acceptable to non-existent. You are not guaranteed resource continuity and not allowed to interview offshore resources to see if they are a fit for your project. Large turnover numbers, lack of good English speakers, and inept onshore coordinators who may also have language barriers make for a frustrating daily experience. The coordinators sole job is to make money for their company, not for SunTrust. They will throw as many resources on the project as they see fit. Most are brand new with no experience. What's worse is that SunTrust's IT management up to and including the CIO thinks this model is working perfectly despite daily assurances from the workers over the years that it is not. Part of this is the CIO himself, who was part of a failed transformation effort as an IBM consultant back in the mid 2000's which heavily pushed the offshore model, and was then inexplicably hired on as the CIO a few years later, as if nobody remembered who he was. After demonstrating failure at the very same company? The technical lead positions are overbooked and overworked. Multiple projects, 5 or more, is the norm. And because the onshore team is a skeleton crew, you're on your own to deal with the offshore coordinators and team. Every project is top priority and full time. Stress levels in the tech lead positions are high and come with lots of blame and very little reward. Maybe you get a bonus if you're part of the incentive program and above a certain pay grade, and it's completely arbitrary whether you'll get it, despite above average performance. Salary can be okay, but lower than industry standards for the cutting edge technologies. The culture is one of blame from high to low. Expect to be thrown under the bus by one or more of your co-workers, or even by your management because they're all as frustrated with their jobs as you are, and when you can't get your work done you have to blame someone. You are disposable. Requests for more resources or a lighter workload fall on deaf ears because the middle management is afraid to tell the CIO that the offshore model isn't working since the CIO brought the offshore model there in the first place. Over my 11 year tenure there, I survived no fewer than five large scale layoffs, three of which were part of the failed transformation effort managed by the person who is now their current CEO. Constant fear of losing your job. It cut staffing levels to the bare minimum needed to keep the lights on but with no way to effectively deliver on revenue generating projects that the line of business needs. Time off is largely governed by your manager. Mostly you're treated like an adult and as long as you get your work done, you're fine. But your project manager on your current project will insist that you don't take vacation during their project. Your next project begins immediately after this one ends, and your next project manager will insist you don't take vacation on their project schedule either. Multiply that by 5+ projects and you'll do what everyone does: take a month off in December because you use it or lose it. Promotions used to happen regularly and were based on merit. And you had the opportunity to move into different areas of specialization like moving from software development to architecture. That is now gone. Architecture positions are no longer filled internally. Once risen to the level of technical lead, you have no possibility of promotion from there. Pay increases for COL adjustments are from zero to 1.5%, usually accompanied by larger increases in benefit premiums than increases in salary. I left for FAR greener pastures before I had a heart attack, and that's where this company was pushing me. Much happier now that it's behind me. Turns out there's a whole world of companies out there that are a pleasure to work for and that care about their people.