Morally Bankrupt with Performance Management - Software Engineer Capital One Employee Review

1.0
12 Feb 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Long and flexible PTO - Decent benefits

Cons

First of all, I'm not sure how Capital One has so many positive reviews on Glassdoor. There has to be many fake reviews here. In my six years working there I didn't know anyone (at least in Retail Bank IT) who was really happy about working there. Most were absolutely miserable. On one hand, Capital One gave me a lot of experience and exposure to things I wouldn't have encountered otherwise. On the other hand, Capital One caused incredible stress to my life because of their morally bankrupt performance management, politics, dishonest and cowardly management, and constant turnover. If you are considering working there, understand one thing....you are a number on paper. That is it. If management feels that you are not helping their agenda (if anyone even knows what it is), they will push you out by ignoring you and your work, lying about your performance, and finally firing you (they call this "redeployment" to make it sound less serious). In my last year there, I worked extremely hard to go above and beyond every objective assigned to me, only to have my current manager do a pathetic job at presenting me to the performance management calibrations, which by the way, are based on the opinions of other managers who don't necessarily know anything about what you are working on. It was then I knew it was time for me to go. The whole system is not just ridiculous and absurd, it's immoral. It is a system designed for upper management to empower "yes men" managers to control hiring/firing. Capital One is extremely political. I even had a co-worker tell me that to be successful there I should focus more on being visible than my actual work. Believe it or not he was right. Thankfully I found a much smaller company where I don't have to put up with all the nonsense and be rewarded for my actual work. It's absolutely wonderful. If that's what you are looking for, stay far away from Capital One. However, if you are an outgoing person with above average job skills who is good at politics, you'll probably excel. Make no mistake, Capital One is one of the best companies I've ever seen at marketing a spotless image to the outside public, but on the inside, it is toxic, although it will take new hires a while to pick up on this.

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5.0
19 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great work life balance, leading tech

Cons

Ulta standardization from the top down, can slow progress

1.0
1 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Pay can be decent compared to GovCon. Some people are a pleasure to work with. Other non-pay related incentives.

Cons

Never heard more nonsensical topics during meetings; people sharing their sexual preferences, flaunting overly dramatic personal lifestyle decisions, diversity to the point of failure, etc. Hearing the term "white guilt" in a professional setting was, well, pretty unprofessional. Stack ranking for performance reviews is a mess. Someone has to have an "F" regardless of their performance because that is what their line of business is allotted. Be prepared to be held responsible for actions any Sr Leadership would just sweep under the rug under their own circumstances. If a manager doesn't like you, regardless of your productivity, you're toast unless you're able to find another LoB to support. HR / AR are just a check in the box and will most likely point you from one to the other and back again without resolving any issues. You'll find yourself curious as to what leadership does as they continue to scrape managerial responsibilities from their plate, to yours. Last but certainly not least; you may find yourself working hard on a project; nights and weekends, just in case that work life balance is feeling a little too perfect. Fret not, someone will surely assist in taking credit for the hard work you've put in. I'm sure none of these things will happen to you, though. Best of luck!

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