IBM reviews

1. Despite its claim, it is a very mechanistic organization, which has an engineering approach to its employees, who are viewed as cogs in a machine and left to feel used and dispensable. 2. Despite an elaborate on-boarding program, its treatment of new employees is casual and thoughtless, and the initial period for newcomers is hard. 3. It is particularly bad for younger employees, who haven't had long working experience and are not principally self-directed; they often rudderless and lost in a giant maze. 4. Most employees are now 'virtual' and get scant team or organizational support, leaving them isolated, unsupported and painfully on their own.

Management lies, and as a first line manager, I know ... Indeed my management chain requires me to lie to my team: people I trust and respect. Lies and misrepresentation are the IBM family values, particularly for personnel issues and also for business metrics. That is the biggest downside - you never know when you're getting the straight story. For example, the PBC system is a ranking system. A first line manager is told what their "skew" has to be - the company advertises that a first line manager can use their own judgment for differentiation between team members, subject to some oversight to ensure equity. In actual fact managers are told what to do and are required to lie to their team members so that the executives can make their metrics. There are many other examples - and I see them every day - it always comes down to managing the metrics, rather than the results.