REI Systems reviews

3.4

56% would recommend to a friend

(386 total reviews)
avatar

Shyam Salona

80% approve of CEO

25% positive business outlook

REI Systems has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 386 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The REI Systems employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Information Technology industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

386 reviews
1.0
Nov 21, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* Very flexible office hours, you can come and go as you please as long as you get things done (with some managers). * Good medical benefits for the company size. * There are a few people in the company who are great at what they do. If you end up working there, find out who they are and stick with them; your life will be easier.

Cons

* Pays about 5-10k less than the average for software development positions in this area. The main figures on this site might be padded towards the high end, but you'll find out for sure if they make you an offer. * More fear with new technologies than innovation, and it leads to a lot of wasted effort in development and testing. * Falling behind with "cutting edge" technology. They're currently moving to .NET 3.5, but hardly anyone knows the framework and most are still programming from a non-OO perspective. * Project managers were promoted from senior development positions, and are lacking the interpersonal skills to do their jobs properly. They don't seem to read up on management or software books (or read far too many bad ones), as they often use catch phrases that sound good, but are effectively meaningless to the workers and don't help get anything done. They get angry at workers when deadlines slip (even if it isn't their fault), instead of just dealing with the situation professionally and working with the resources they have. * Some of the QA's think that giving you a hundred defect issues with one piece of information each is better than giving you ten issues with defects grouped logically. Leads to wasted time, frustration, and less work actually getting done. * Things are usually rushed, and code-quality practices are non-existent when deadlines come up. It's the type of environment where firefighting has taken precedence over most everything else. * Don't let HR glaze over the hours worked while you're interviewing, ask about it. When deadlines come up people are working late nights and weekend hours for 1-2 months before releases, which can happen every 4-6 months. * They've promoted technical people who don't have the skills for their position titles. I had a technical lead on a .NET 3.5 project who was supposedly "senior", but didn't know how to use LINQ, program with generics, or use partial classes with T4. (Also, the awards listed on glassdoor for this company are misleading. Those are actually for "Recreational Equipment (REI)", not "REI Systems Inc.")

5.0
Sep 16, 2010

Fun - challenging - cutting edge technology

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The teamwork and comradery at REI is amazing. I have worked in 3 other companies in the DC area, and they don't even come close. The team is super knolwedgeable and all help each other, with no ego clashes. Birthday Parties every month. All events are celebrated. If there is a problem - all pitch in to help. Great growth potential.

Cons

The workspaces - a bit tight, due to the recent explosive growth. When new space is availble - this will be ok I think.

5.0
Sep 16, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Bright folks to work with. Strong dedicated leadership. Great meaningful work that benefits under-served Americans. Exponential growth history and prospects Exceptional technical calibre and capability The location is great. Diversity - in reality ;not lip service Low attrition rates- most of REI's staff have been with REI for long.

Cons

Fast paced, Stimulating and challenging - but it can sometimes wear you down. Some growing pains - expected in a fast growing company.

Viewing 382 - 384 of 386 Reviews

Glassdoor has 411 REI Systems reviews submitted anonymously by REI Systems employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if REI Systems is right for you.