Pros
One of the benefits of working for this company is the opportunity to interact with diverse and talented people who share a love for games. You can acquire valuable skills and knowledge about game development, as well as use various tools that are essential for different projects. You can also apply for certifications that can boost your career prospects. The company has a multilingual culture that allows you to communicate with people from different backgrounds and regions. Moreover, the company fosters a friendly and collaborative environment between contractors and employees, which I have personally experienced and appreciated. This is a great place to learn and grow as a QA professional.
Cons
One of the major drawbacks of working for this company is the poor management of the Warsaw branch in QA. The managers often make unprofessional and insensitive remarks, such as “Life is brutal” when asked about a pay raise to cope with the inflation gap. They also avoid giving clear answers to important questions that affect both contractors and employees. Furthermore, the pay structure of the company is unfair and demoralizing. If you are interested in game QA, you are better off staying as a contractor, gaining experience, and moving to a more rewarding company. There are many cases where contractors earn more net salary than full-time employees with several years of experience, especially after the inflation of the Polish Złoty. The workload and the net salary of an employee position are disproportionate and laughable. The company does not have a proper system for recognizing and rewarding excellent employees with a lot of experience who have contributed to the quality and success of the products (which have been numerous). The best you can hope for is a small mention in a company newsletter, but that is very rare and requires exceptional performance. The company also fails to keep up with the high inflation rate in Poland, and the annual performance reward in the form of a salary increase is negligible. The annual performance bonus is also misleading, as it only matches your salary with the salary of a new employee with little experience who applies to your position. The pay difference between different positions is also minimal, as becoming a Senior Software Test Engineer will only add up to 500PLN to your salary before tax. You are not valued for the experience you have, the knowledge you gain, or the success of the projects you work in. As a result, the morale of employees at the Warsaw office is very low. This reflects the attitude of the company towards employees, as the company prefers to hire new employees rather than reward and motivate the existing ones. Another challenge of working for this company is the difficulty of advancing your career. You often need luck and/or good relations with higher-ups if you want to move up the corporate ladder. The company also does not plan well for the needs of the employees. Recently, Lionbridge Games moved to a new office, which looks nice but is not functional. The internet connection is unreliable, the kitchens are small and crowded, and many things have broken down since the move in December, as announced by several media posts from the CEO himself. Unless there is a significant change, which I doubt, I strongly advise against joining this company as an employee. You will not be paid what you deserve, and you will likely face a high workload and low salary ratio, depending on the project.
