Sad, out of touch, insular company, but has potential to be amazing - Anonymous employee Draper Employee Review

2.0
Sep 8, 2020
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Very good healthcare and 401k benefits. Exciting projects but only if you are on the engineering side and have a good manager.

Cons

Draper is surprisingly out-of-date for a company that sells itself on doing cutting edge work. Consider the following observations: -The administrative side is run by white men who have been there 20-30 years plus, in many cases. Some have never worked anywhere else, except perhaps the military. Meetings are full of old-fashioned comments and depressing in-jokes about things that happened a very long time ago. -They prefer young, naive new hires to mold as they see fit, and who they can pay lessened who will not question things as much. -Mid-career employees with good experience might get hired, but do not last long. They are seen as a threat. (Probably because they have knowledge of the more progressive outside world. This is a shame, because it is just what Draper needs.) -Management is not interested in what their own teams think. They hire new people and make changes without informing or consulting those who will be directly affected. -Gaslighting: They cowardly sideline the people they do not want, all the while telling them everything is fine, or imply that they are solely the problem until they leave. -Culture of fear: new ideas and problem solving is discouraged. Management does not want to be challenged, they just want to be admired. The respect one gets at a progressive company compared to Draper is astonishing. You do not really understand how toxic your environment is until you are away from it.

Explore other reviews about Draper

5.0
May 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great pay and great benefits.

Cons

none to report so far

5.0
Apr 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Interesting work, good colleagues, company is supportive and there is good work/life balance. There are leadership opportunities for those to want them. Pay is competitive.

Cons

Raises haven't kept up with inflation. It's hard to break in as a new employee. There is a lot of change, mostly for the better but a lot of change.

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