Once innovative, now at the mercy of Cognizant - Senior Product Manager Cognizant Employee Review

3.0
Oct 11, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Softvision was known for it's stand out and innovative software product engineering. Folks were scrappy and inspired, the work was interesting, and the people were engaged. It felt like the company you wanted to be at forever. Managers cared, sales and delivery managers managed client expectations, and teams bonded over problem solving.

Cons

Then the merger with Cognizant began creeping into the day-to-day activities. Work became more cookie cutter and run-of-the-mill. Sales teams sold staff augmentation and promised unrealistic deliverables, then bullied and pushed the teams to meet them. Managers disappeared because they became powerless to help, teams were grinding to the bone and didn't have time to connect with other team members. Reviews, promotions, and merit increases were frozen - and a LOT of really good people left.

Explore other reviews about Cognizant

5.0
May 27, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good projects, challenging work, lots to learn

Cons

The way the bench status is structured

1
1.0
Jun 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

A potential inroad into large client companies (Leave Cognizant ASAP) You aren't unemployed.

Cons

It's a body shop. Clients will view you accordingly. Contractors cannot be trusted with most tasks. You must be siloed (No room for growth) so you don't break anything. Your actual job is to fulfill gaps in the client's grunt work even if out of scope. If you don't, the hammer falls from client and Cognizant. Wages well below industry standards. 1% annual raises only exist because legally they must exist. Takes full advantage of H-1B slave system, where employees' families and homes will be thrown into a furnace if you aren't keeping Cognizant happy no matter what. Employees are complacent in their slavery. Management is just happy to get their extra crumbs and will reinforce the bad culture. C-suite is opaque. If you are familiar with India's caste system you will understand how "lessers" are treated. This also happens in a literal sense, you aren't totally safe just because you are the favored skin tone. Takes full advantage of modern white collar culture. "Your racist actions aren't actually racist if you aren't Caucasian." Expect the uphill battle to be even more steep if you're not Southeast Asian. You will hunt for your own work most of the time. Cognizant is not helpful in any regard. They exist to skim off the top and nothing else.

3
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