Good and bad, but pretty decent - Anonymous employee Ancestry Employee Review

3.0
Sep 10, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

If you like genealogy or family history, there isn't really a better place to work. Lots of excitement and energy. They are also leading in high-tech to use DNA for discovering your genealogical origins. Executives seems to understand both technology and customers.

Cons

Lots of politics. Some teams are very subservient to others, or even one mid-level director-type who is free to make any unilateral decision without question, even if his entire project team of 20+ people unanimously disagrees. Taking the initiative in those teams is not only discouraged, but actively criticized. Someone once complained about me to my VP (like 3 levels up) without talking to me first. Instead of asking whether the complaint was valid, my boss told me that he'd been instructed to "fix the problem" by getting me to change. Whether the complaint was valid wasn't even relevant. I had to learn how to navigate the politics of the situation, which I tried to do. It wore me out. Other groups have different experiences, of course. Ancestry is a big place. I'd recommend interviewing, and just asking some good questions to see what things are like on the team you'll be working with.

Explore other reviews about Ancestry

5.0
Jun 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great company culture, supportive team, smooth onboarding process, strong career stability, and meaningful work. My interview experience was very positive, and the recruiting and onboarding teams were helpful, responsive, and professional throughout the process.

Cons

There is always a learning curve when joining a new company, especially while understanding internal systems and processes, but the team has been very supportive.

3.0
Jun 12, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It’s a great product and people are customer obsessed.

Cons

Misogyny is baked in to the culture.

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