good with product and tech, not so good with their own people - Software Engineer Intercom Employee Review

3.0
Sep 24, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- great for junior engineers to get experience - good perks, lunch, snacks, events - positive and friendly environment - customer service, product and design teams are top notch - home to a few very smart engineers (mostly the veteran employees) - unique voluntary on-call model

Cons

- managers learning on the job - senior engineers will have a hard time making career progress - young fast and loose is valued higher than industry experience - hiring is treated with higher priority than retaining and growing in-house talent - majority of engineers are mediocre, and their confidence is dangerously out of sync with their actual abilities - the engineering organisation is not nearly as mature or competent as overall company and product leadership is - lots of bias in promotion and feedback process, and management does not know what to do about it - career progression is a popularity contest, the loud folks get the attention, leadership incentivises and celebrates this - female engineers will have an especially hard time here

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Intercom Response
6y
Thank you for your thoughts. Our approach to career progression and recognition is something we deeply care about and have significantly invested in and progressed this last year in particular. Almost a quarter of the organization was promoted this review cycle. Additionally, bias is something we take extremely seriously and we’re committed to continuing the company-wide training and other efforts around this to make sure we’re industry-best. We know there’s room for improvement and would encourage you to share feedback with your manager, any of our engineering leadership team, with me directly or anyone on the People team so we can address these concerns.

Explore other reviews about Intercom

5.0
May 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

One of the biggest positives is the opportunity to work on meaningful, high-impact projects. The company provides access to the right tools, resources, and support needed to do great work. As a senior engineer, I feel trusted to think critically about problems, challenge assumptions, and help reframe solutions when needed. Stakeholders and the broader business are receptive to feedback, which creates a strong environment for collaboration and problem-solving. When blockers come up, my manager and the organization move quickly to remove them. Overall, it’s a fast-moving, high-trust environment where strong engineers can make a real impact.

Cons

The pace is very fast, which can be a challenge depending on how someone prefers to work. Priorities, tools, and ways of working can change quickly, and it requires a willingness to adapt, learn, and rewire how you approach problems. For people who prefer slower, more predictable environments, the pace may feel intense at times. However, for those who are comfortable with change and motivated by momentum, it can also be one of the most rewarding aspects of the company.

2.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Founders are still involved and will help on top accounts. Competitive compensation. Good breakfast and lunch. Access to the resources one needs, with no apparent shortage of money.

Cons

Silent layoffs. Lack of trust in the employees by leadership. Senior management is poor at defining and communicating expectations. The fast pace of hiring, changing titles and roles, frequently adjusting strategies and shifting ICPs leads to regular confusion. Very poor professional development (zero for many). Investor interests have taken a higher priority than the employees. A once team-first culture has weakened, as the company becomes more corporate, with the early company value of 'We go further together' being eliminated and never replaced with anything about working strong as a team, which is another sign of the diminishing culture.

3
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