I love working for KLA but I hate the severe politics and favoritism inside it. - Engineering Manager KLA Employee Review

3.0
25 Sept 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Challenging and highly technical work. Reasonable compensation. growth oppurtunities. The company is a leading company in its field and it has good executive management. Executive management demonstrates transparancy and so far the new executive management appear to be leading the company in the right direction. KLA-Tencor provide potential for growth, but it will require exceptional amount of efforts and learning of the political game. The company's culture in general is friendly and casual and coworkers are very cooperative. Thecompany is really good in providing continuous education and career development oppurtunities. They are very suportive of anyone who wants to pursue further education.

Cons

Toomuch politics. Lack of recognotion. Management does not always appreciate feedback. Mid-level management overall is poor and in many cases mid-level management is an obstacle to god execution. Some managers wants to take credit but they never want to share the blame. There is huge amount of unfairness in treating people, and clear circles where you are either in or out. Many managers do not appreciate positive feedback. The company in general wants people to work hard, but it is not ready, at least low to mid-level management, to reward employees who work exceptionally hard. The end result in many cases is unmotivitaed and burnt out employees who used to be superstars.

Explore other reviews about KLA

5.0
10 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Strong technical depth and industry leadership. Talented colleagues and meaningful work.

Cons

Organizational processes can be relatively conservative. The skills developed are highly valuable within semiconductor equipment and imaging-related industries but may be less directly transferable to unrelated sectors.

1.0
5 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If you’re looking for a place where accountability doesn’t exist and you can do the bare minimum while getting paid maximum overtime, this is your spot. No approval needed, no questions asked—just stay late, watch YouTube, and collect your paycheck (plus free food if you linger long enough). Weekends are basically a free-for-all since the people who are supposed to supervise are either absent or the worst offenders.

Cons

This place is what happens when a parent company buys a smaller one and then completely forgets it exists. There is zero meaningful oversight. Management knows exactly what’s going on—they just don’t care as long as quotas are eventually met. Efficiency, integrity, and actual productivity mean nothing here. Documentation is either nonexistent or completely useless, full of errors and missing critical information. Parts are constantly missing, and instead of fixing the system, people exploit it to justify delays and stretch their hours. The entire operation rewards time-wasting over competence. The culture actively punishes anyone who tries to work a normal, honest 8-hour day. Want recognition or a raise? Better start padding your hours. The more time you burn, the more management “appreciates” you. It’s not about results—it’s about how long you can pretend to be working. Managers, being salaried, conveniently disappear when it matters most—nights and weekends—while turning a blind eye to the dysfunction they fully understand. Leadership isn’t absent by accident; it’s absent by choice.

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