What it does: Creates software for various design-based industries like architecture, engineering, manufacturing, and entertainment.
Best known for: its products including AutoCAD and Fusion 360.
Staff stats: More than 10,000 employees worldwide.
The good bits: Employees are given health insurance plans, the option to work from home, and 401K plans. The company also has a stock purchase plan laid out for regular employees. Annual paid leave can be as long as six weeks. Employees are also encouraged to pursue higher education. For this, the company offers tuition fee reimbursement.
The not so good bits: Constant restructuring can derail employee-driven initiatives. Management is also criticised for questionable practices.
Autodesk was established in 1982 by founder John Walker and 15 associates. In the year of their establishment, they launched Michael Riddle's AutoCAD. In the succeeding years, AutoCAD became the most widely-used design software in the world which boosted the company's fame dramatically.
The company went through a number of leadership changes through the years—John Walker served as Chairman and President for Autodesk from the beginning of its operations in 1982 up until 1986. After Walker was Alvar Green, who sat at the helm of the company, despite having no programming or computer-related background, until 1992 when he was replaced by Carol Bartz who served the company for 14 years. Bartz's ‘fail-fast-forward’ approach brought Autodesk from its $300 million average revenue to $1.5 billion.
In 2006, Carl Bass replaced Carol Bartz and helped create products for Autodesk that catered to more consumers. Under Bass' leadership, Autodesk took a more industry-specific approach with the launch of products like AutoCAD Architecture, Revit, and Inventor. From developing designer-focused software, Autodesk evolved into the creator space as it acquired companies like Instructables and Pixlr, all under Bass' leadership.
Autodesk has gone through various leadership changes over the years and every administration has left a mark on the company's corporate culture. At Autodesk, the nature of the work in any department is fast-paced but employees' faults don't necessarily mean the end of their career in the company. Managers and the company's best talent are said to be collaborative, friendly, and encouraging.
Every employee is also encouraged to bring their best every time. Those who deliver under the company's standards are called out and given enough attention by the management until the employee comes around and delivers their best output on a more consistent basis.
Overall, the company has a laid back corporate culture, respecting each employee's work process so long as it abides by the company's deadlines.
As a company that focuses most of its efforts in design, Autodesk utilises its expertise in offering alternative solutions to various communities around the world through the initiatives implemented by the Autodesk Foundation. The company has three main social initiatives—Build Change, Water For People, and the MASS Design Group.
Build Change is Autodesk's reconstruction initiative that helps communities build disaster-resistant structures. The foundation helps engineers, builders, and government organisations steer away from cookie-cutter designs and teach them safer construction practices. Build Change has created more than 12,000 jobs, trained more than 30,000 people to build better homes and schools for 257,000 citizens in 12 countries.
Autodesk Foundation's Water For People initiative aims to bring drinkable water to many communities by building water systems that last. The foundation utilises advanced software, design, tools, and technologies to create suitable water systems that perfectly match the community they are serving. The initiative has only served communities in Honduras and Bolivia, but it has impacted more than 25,000 lives.
The company also found a need to support mothers in far-flung communities which need birth healthcare services. The MASS Design Group built short-term maternal villages near hospitals in Malawi that served as temporary shelters for pregnant women until they give birth.
Autodesk has built an organisation that supports entry-level employees as they find their way through the ins and outs of the company. The vibe is supportive and collaborative. In most of its offices in various countries, employees are given a relaxed space where they can work—people working on couches and bean bags with some entry-level employees sitting beside executives. This relaxed atmosphere has helped the company come up with creative solutions around daily work problems.
Young professionals who wish to work for Autodesk can send their CVs and application letters to the company's careers portal or through online job boards. The entire recruitment process can be at least two weeks long with some processes taking up to four months long.
Autodesk's HR department shortlists its candidates through a preliminary interview via phone call. During this interview, the applicants will be asked to discuss their skills and professional background with as much detail as they can. Autodesk is very particular when it comes to their employees' skill set and candidates that fail to provide enough details on their phone interview will not be called in for the in-person interviews.
Those who are scheduled for personal interviews will go through at least four rounds of interviews with different department heads. The first round will be with the senior recruiter who will discuss the nature of the job. The second round is with the manager where the applicant's professional experience will be discussed further. The third round will be with the director of success—during this interview, the applicant's ideal career path will be discussed. After all these interviews is a group panel discussion.
Chosen candidates will be notified about their employment via email. Applicants are encouraged to send follow-up emails if they are not notified about the details of their application a few days after the interviews.
From the first day of their employment, management lets employees know how they can climb through the ranks in Autodesk. Employees are encouraged to look after their own careers, make the most out of every opportunity, and make meaningful contributions that would enrich, not only the company but individuals as well.
Promotions are given to employees with the most relevant contributions to projects. Life inside the company, however, plateaus after a few years. It is claimed that long-time employees are not given the same amount of opportunities they used to, and so they look to other companies for a fresh start. Nevertheless, a career in Autodesk can be rewarding as it can improve one's chances of landing a good position in other designer tech companies.
Entry-level employees with the skill set that enables them to land a specialised job in Autodesk can earn at least NGN 1,220,000 monthly. As they rise through the ranks, the salary goes up to NGN 2,000,000 in under a year.