So I can't discuss details of what happened but this is irrelevant to my following question:<p>How does a big (rather big in this case and possibly fatal) black mark on a company affect me as a developer. No, I'm not the cause, directly or indirectly. However, I'm worried now that if I say that I worked at company "X" on my resume, or people see that I have worked there, that this will affect my career as a job seeker should I be seeking again in the future.<p>Does anyone else have any ideas on how this kind of thing affects employees? This is giving me massive anxiety, but as always thanks for your thoughts!<p>EDIT: yes, this is due to my department and related to software btw.
I wish I could tell you that it won't affect you, but it will. At several companies I worked for I, as a hiring manager, wouldn't even get to see your resume or application if the suspect company was a recent (< 5 years) employer, you'd be filtered out by software, recruiting and H/R.<p>If there's an active criminal investigation involving the company, you'll be suspect, fairly or not.<p>If you're looking to leave, I'd recommend finding direct connections in candidate companies who could "sponsor" you through their H/R filtering systems, just so you get a chance to get an interview without the bias of whatever's going on at your current company.
Impossible to know to long-term damage just now...<p>Think other scandalous scenarios-- Theranos/FIFA/VW-- all of those firms had good, honest, hard working folks who were otherwise blameless.<p>Generally, it's a good idea to address a possible blemish upfront with a potential employer. Make sure your story is solid. You'll want to have superiors & colleagues who can vouch for your work and character. As time goes on, memories will fade. Switching industries may also be a smart play. Fortunately, development work is in demand across every sector imaginable.
I wouldn't worry about it as a resume blocker. I wouldn't try to throw your department under the bus if someone asks either. doubt it comes up but I would answer with something like "there's a lot of great people that work there and I wasn't directly involved any of the decisions or work that lead up to it."