Good work, poor pay culture and delayed appraisals
Pros
Decent exposure to skills as inhouse learning programs Opportunity to work on large automotive programs Learning is good if you push yourself
Cons
Compensation is consistently below market, especially for 10+ years of experience Appraisal cycle is not trustworthy — no clarity on when hikes will actually come No arrears given, even though hikes are supposed to be effective from April Salary hikes are routinely delayed by ~2 quarters (mostly pushed to October) Average hike ~5%, even for top performers Effectively, employees lose ~6 months of revised salary every year Salary cycle becomes October to October while company follows April financial year Same pattern repeats every year — not a one-off issue Hiring is done for uncertain or not-yet-confirmed projects, leading to bench risk and instability Resource planning feels reactive rather than structured Leadership messaging during appraisal time often prepares employees for “low growth” instead of rewarding performance Many experienced employees openly joke about “when hike will come” — shows lack of trust Senior management is insulated (stock options, dividends), so employee salary concerns don’t get priority Recognition does not match responsibility, especially in managerial roles Work pressure increases, but compensation does not