Looked cool in the beginning, but... - Senior Software Engineer Happen Bank Employee Review

1.0
Mar 22, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Location is good, snacks in the kitchen, people are cool. If you are a developer, a lot of new projects/opportunities to learn something very quick. Pay/benefits was good too.

Cons

Culture in technology department is really bad. Expectations in terms how much you should work were super high. Constant overtimes, and absolutely no work-life balance. Management wants to squeeze as much juice from you as possible selling you "the dream" of changing world (in real life it's one of many of these companies in San Francisco which if it disappears overnight nobody even notices). It's not something you talk about loud, but everybody is aware. It's not easy for people to stay motivated receiving only very little of appreciation for working hard and watching stock going down. Speaking of lower-middle-management in technology department who works with developers directly. I've heard it's hard to hire decent talent these days in San Francisco. But is it that bad? There were almost no any company/team events and no any budget for it. Office is open-space, supposed to be collaborative environment, really noisy all the time, a lot of people constantly "collaborating" by your desk. I strongly recommend to buy noise-cancellation headphones right away. There is not any work from home policy and not coming any time soon. People were trying to come up with excuses all the time explaining why they would have to work from home today like "My wife/dog/cat is not feeling well today." There is huge believe in new hires and hiring top talent. I think in overall my coworkers were good, but not sure about "top talent". I don't think it is possible until stock will show constant and stable growth. I would focus on working with people who are already with the company and be really careful about keeping them there.

Explore other reviews about Happen Bank

5.0
Jun 23, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

New office, new name, same great company. Good growth opportunity where you can see your impact.

Cons

Not a huge con, but better snacks or catered lunch would be a plus.

2.0
May 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Decent starting pay and some good teammates. The company is highly profitable and continues to grow. Opportunities to take on new responsibilities and expand your scope. Equity awards.

Cons

Over the course of several years, I have been given additional responsibilities multiple times without more compensation despite the company’s strong financial performance. While I’m happy to contribute, the pattern of increasing responsibility without recognition is a major demotivator, even to your most diligent employees. It's tiresome. It doesn't take much effort to make strong contributors feel seen and valued, and it's such a missed opportunity not to. The company frequently talks about culture and values, but there is infighting and rivalries between teams and individuals. That energy creates drama instead of collaboration and leads to repetitious mistakes. Good people — especially top performers — eventually leave because they can.

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