Microsoft Group Program Manager, Technology reviews

Microsoft is too bureaucratic and political in some groups. Also, unlike the old days, who you know and nepotism plays a large part in how far and how quickly you advance career-wise. There are groups that are more entrepreuneurial and that are more like the Old Microsoft in the 90's, but those groups are few and far between.

Work life balance. The matrix leads to tension between the businesses and the field and prohibits optimal performance through lack of alignment. The culture is extremely aggressive and treating one another with respect is not a priority; additionally the focus on email and lack of face-to-face interaction is difficult for Extroverts. Lack of lay-offs does mean that you are never getting rid of your lowest tier employees so they never leave. We often don't know how to prioritize projects so do many things not well vs. a few things really well. Engineering culture results in lack of respect for support functions particularly marketing and finance, which are very, very leanly staffed.