eBay MTS 1 - Software Engineer reviews

Stability sudden layoffs and etc

The expectations for delivering new features are extremely unrealistic. Sometimes teams are expected to deliver new functionality within 1–2 days even when the feature needs to be built from scratch. At the same time, requirements are often unclear or keep changing every week, yet the expectation is still to deliver on time. The working model communicated during joining was 3 days work from office depending on project needs, but later the policy became stricter. Similarly, it was initially communicated that there would not be strict in-time or out-time requirements as long as project work was completed, but now strict office login hours are enforced. There is also a strong presence of internal groupings based on language, background, and internal politics, often driven by older employees or US-returned employees. During hiring and performance evaluations, partiality sometimes appears to depend on where someone comes from or which group they belong to. Many senior employees do not provide clear technical inputs or guidance. In some cases, small changes are stretched across 3–4 months, while newer employees who joined recently are expected to deliver complex features quickly. New joiners often end up restarting work multiple times from scratch without proper documentation or support, yet they are still expected to deliver quickly. Despite delivering features on time and adapting to constantly changing requirements, recognition for new employees is minimal. Work-life balance is also poor. New joiners rarely receive work-from-home flexibility even when deliverables are completed on time, while older employees or long-term contractors seem to have more flexibility. The culture also tends to favor people who spend time on informal networking, frequent tea breaks, smoke breaks, or personal conversations with managers, rather than people who focus purely on work. Cafeteria quality is also very poor, with most snack options being oily, sugary, or unhealthy, which is not suitable for regular consumption. Overall, the environment feels more suited for people comfortable with politics, informal networking, and managing perceptions, rather than those who want to focus on engineering and delivery.