Could be better - Lead Software Engineer Cognizant Employee Review

3.0
21 Jun 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There are a lot of perks in working for a globally recognized, huge consulting firm such as Cognizant: benefits, free learning materials, not having to worry about getting paid.

Cons

The company is not ready to go full remote. There is no unified onboarding experience. There is no single point of contact to go with questions or, if there is, I was never made aware of who he was. On day one, you are just sitting there, full of questions and looking for answers. A huge waste of time and potential resources. A lot of internal tools used by the company are outdated and / or desperately need a new UI. I requested a laptop and got one that had clearly been used by someone else before me, probably for years. It definetely looked old and worn. Not quite a welcoming experience. No clear path to promotion.

Explore other reviews about Cognizant

5.0
26 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexible work timing, work from home, best Team

Cons

Less hike, compensation, no bonus

1.0
5 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

A potential inroad into large client companies (Leave Cognizant ASAP) You aren't unemployed.

Cons

It's a body shop. Clients will view you accordingly. Contractors cannot be trusted with most tasks. You must be siloed (No room for growth) so you don't break anything. Your actual job is to fulfill gaps in the client's grunt work even if out of scope. If you don't, the hammer falls from client and Cognizant. Wages well below industry standards. 1% annual raises only exist because legally they must exist. Takes full advantage of H-1B slave system, where employees' families and homes will be thrown into a furnace if you aren't keeping Cognizant happy no matter what. Employees are complacent in their slavery. Management is just happy to get their extra crumbs and will reinforce the bad culture. C-suite is opaque. If you are familiar with India's caste system you will understand how "lessers" are treated. This also happens in a literal sense, you aren't totally safe just because you are the favored skin tone. Takes full advantage of modern white collar culture. "Your racist actions aren't actually racist if you aren't Caucasian." Expect the uphill battle to be even more steep if you're not Southeast Asian. You will hunt for your own work most of the time. Cognizant is not helpful in any regard. They exist to skim off the top and nothing else.

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