Cipher Systems Reviews

Pros

Excellent team who cared for their customers

Cons

Lacked the funding needed to succeed

Pros

Great coworkers and office perks.

Cons

Company needs to strategize better to keep business.

Pros

Helping the customer is always the top focus.

Cons

Like many high-growth companies, they are still building out processes and structure. If you are someone who needs this, it might not be the the place for you.

Pros

During the course of 2014, Cipher’s new management team has taken the company in a positive direction. Over the past 12 months, there has been a significant improvement in terms of both the overall vibe and corporate culture, helped in large measure by a shared sense that the company is expanding its capabilities and offerings in a sustainable, deliberate, and logical fashion, and that all employees are stakeholders in that journey. Employees greatly appreciate the efforts taken by management to convey strategic vision and direction, and to shape a culture where all employees feel like they have a stake in the company's future -- as opposed to simply coming to work to "do their job". A motivated self-starter would thrive at Cipher. Work-life balance is a popular (and appreciated) aspect of the corporate culture, with flexible work hours and the potential (when feasible and appropriate) for working from home/remotely. Dress code is business casual, other than for client meetings. Employees sometimes bring their dog to work. Headquartered on the outskirts of Annapolis, Cipher’s location is ideal for employees in the southern MD-DC-northern VA area who prefer not having to deal with the stress of driving into (and parking in) DC. Parking is ample, and free.

Cons

Too many nearby, and excellent, restaurant choices for lunch! (Gained 10+ pounds during the first year at Cipher.)

Pros

Nothing really to mention. Might be good commute if you live in Annapolis otherwise get ready for horrible ride to Annapolis.

Cons

If you haven't encountered favoritism in the workplace yet in your career, look no further than Cipher. Brand new upper management, slowly started bringing in (and they continue to trickle in) his buddies from his previous employer, those only are the cream of the crop according to new management, the Elite group if you will, regardless if they are skilled or not. Then there is the regular Cipher employees. If you are among those, prepare yourself to be invisible. It doesn't matter that you possess a solid skill set, if you're hard working, smart, and loyal to the company and its mission, your efforts will be brushed under the rug. If you are among the Elite and decide to leave the company however, management will fight for you to stay, they will negotiate with you for a higher salary all in an effort to make you reconsider. People have come and gone since I started this job, more left than came in. Not once did I hear management say anything other than "It was probably for the best" about a person's departure. What a superb statement to say to your existing employees, a real morale booster! I sat in one of those meetings and thought to myself "Is he going to say the same about me when I leave?" By the way, please disregard the reviews below. Management asked employees nicely to write "positive" reviews to enhance the image of the company.

Pros

Cipher offers extensive opportunities for professional growth and is truly invested in the development of its people, which is apparent through its incentives for employees to obtain and maintain advanced degrees and certifications. Its management has a great open-door feel, leading to a cohesive work environment, allowing entry-level analysts to work alongside directors and gain experiences untouchable at other firms. Cipher’s employees are high-performing, each possessing unique, diverse backgrounds. They’re willing to teach as much as they are willing to learn, making it an ideal place to collaborate and learn from one another. Compensation and benefits are very competitive to larger DC consulting firms, but the work-life balance is far more satisfying. The people are great, as are the clients and the work.

Cons

Cipher has experienced some turn over in staff and organization the past year, but is starting to pick up pace, in a good way. As roles and ways forward are defined, it’s still quite fluid, but the management is working to keep its staff informed and involved in the process.

Pros

The view from the balcony, having my own office, the free lunches and the sailboat ride.

Cons

I have to agree with everything the post said from December 22, 2015. There isn't anything positive I can say about the company. If you want to feel like your in high school go to Cipher because the favoritism is unreal. If you weren't someone that was hand picked and brought in from the pool of CEO's friends/past coworker or haven't worked there for 10 plus years (cough, the person who strategically place themselves by the elevator to watch your every move to tell on you) you seriously don't have a chance there. Upper management never listened to any idea I had nor did they feel it necessary to keep me in the loop or try to be a team player. It was their way or no way. Why hire me for a specific position because of the skills I have but not take anything I had to say into consideration? Also they definitely asked employees to write positive reviews for glassdoor to make the company look good. What's the definition of insanity- doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result, that's how cipher works. They are a revolving door company!

Pros

Business casual dress code. Freedom to learn new technologies. Some leaders will let you make the final decision on an approach. Some team members are awesome.

Cons

This place is beyond repair. There are so many things wrong with this place it is difficult to determine where to begin. The churn rate is high because they don't have their act together. Dr. Phil asks, "You know what all of your failed relationships have in common? You." If they continue to hire quality candidates and those people get fired or quit or both, is it more likely that have the worst luck in the world or that they run a terrible company? Poor communication. Unreasonable expectations. Poor management. Some (not all) of the developers were snotty about what you do and don't know. They had graduates from UMBC (computer science) start in QA to justify a low starting salary. No in-lieu-of time ( no work life balance ). Box fans ( WallyWorld style) in the "server room". I could go on for pages. I would never ever recommend anyone to work here.

Pros

Management treats employees with respect, and never feels like an adversary. Additionally, they actively encourage employees to grow professionally either through technical training or in an academic setting, often making allowances of the sort that few companies would consider. I've been in the IT business for nearly 20 years, but have gained far more from my time at this company than in all previous combined. It hasn't always been easy and indeed at times has been stressful, but I've had the opportunity to build things I wouldn't have thought twice about a few years ago, as well as further my own education, all with the open support of management. Can't beat that.

Cons

No company is without its faults, but Cipher's are few. Increased top down communication with respect to company direction and employee roles would be welcome.

Pros

Cipher is very open to accommodate employe needs. This includes working some days from home, flexible schedules or even bringing in your dog for the day. Company culture and vision is changing a lot for the better while pay and benefits are very competitive. Knowledgeable and fun group of people. Lots of catered lunches.

Cons

You need to be a self-starter and not need a whole lot of guidance in doing your work. There was some turn-over in staff over the past years, but things are now changing for the better.