Pros
This company has some exceptionally bright and talented developers and designers, particularly in the Linux/open-source fields. Many of the technical architects and project managers are also very knowledgeable and effective. Excellent opportunities and interesting work for technical staff. Friendly, easy-going working environment. Excellent client relationships - the company is well respected in its field and has some great products with long-standing clients. Client satisfaction always seems high. Good pension and share options. Company seems keen on training and development.
Cons
Jam tomorrow: senior management forever talking up prospects but rarely actually delivering. Siloed UK business structure with impenetrable central services. Little integration evident between 'Legacy Logica' and 'Classic CGI', despite it's now being over three years since the merger. Benefits derived from being a larger company have been squandered. Staff who have been with the company for some time seem demotivated and lack drive to deliver. Some quite senior people need astonishing levels of supervision to complete work on time and to adequate quality. Stone Age IT for a technology company. Bewildering suite of spreadsheets and legacy web apps with no single sign-on. I once spent half a day rolling back Internet Explorer to an obsolete version in order to use a reporting tool. No local IT support and slow response from central heldesk (6 weeks to repair a telephone). Impersonal, transactional HR support run out of the Philippines. If you are lucky, your case may be referred to the 'onshore' team. That means that someone actually in the UK will take it on but their key concern will be closing the ticket. Short-termist management approach driven mainly by revenue figures. Little evidence of joined-up medium-/long-term planning. This BU has no significant prime contracts and relies on small projects, subcontracts and body-shopping. There are therefore limited options for career progress in middle management. BUs already over-staffed with client engagement directors, account managers, programme managers etc. Some of the offices are very basic; limited catering and parking. Uncompetitive basic salary; very stingy subsistence and site allowances. Poor appraisals system. You do something well, ask for feedback from managers but they can rarely be bothered to give it. Owing to the 'hygiene' factors above, staff turnover is high.