Talented people stifled by management and no product direction - Software Engineer Uptake Employee Review

1.0
Jan 19, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* Electronic adjustable standing desks for nearly every employee * Free snacks * Drink machines with lots of choices * meeting room scheduling and AV equipment is easy to use * Unlimited Vacation (at least there used to be)

Cons

* unlimited Vacation - it is nice to have when you work there, but doesn't help you if the company decides to lay you off (like they recently laid off 51 people) or fire you with little to no cause. It doesn't accrue or payout so when you exit (by your own will or their's) you will realize it was set up that way to begin with. * Open office plan * Awful progress program - The performance review and progress program changed 4 times when I was there, and none of them were effective. * Pay will not increase, and you will almost certainly not be recognized for your contributions. You will hear during your performance review that "HR screwed up" or other excuses to not reward you even though you are an "A player", and exceeded all of your goals. You will not be promoted. * One of my managers who was there for almost a year and a half was fired at the end of the day by his boss, who called in remotely to do it. That is the kind of culture you get here. * Decisions are political instead of being data driven. You may find this surprising because this is supposed to be a data company with an "answers platform", but you at no point will you see any justification or data behind any decision. You will often have to do whatever the HiPPO (highest paid person's opinion) decides. * Lots of great people quitting or have quit * Weekly CEO emails are nonsensical. The CEO is detached from the day to day experience of employees. They attempt to inspire and motivate, but they come off as egotistical and cliché. The CEO has had a year of them put into a hardcover book titled "Sunday Thoughts" and littered them throughout the office. * The bureaucracy around acquiring anything is hair-pulling-out frustrating. You want to try a new piece of software for your team because the other internal version of software is either slow or always down? You have to spend 6 months going through acquisitions, security, engineering, to finally see it denied by a director in favor of "let's make the other one stable". You are better off just using it and not trying to follow the process. * Bad people are let go or reorganized into better positions - there have been multiple times when projects have been complete and utter failures by the same person, yet they are either promoted. * Dumb spending policies - ask for another laptop charger so you can work more at home after hours? Denied! According to the rules, it would cost too much money. At the same time, 16 60" HDTVs are bring installed into a wall down the hall, a podcast studio is being constructed, and a million dollar donation is being made to a prestigious University.

avatar
Uptake Response
8y
Thank you for expressing your frustrations during your time here. We continually assess how we can make it easier for people to operate at their own personal best. Our hope is that employees and managers are frequently sharing feedback with one another about performance and career interests and if an employee isn’t getting the feedback they see, we encourage them to ask directly for it. We are sad that you don’t think more positively of your time at Uptake and we certainly wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Explore other reviews about Uptake

5.0
Nov 2, 2023
Anonymous contractor
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- strong leadership - quick-paced - innovative minds -good culture -positive atmosphere

Cons

-Coworkers could be condescending and pushy

4.0
Dec 24, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

free snacks, future of sectors, nice managers

Cons

extra work, short term perspectives, ceo risk

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All