IBM reviews

Executive management does not communicate truthfully about layoffs or pretty much anything dealing with employees. They have basically been lying about the current layoffs. Of course, they layoff staff but very few managers. They purport to hire only the best, but then they have no problem giving ranking based on an arbitrary distribution. Which in turn does not make employees feel very valued. Benefits have slowly been reduced over the years; waiting for that to happen again.

Raises are rare and bonuses small, so either negotiate a high salary before being hired, or expect to be underpaid for some time. A bloated, bureaucratic management structure weighs down the whole organization, so innovation comes slowly and way behind most of the marketplace. All aspects of work at IBM are process-driven, so expect mountains of rules and documentation that frequently confound common sense. Probably the worst thing about IBM is the employee rating system. You are assigned your rating in a group meeting with all first and second line managers, and there is literally no objective criteria built in to the process. To be rated well, you must be very good at managing relationships with your manager and his peers. The people who thrive are frequently not the top contributors, but the ones who self-promote and manage perceptions well. IBM enforces a brutal ratings curve on the first and second line managers, so if you are not the leader of the pack, do not expect raises or promotions. You may or may not have job security, depending on the year.