Google performance process a backstabbing show?

Jan 15, 2020 19 Comments

I heard from a former Google EM that the perf process is a terrible backstabbing show, managers fighting and trying to advance their people and put others down, and lots of recently converted EMs switching back to IC partially due to this.

How much of this is true? I was a bit surprised to hear to be honest

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TOP 19 Comments
  • IBM
    Strangler

    Go to company page IBM

    Strangler
    Google is a maturing Fortune 500 organization. Eventually, reviews and promotions will all be based on political and executive connections, not how talented you are as an engineer. Long term, the best in class talent eventually move on to the Googles of tomorrow.
    Jan 15, 2020 2
  • Google / Eng
    sandwich6

    Go to company page Google Eng

    sandwich6
    Google has 100,000 employees. There is no uniform experience. But I can tell you that on my team, it's a collegial affair and we try to get to the right outcome.
    Jan 15, 2020 7
  • Can't imagine it to be worse than Facebook PSC
    Jan 15, 2020 3
  • Wayfair
    oLJl42

    Go to company page Wayfair

    oLJl42
    Like another poster said, it's a big company and experience will probably vary. That said, during both my interview and team matching conversations, multiple people used the word cutthroat to describe the perf process. They also all said they loved working there, so it can't be that bad.
    Jan 15, 2020 0
  • This is true - I know a very political microsoft engineering manager and she went to google recently , I celebrated that day. I also know someone who did fraud in Cisco and was fired , now he is a director at google. I also know a very hated and political person in a financial company (starts with P) and now a senior leader in google - basically you cannot interview to test political backstabbing capabilities - it’s part of the reason they grew in career and google is full of them , so is microsoft , So is FB -and so is apple , I can list all companies - it’s all the same pool of talent
    Jan 15, 2020 1