NetApp reviews about "upper management"

senior management comes and goes, there was a RIF every year, not merit based, but politicallly motivated there is so much energy wasted in dealing with the bloated upper management that it often results in missed opportunities. it is difficult to make strategic impact.

The lack of knowledge from upper management as to what all roles are responsible for and do is a little unsettling.

As all companies that go through a macro change: There will be some 'bad hires' in upper and lower management but again, everything is relative at a company of this size and our cultural has historically and continually worked out the bad seed. People that become complacent and scorned about being required to be more efficient with less resources. Again, part of the growing process. Risks that don't always pay off. People impact (RIF, Layoffs or whatever you like to call it). When the previous regime over-invests in the wrong direction, everyone pays for it. New leadership had no choice but to right the ship, reduce cost and increase efficiency. What we've been great at is our diligence to get great people back and forge ahead.

- Annual salary rase mechanism is barely keeping up with the yearly market inflation rate. It seems easier to negotiate a higher salary when you change position/manager horizontally, than to progress, if you are 3+ years in the same role. Even if you overachieve all goals of the previous year! - NetApp mid-managers, stop fearing for your heads while managing budgets, spot & reward your stars, or they will go. - Archaic annual review structure, 100 meetings about how it “changed” with the new HR tool. Where is the change? Still looking for it :) - KPI’s too much based on what upper management tells to focus on (and boy, they really struggle to be concrete, but in the end of the day demand a lot). Too little interest in professional and personal development of individual contributors :( - there is enough social althruists in the company keeping the culture alive and the company enjoyable to hundreds. Usually, these are just humble individual contributors, who get most “hi fives” on their floor or in the lunch cantine. Some of these wonderful givers organize sport tournaments, fun events and after-work drinks, some put many hours on top of their official 40+ into diversity and inclusion initiatives, setting up volunteer projects., etc. They often have little in common, but one thing: they are invisible to LOCAL (commercial) management and LOCAL HR. Again, NetApp, recognize your givers or they will get tired....

Upper management is in California, and can sometimes feel remote and unresponsive.

Unfortunately the growth in this company is limited. The company itself is growing but they are not promoting their employees. Upper management do not support their direct reports nor do they care to learn about the culture or their colleagues when they are hired from outside the company. The lack of communication is disturbing as is the understanding of what actually goes on at the lower levels. The CEO has made political comments during his "All Hands" which are offensive to those who support their government leaders no matter who they are. The excuse that it is a California company is just that, an excuse. No one is taking the time to change and advance this company outside NetApp Inc.

As the company struggled the atmosphere took on a very political tone. At the middle management level the focus became much more short term at the expense of long term prosperity. Upper management seems to have a long term plan but communications seemed to stop at middle management creating a lot of uncertainty for the workers.

Politics are creeping into the Boulder office. Annual review structure is archaic. Upper management is more concerned with shareholders' interests than employees.