Pathetic management harms a truly commendable technical workforce - Project Manager CGI Employee Review

1.0
Oct 1, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Pros? Ok, got to think to this one... One pro is the office location, which is very convenient, nice and neat. Then I have a hard time to find others. Maybe for the CV is a good asset to have, especially if the recruiter does not know much insider information about the company.

Cons

Ok, here the list is endless, so I have to try to summarize the principal ones. Foremost problem is upper and middle management. Unfortunately in this company you get promoted either out of seniority or out of your ability to do corridor talks and other chit-chat activities with people who have the power to promote. Competency is out of the picture. I have too many examples of this and my colleagues all agree. You at 50 y/o might end up having a 28 y/o manager who has done well her work in the company corridors and has stacked around long enough. Your manager will essentially be a HR function. He/she will not know much of what you do, only thing is to make sure all your hours are billable. When you get hired the hiring person will mention you paid overtime but, be forewarned, most managers do not approve any so that they can look good with their supervisor (remember: the ultimate objective is cost cutting here...). The ineptitude of management is chronical of the IT industry and CGI is no exception. However I also worked at IBM and management was more competent there. Here you get a bunch of HR people promoted to high profile positions who will never have a clue of your work challenges. Just note this: that there are VPs without a university degree! The pathetic focus for cost cutting shift the real focus on cutting waste. Since the management ability is what it is, they focus on the easiest thing to do: after all cutting expenses is much easier than cutting waste. Effort duplication is everywhere. Company politics and, again, management ineptitude, make any decision a drag. Everything takes forever. Obvious decisions cannot be taken fast because everybody has to be aware and agree. Believe me, for project managers this company is a nightmare. If you are a secretary or an HR person the company might be for you. Your chances to move ahead are as high as your ability to excel in corridors chat. Starting from a clerical position you can become a manager if you stick around for a while with the right people. What other company can offer you that?

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5.0
Jun 18, 2026
Anonymous employee
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CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Work life balance, growth, quality

Cons

Less pay compared to market

1.0
Jun 16, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

no specific positives to highlight from my perspective

Cons

I worked at CGI in both India and the USA and observed similar workplace culture concerns across both locations. The only real difference was HR—India HR felt more supportive, while my experience with USA HR was disappointing. My employment ended shortly after maternity leave due to an alleged “lack of projects,” which I experienced as a layoff. I also observed what appeared to be misuse of position by some leaders, including blurred professional boundaries, preferential treatment, and expectations that went beyond normal workplace roles—at times resembling personal-assistant-style demands rather than professional conduct. Surprisingly, I also noticed inconsistent “policies” applied differently to different individuals. In some cases, it felt like the rules changed depending on who you were. When leadership became aware that someone was related to another employee in the organization, it sometimes felt like that person was singled out or targeted rather than treated objectively. Overall, these practices—whether through inconsistent treatment, perceived power misuse, or favoritism—undermine trust, damage workplace culture, and raise serious concerns about fairness and professionalism.

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