WD reviews

Note that I become a WD employee through its acquisition of SanDisk, I would have never accepted a job offer to work for WD if it were my choice. WD is a cheap company. Compensation at WD is 10-30% below market median for engineers in Silicon valley. This is because the company is a bottom feeder, i.e. it doesn't attract the brightest and the sharpest, and neither did it need to do so running the rusty legacy HDD business. However, Sandisk is relatively a high-tech company that was one of the targets of talent in the area before the acquisition. Post this doomed acquisition, an increasing number of talented engineers have left and are leaving the company. Some high level folks are just waiting to get their package and open those "parachutes" Company has more than $15B debt. What incentives have you given your employees to offset the risk of your gamble? Leadership at WD doesn't have the technical smarts to run a chip company that thrives on Moore's law. The CEO is an accountant(?).They cannot comprehend the heavy R&D cost required to shrink things by 1nm or a couple of atoms, all they know is adding more plates to an HDD (aka spinning rust). I don't see a bright future, especially given the strong competition now that's already ahead. Terrible benefits, the health benefits are worse than those offered to an average college student. Super high-deductible plans, high premiums, in fact WD health insurance is about the same as getting Obamacare on your own. There are no perks, well maybe the free cheap coffee WD CEO is so proud of. (yes until recently WD didn't even provide free coffee to their employees). Bonus/RSU's suck. There is no retention package post acquisition, instead they reduce the benefits. The equality prices may rise short term given the higher margins of SanDisk compared to the spinning rust business, but it will drop faster than a rock once the high winds of competition will start to shake this rotten structure. finally the name "Western Digital" just sounds dumb!!! Who wants to say they work for "Western Digital" ? If you are ambitious, young, talented (especially NCGs from top university with advanced degree) this place is not for you.

- New mgmt. is inexperienced and a total disaster and has made the work environment hostile, toxic and ultimately a complete failure. - Large layoffs are a norm. One just happened last Friday - it is a one man show who is supposed to lead the engineering organization but pretty much runs product, marketing and even HR. The person has been given keys to the kingdom and it is very clear that he is neither qualified nor has the maturity to run large size organizations. - a lot of key positions are filled with new people who are from outside and buddies and neither have the track records nor experience to full fill the roles. It is solely based on buddy system. - snap judgements are made about employees by new mgmt. based on no substance technically. - questioning any decision means you get on layoff list unless you are in the inner buddy circle. - Mandatory 7 day work weeks are put in because releases were poorly planned , managed and doomed for failure to begin with. - layoffs are planned in advanced but Employees are intimidated to work at the Mountain View location mandatory 7 days a week and then laid off. Very unethical. Cannot believe this happens in USA.