Pros
I have a strong belief in the product offering at BetterUp -- coaching and the self-development platform are amazingly impactful for the employees that receive it, and the companies that pay for it. The company has invested heavily in behavioral science, meaning that there is a real focus on driving positive outcomes (and not just engagement). BetterUp also has a very good remote work culture.
Cons
I don't fault BetterUp for doing layoffs during this unprecedented time. This is an extremely hard time for businesses in general, and BetterUp has not been meeting its revenue growth targets even prior to COVID-19. I get it, they needed to drastically reduce costs. With BetterUp's mission to, "help professionals everywhere pursue their lives with greater clarity, purpose, and passion", I expected the company to be an exemplar of approaching layoffs in a humane way. Instead, it felt cold and calculating, with little recognition of the humans that were impacted. BetterUp also had one of the first layoffs among the cohort of Silicon Valley growth-stage firms, and there was little mention of other ways to significantly cut costs before the layoff. I've also heard from remaining employees that many have lost significant trust for the leadership team due to how this was handled. After reading the letter from Carta's CEO about their layoff, I can see very clearly the gap between what a candid but humane approach might look like, and the cold distant approach BetterUp actually took. My recommendation to candidates: BetterUp is still a pretty good place to work, but remember that it is a business first and don't be fooled into thinking all the positive psychology talk will save you from a sink-or-swim workplace.