Not the job presented in interviews, a big disappointment overall
Pros
Competitive pay, excellent benefits, decent campus and company cafeteria, flexible hours, and marquee brand.
Cons
Hierarchical culture, insular silos, and disconnects between management rhetoric and actions. Frequent re-orgs; some with layoffs. Limited opportunities for professional growth and advancement. Training and conferences are treated as perks for a select few instead of as a necessary investment in employees. Some buildings are crowded; personal workspace and parking are limited. PayPal uses a highly politicized “stacked ranking” system for biannual performance ratings, forcing a fixed percentage of staff into Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) regardless of their actual performance. New employees are generally not considered eligible for “meets expectations” ratings at their initial six month review. Because it is used to allocate the annual bonus pool for technical staff, the ranking system creates perverse workplace incentives. (Think: “Game of Thrones”.) Senior managers make the final ranking decisions in a closed meeting. Visibility and perception are heavily weighted. Some allege favoritism. It is not uncommon for the rating assigned by your immediate manager to be reduced by at least one level. There are many disgruntled employees at PayPal. The cynicism and negativity can be overwhelming at times.
