MDA reviews

3.6

75% would recommend to a friend

(642 total reviews)
avatar

Mike Greenley

53% approve of CEO

67% positive business outlook

MDA has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 642 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The MDA employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Aerospace and defence industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

642 reviews
1.0
Jul 26, 2018

Sinking ship

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The biggest pro was the stellar people I got work with

Cons

Where to even begin. MDA is a poorly managed chaotic mess with bad morale and disregard for its employees that was only made worse by the DigitalGlobe acquisition...which was actually DG taking over MDA, not the other way around as the headlines would lead you believe. The sheer and utter contempt with which DG treats MDA and its employees has pushed out the best and brightest future stars. Deluded, selfish, and ignorant management have wasted talent and driven people to high stress and burnout, all for well-below average pay for Vancouver and mediocre benefits. HR truly and thoroughly does not care about the staff, and the many many many levels of management just cannot be bothered to change or improve.

1.0
Apr 12, 2017

Stay away! Stay VERY far away!

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Cafeteria isn't bad but would be better if subsidized a bit. No healthy options either, but they do have vegetarian options though. That's the only positive I believe there is, unfortunately! Well, you do get to say you worked at MDA, which "may" look good on your resume if you pull out the $5 bill and show people the back, or the old $100.

Cons

Everything! Outdated technology. Very restricted IT policies. Can't plug any USB into a computer. Can't access most websites, even from the public wifi offered. Can't download photos through USB from company provided cellphone! Ancient working methods using file structures to organize and manage projects. Lots of politics!!!! Cliques! Many people who's only EVER worked at MDA their whole career! They have no other work experience but are "know it all's". Many alpha-male types / a-type personalities, who only like to hear themselves talk! If you want to work here be prepared to be underpaid. You're still reading? There's nothing good here, really. Working here was probably the worst career move I've ever made!!! I tried sticking it out in the hopes it would get better but nope! Now I spend my evenings job searching, hoping for anything just to get me out of here! Quarterly reviews are so high-level and more of a show than anything else. Another word that comes to mind for MDA is sweatshop! Every project re-invents the wheel, seeming to start from scratch! They sell it as a project "start-up". It's not a start-up! It's nothing like a start-up! Start-up's are much more agile and use new technology tools and methods and don't have all the politics. Startups don't use the waterfall methodology! Still reading? Really, don't work here! They don't pay bonuses. They have a loophole around overtime by calling it "flex time" and it's a 1:1 ratio, unlike overtime that's paid at 1.5 or double time. And if you do work flex time to make sure you deliver your work package on time for the project's benefit or you'll be questioned why you're working flex time. The reality is you're working extra to make sure MDA is successful. It's insulting to be asked this question. Then any flex time you do have can be used against you! Yes, you read that right. The company can force you to take time off using your flex time. So if you've accumulated say 2 weeks or 6 weeks, etc. and they are going through a slow time, or need people to take a break on a project else they'll burn through the budget then they force people to take/use the flex time they've accumulated. So it's not like you get to take the time off when you want that you busted your butt to save theirs and that's the thanks you get! Why did I take this job? Oh why!!! Is God punishing me for previous sins? There must be a logical answer to this! Life cannot be so cruel!!!

1.0
May 16, 2018

New Grads: Avoid!

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Upbeat team despite the challenges. “We are all suffering through this together” is a common theme. Free parking. Shuttle from transit.

Cons

General mismanagement abounds. Deadlines are continually pushed out and the team is given no clear indication why. Defining development scope seems like an afterthought. Goals and direction are unclear. Management is management based purely on being around for a long time not based on any qualifications. Mangers have insufficient training and no people management skills. The only concern seems to be burndown charts and the bottom line. Morale is abysmal. If you feel like software unit testing is an essential part of development: look elsewhere. A great deal of the sales team has been promoted from within. Engineers are not necessarily salespeople.

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Glassdoor has 808 MDA reviews submitted anonymously by MDA employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if MDA is right for you.