Although AppFolio was a great place to work for many years, I have to mention some of the areas of opportunity for improvement.
- AppFolio takes advantage of the influx of young talent from Westmont and UCSB, and as a result, compensation is below industry average within services specifically. You come in at a low rate, and don't expect to make up for it over time. Raises are pre-scheduled and not open for negotiation. This also generally doesn't change with promotions. They know what they'll be paying you for the next 5 years, regardless of how you perform and what extra responsibilities you take on. I get this from a strategic and budgeting standpoint, but it can be demoralizing. This is especially true because unlike tech companies in LA or SF, or even other tech companies in SB, there is no cost of living adjustment to recognize you're living and working in one of the most expensive places in the country.
- There is a massive discrepancy between how services and other departments are treated across the board. It's understandable that product/engineering/sales make more in compensation than services, but this extends beyond simply pay. At a point, it got so bad that during a company summit, they took everyone from the same conference room where the speaker gave a presentation, and funneled employees into 2 different areas for lunch. Services got sent to the sandwich bar, while product/engineering/sales/I'm not sure who else got directed to the steak and seafood buffet. It was very awkward when good friends and even spouses were separated in this way. The issue was openly addressed and explained away by department budgets, and people were discouraged from discussing it further. Luckily this was a couple years ago and they did not make the same mistake in following years, but the impact was made. Another example would be the company-sponsored, paid, 2 day Disneyland trip that only product and engineering were allowed to attend. Very demoralizing coming into an empty office during your busiest time of the year, knowing all your colleagues were enjoying a paid vacation. This issue was never properly addressed.
If I were in another department, I would give AppFolio 5 stars across the board, but there are some obvious issues when working within services.
- The MVP product approach results in unfinished features being released to customers. MVP is fine, if you're using the ensuing feedback constructively. But when everyone is focused on building the shiny new toy, things are left undone and features incomplete.
- Benefits are below average, with healthcare plans, for example, being less-than-competitive compared to other similar companies.
- While promotions are well-deserved when given, they are only given according to company need, not when an employee has outgrown their current role and earned greater responsibility.
