Think twice before working here - Business Development SmartThings Employee Review

2.0
Jun 24, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Hard working dedicated and skilled employees The technology space is here to stay and will shape the future Samsung provides a global reach in hardware The fast paced environment requires learning new valuable skills Perks are on par with other Silicon Valley companies

Cons

Strategy has completely shifted multiple times in a year Major projects requiring sacrificing work-life balance turn out to be unimportant as priorities and strategies shift. Recent layoff of nearly 25% of workforce is a sign of trouble ahead SmartThings is quickly falling behind innovation curve in every category to apple, google, Microsoft, and Comcast (do your homework before applying) SmartThings no longer has a competitive advantage. Even Samsung appears to be competing internally with Artik and Joyent Leadership team is out of reach with employees Leadership team is strongly divided internally. This is felt throughout the company Team leaders openly criticize leadership within their teams causing distrust Most meetings cancelled for no reason at last minute, even those you have been preparing for a week in advance. Member of leadership team will take phone calls in middle of meetings and show up 20 minutes late to anything scheduled without consideration of employees. Complete lack of general respect for people's time and effort they put into completing projects and milestones. Working for Samsung is not a pleasant experience. The culture does not translate well to Silicon Valley.

Explore other reviews about SmartThings

5.0
Feb 28, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Given lots of opportunities - Respectful people - Hard work is often recognized

Cons

- Can be extremely fast paced at times - Last minute feature requests from Samsung is not uncommon.

2.0
Jun 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Very competent peers Subsidiary relationship allows for outsized impact within the larger Samsung ecosystem Open culture with lots of possibility for collaboration and exposure if self-directed

Cons

Leadership struggles with Samsung relationship. Unable to deliver on promises or set direction, individuals end up either leaving or keeping their head down and becoming conduits for Samsung demands. Leadership is mostly internal promotions with little new blood or outside experience. 30% RIF in Spring '26 followed by a surprising burst of positive reviews on glassdoor. WLB largely down to luck-of-the-draw, as teams and service ownership aren't always in your control.

avatar
SmartThings Response
3w
Thank you for taking the time to share such thoughtful feedback. I agree that we have an incredible team, one that is genuinely open, collaborative, and uniquely positioned to have an outsized impact both within the Samsung ecosystem and beyond. As Head of SmartThings, I take personal ownership of the unique dynamics that come with our relationship with Samsung. We know that aligning our team with a diverse global organization requires strong internal advocacy and a clear direction, and our leadership team is fully committed to driving that. I also hear you clearly on the need for inspiring, forward-looking communication. As you noted, we have navigated significant changes at SmartThings this year. Managing those transitions with transparency, integrity, and empathy has been a primary focus for me. However, I acknowledge that we don't always execute that as well as we should. We can do better, and we are committed to finding more frequent, transparent ways to keep the SmartThings team connected to our long-term goals and vision. If would like to share more of your insights directly, my door is always open. Please feel free to reach out to me or the leadership team so we can continue this conversation. Thank you for helping us build a stronger SmartThings. Mark
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All