I was harassed and they didn't fire him so I quit. - Senior Software Engineer/Tech Lead Sweetwater Employee Review

1.0
Apr 11, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Any pros aren't relevant anymore.

Cons

I’m not going to dive into any technical/worklife/process issues because frankly all of that pales in comparison to why I quit. I quit because despite their claims, Sweetwater does NOT have a zero tolerance policy towards harassment and discrimination and I’m proof of that. The following, up until I quit, took place over the course of about half a year. A coworker was harassing me, manipulating, and in general being extremely unprofessional. After a month or so I reported him (which honestly I didn’t even feel safe to do) and all HR did from my perspective was give him a slap on the wrist. He still worked there and there was no prevention of interactions at work so thank you for putting me in that situation. Things kept escalating, I stopped reporting because I no longer trusted HR, and eventually I reported more and interactions were finally prevented which left me wondering what it actually takes to get fired around here. He also tried to harm my reputation/credibility with lies so I decided to give HR a mountain of evidence against him just in case they didn’t believe me. Yet again, no hard consequences from my perspective, just words. So I quit because I’m not going to work for a company that keeps men like that around. A handful of months later, lo and behold, he was having issues with another woman! So what exactly did keeping him around get you? You lost a major asset (me) and you enabled him to have issues with another woman! I’m beyond words. That time-period was hell for me as I can only assume it was for the other woman. You'll never understand how hopeless and alone I felt. That’s on every single person involved in the situation who had the power to make a difference and didn’t. I’m sure Sweetwater will reply to this trying to save face but I really don’t need to be any more gaslit than I already was. Now is the time to listen, reflect, and ensure that this never happens again.

avatar
Sweetwater Response
2y
Thank you for sharing your experience. Given the amount of detail you've included here, I'm aware of your specific situation. While I obviously won't go into sensitive and confidential details on a public forum, I am confident that our HR team met with you at length to discuss your concerns and to handle this situation in the most appropriate way and with a deep concern for your wellbeing. Our HR team members care about our people here at Sweetwater and are regularly put into situations of having to navigate relational dynamics that oftentimes have complexity that can't be fully unpacked via a Glassdoor review. They are human beings with big hearts who take their work very seriously and spend hours upon hours working to shape the best working environment possible - and at the very top of the list is a commitment to caring for their coworkers. These individuals would be heartbroken to know that you were anything less than satisfied with how they handled your concerns given the amount of time they worked with you on it and the steps that were taken. It's never about saving face for these team members - it's only about doing the right thing to care for people well. However, I understand and respect that you have a different perspective about the solutions that were provided and the level of care you received - and we'll take your feedback into account. If you'd ever like to share in even more detail with me or another member of the team, we'd be happy to discuss further with you. I wish you nothing but the very best going forward. - Jeff Ostermann, Chief People & Culture Officer

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5.0
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Pros

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4.0
Jun 5, 2026
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Pros

If sales and music are your drives, Sweetwater is as good as it gets. Management in my experience has been very supportive and development-oriented, creating a positive culture around the company. They have a fantastic training program (albeit intense) that trains on both products and sales methods, so even if you're lacking experience in a given category there's plenty of coaching and training to get you ready for the role. Over time, the position can also be quite lucrative which compliments Fort Wayne's low cost of living well. They also offer relocation assistance since all positions are on-site, and a great benefits package. I've been fortunate to become great friends with many of my coworkers and honestly some days don't even feel like work. Ultimately, with this job you get what you put in, and making a solid living to geek out over music gear all day is a pretty sweet gig.

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