Excellent place to work & learn... Not so great to earn - Senior Associate Cognizant Employee Review

3.0
Jun 13, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great place to learn the nuances of software engineering. Good cultural values, great encouragement by management to take up big things early. Good DNA within core(old timers) management to "take care" of young, new, enthusiastic employees with identified high potential to ensure they are given the job that challenges them and keeps them in the organization for reasons other than money. So there is a thrill of doing big things early and I can vouch for that. Company is highly process oriented and folks judiciously follow the same in projects completely executed by the company, especially those audited by the internal SQAG (Software Quality Assurance Group). Strong senior management insight and their moves, keeps the company ahead of its competition and makes the company stock a great long time investment. Historical results stand witness to this as it has never disappointed its investors. Employee stock purchase plan thus is a plus. Stock options given to senior management ensure very low attrition at that level.

Cons

Poor compensation compared to industry standards. Causes a lot of "brain drain" since all the inhouse training & grooming go waste if good employee choses to leave for genuine compensation reasons. Vacation period very less compared to other industry competitors, though managers get to have a say to give more if required, at their own discretion.

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
3.0
Jun 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Cognizant can be a great place to work at. You have to be self-motivated and driven. You won't often be given a script on how to do your job well. But if you are willing to search for new opportunities, you will find success.

Cons

Just like many other tech companies, layoffs are happening all the time. This often brings many projects to a complete halt. Management never communicates when someone is laid off. And when they are laid off, they often never back fill positions, leaving existing team members working the equivalent of three jobs at once. Most teams there are skeleton crews, ensuring that they cannot reach their full potential.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All