Trip.com Group

Pros: It's a big tech company so there are good resources. You get to work on interesting problems within the online travel industry. My immediate team, as a Software Engineer, was generally supportive and smart.
Cons: The overall company culture can feel quite corporate and competitive. Work-life balance for onsite work in the Shanghai office is tough; long hours are pretty standard, and communication across departments isn't always smooth.
Advice to Management: Try to improve cross-team communication and really emphasize better work-life balance for all employees, especially in technical roles. Burnout is a real issue.

Pros: The base salary for Software Engineer roles here is pretty competitive for the online travel agency industry in Singapore. You get your standard health insurance and a fairly reliable yearly bonus, which is nice. It's a stable company, which is a plus for job security.
Cons: The pay raises aren't super generous after your initial offer, and there aren't many unique benefits. Stock options or truly standout wellness programs aren't really a thing. It feels pretty average for a big tech firm in Asia when it comes to perks.
Advice to Management: Look into more innovative benefits packages to attract and retain top tech talent, beyond just base salary. Improve the transparency around performance-based pay increases.

Pros: The PTO policy is pretty solid, you get a good amount of time off which is nice. It's also cool being in the online travel agency sector; it's a dynamic industry. Plus, the Shanghai office has some decent perks like subsidized meals.
Cons: My base salary as a Software Engineer isn't really competitive for a big tech company. Raises are usually pretty small, making it tough to feel valued over time. Don't expect huge annual bonuses either, they're often underwhelming.
Advice to Management: Please re-evaluate the compensation structure, especially for experienced tech roles. Market-rate salaries for Software Engineers are crucial to attract and retain top talent in this competitive industry.

Pros: You get to work on some really interesting, large-scale global travel platforms. As a Software Engineer, the compensation for tech roles in the Shanghai office is quite competitive. It's a big tech company, so there are resources and learning opportunities.
Cons: The company culture is very demanding; long hours are the norm, making work-life balance a real challenge. There isn't much work flexibility or options for hybrid models. The corporate environment can feel pretty hierarchical, which can be stifling.
Advice to Management: Please consider improving the work-life balance expectations across all departments. More flexibility, especially for tech roles, would greatly boost morale and retention in the Shanghai office. Empowering teams to have more autonomy would also help.

Pros: The base salary as a Software Engineer is pretty solid, especially if you're just starting out. Health benefits are actually quite comprehensive, which isn't always a given in big tech in Shanghai. They also offer some good travel discounts, being in the online travel industry.
Cons: Bonuses aren't as predictable as I'd like; it's mostly tied to company performance and not always transparent. There isn't much room for salary negotiation for new hires, it's pretty fixed. I've heard the stock options aren't as competitive as other major tech companies.
Advice to Management: Consider more transparent bonus structures and evaluate base pay competitiveness against other major tech firms in the region. Improving salary negotiation flexibility would also help attract top talent.

Pros: As a Software Engineer in the Shanghai office, it's generally a stable place when the travel industry is booming. There's a lot of work, and for core engineering teams, things feel pretty solid most of the time. You usually don't have to worry about daily tasks.
Cons: However, when the travel market dips, job security becomes a real concern. I've seen multiple rounds of layoffs affecting different departments, and it makes everyone a bit nervous. It feels like performance reviews can sometimes be a precursor to cuts.
Advice to Management: Leadership should try to be more transparent about the company's financial health and future plans, especially during tough times. More consistent communication about job roles and expectations would also help reduce anxiety among employees.

Pros: The teams are generally really collaborative, which is great for a Software Engineer. We do have some decent team-building events in the Shanghai office. It's a big tech company with good internal learning platforms.
Cons: Work-life balance is tough, you're expected to put in long hours. Sometimes, the corporate structure feels a bit rigid, which can stifle new ideas in the online travel agency space. There's a strong focus on delivery above all else.
Advice to Management: Management should really try to promote a better work-life balance across teams. More flexible work arrangements and less pressure for overtime would improve morale significantly for all employees, especially in technical roles.

Pros: The pay for a Software Engineer here in the Shanghai office is pretty competitive, which is a plus. You also get decent benefits and some fun company events, which helps with team bonding.
Cons: Work-life balance is a struggle. You're often expected to put in long hours, sometimes past 9 PM, which is typical for the online travel industry. It's tough to have a personal life when you're always working.
Advice to Management: Leaders need to seriously look at reducing overtime expectations. It's not sustainable for employee morale or long-term productivity. More focus on actual 40-hour work weeks would make a huge difference.

Pros: You learn a ton here, no doubt. As a Software Engineer, there's always new tech to dive into, which is great for career growth. The team in the Shanghai office is super collaborative and helpful.
Cons: Work-life balance isn't ideal, especially during peak season for an online travel agency. You'll often work late, pushing past 50-hour weeks. It's a very demanding environment in this big tech company.
Advice to Management: Try to better manage project scopes and deadlines to prevent consistent overtime. Empower teams to decline unreasonable requests that impact employee well-being.

Pros: You can learn a lot if you seek it out, especially being a Software Engineer in the fast-paced online travel industry. There are often new projects, so you get exposure to different tech stacks and parts of the e-commerce platform.
Cons: Formal promotions are slow, and it's hard to move up without a manager actively pushing for you. Opportunities for real leadership roles feel limited, especially for junior to mid-level engineers in the Shanghai office. I've seen many good people leave for better advancement at other big tech companies.
Advice to Management: Focus on creating clear career ladders and provide more mentorship programs for individual contributors. It would really help retain talent in this competitive travel tech market.