A mixed bag - Software Engineer II Garmin Employee Review

3.0
Sep 26, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Challenging and interesting work, for the first 1-2 years. Interns and graduates are relied on to help deliver key projects. Colleagues are friendly and willing to help with questions. There are lots of sports opportunities - often more than one at each lunch time, and the office culture is to take a full hour's break at noon.

Cons

Slow promotions and requirement to fully prove capability before being allowed to move into new roles. Stubborn and inflexible management. Constant work overload. Constant changing of priorities, as events are often elevated to 'emergency' status unnecessarily. If you are not part of the lunchtime sports culture, then you are less likely to be given opportunities. Employees are rarely trusted by management with enough authority to effectively get their jobs done. No annual bonus (you usually get a Christmas turkey).

Explore other reviews about Garmin

5.0
May 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great work/life balance. Top pay if you're a top performer.

Cons

Can get boring with little opportunity to learn new things.

3.0
Apr 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits and work life balance. It's a good culture and I've never worked at a place where your immediate peers are this helpful and pleasant to work with, even across teams and offices. If you want to just come in and do just what is required for your job and go home with the knowledge you have a stable job, this is the perfect place to work. I'd only recommend working here if you just want a job, but don't care about a career.

Cons

There is poor career advancement, especially if you aren't male. Leadership does not care about leading people. The RTO has made working here less appealing. The excuse that you can't collaborate unless you are in the same building makes no sense when you work with people in 6 different countries. It is about control and appearances, all due to incredibly poor senior leadership strategies. The pay is also low and so is the quality of the software you work on. Leadership likes to talk quality, but they like fast and cheap. They will not support you in actual software quality nor implement changes to improve it. The same issues happen over and over without improvement.

8
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