Strange place; culture of fear - Anonymous employee Toptal Employee Review

2.0
Sep 30, 2021
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

remote work, decent comp and benefits, successful hypergrowth company--not going anywhere anytime soon, a lot of opportunity to move up or move around within the company (but this is mostly because of turnover and constant pivots)

Cons

-unethical practices -zero DE&I policy/not a forward-thinking place - very political atmosphere, with lots of backstabbing and CYA - employee happiness surveys are mandatory to fill out, but not anonymous, leaving people fearful to share accurate feedback -it's a strange place--big smiles on the outside, but many people are terribly unhappy -multiple lawsuits vs former employees -unclear salary and promotion strategy that leads to uneven and inequitable pay differences -you are considered a "veteran" if you've been with the company more than six months b/c of such high turnover -"yes" men move up, people who challenge the status quo or are really smart seem to move on...!

Explore other reviews about Toptal

5.0
Jul 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Toptal has been my favorite place to work so far! • The flexibility of remote work is amazing. • I’ve had the chance to work with fantastic clients. • The internal team is supportive, talented, and a pleasure to work with.

Cons

Sometimes it can take a bit longer to find a new engagement if you’re looking for opportunities in Asian time zones. In my experience, Europe and the Americas tend to have more opportunities and faster matching.

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Toptal Response
2d
Thank you for your valuable feedback! Your insights are important to us.
1.0
Jul 3, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Met some good dedicated employees and freelance workers.

Cons

Lack of any real industry solutions or capabilities since 100% of delivery services are freelance contractors. Model has been successful as providing staff augmentation to clients, but all intellectual capital and outcomes are owned by the clients or the freelancer. Toptal is simply a staffing platform broker who marks up the freelance talent. Great if you need a plumber, but not if you're planning to build a bathroom.

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