Not the place for someone that wants to 'set the world on fire' - Software Engineer Garmin Employee Review

3.0
22 Aug 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Laid back dress code, pretty good health insurance and great 401k match, not micromanaged at all, teams that I'm aware of use modern tools (outside of aviation). There are a lot of good people at Garmin, and everyone is very approachable. If you want a job that you can work no more than 40 hours every week if you want, have kids and want to send them to decent public schools, and keep chugging comfortably along toward retirement, Garmin is definitely the place for you.

Cons

When I was hired, I was given the impression that Garmin has an innovative culture that encourages creativity. This couldn't be further from the truth. I don't know if it's the sleepy conservative midwest culture that Kansas breeds, but there is just no drive or investment from anyone to be innovative and cutting-edge in the products. As a result, always releasing products a day late and a dollar short. Management is too cheap, and in competitive segments cutting corners is not something that should be done if you don't want the Silicon Valley companies completely eradicating your market share when they inevitably move into your niche strongholds. Complementing the sleepy midwest culture, the location of HQ is in Olathe, KS, which is a very far-flung suburb of KC. This location attracts a certain type of employee, and it isn't the type of employee you desperately need (the ones that are driven and really put their heart into their work). Olathe, KS (as opposed to KC proper or elsewhere) as a headquarters location will continue to drag down the talent pool you desperately need to remain relevant.

Explore other reviews about Garmin

5.0
20 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

People are great, work balance is fair and fulfilling

Cons

Not the flashiest benefits like some tech companies have

3.0
3 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good benefits and work life balance. It's a good culture and I've never worked at a place where your immediate peers are this helpful and pleasant to work with, even across teams and offices. If you want to just come in and do just what is required for your job and go home with the knowledge you have a stable job, this is the perfect place to work. I'd only recommend working here if you just want a job, but don't care about a career.

Cons

There is poor career advancement, especially if you aren't male. Leadership does not care about leading people. The RTO has made working here less appealing. The excuse that you can't collaborate unless you are in the same building makes no sense when you work with people in 6 different countries. It is about control and appearances, all due to incredibly poor senior leadership strategies. The pay is also low and so is the quality of the software you work on. Leadership likes to talk quality, but they like fast and cheap. They will not support you in actual software quality nor implement changes to improve it. The same issues happen over and over without improvement.

9
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