Stalling startup - People and Culture Manager Yardzen Employee Review

2.0
Jun 26, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

We have a fantastic group of smart, kind people who are heavily invested, even obsessed, with building a product that helps homeowners and the environment. Our designers are excellent and I’m constantly amazed by their designs. The benefits are pretty good but setup poorly.

Cons

If you asked me last year, I would have said there aren’t any cons! But in the last few months the founders, a husband and wife team, have demonstrated that they simply don’t have the ability to manage a large company. They know that too, so they went on a hiring spree of managers that are totally unnecessary for a company of our size and it’s really set us back to the point of layoffs. Side note: like other reviewers have mentioned there is zero diversity in management at YZ and it’s showing. Several managers are related to each other so there’s no diversity of ideas. I really hope the ship can be turned around but the existing employees are fleeing the sinking ship. If I were an investor I would demand a management shakeup.

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Yardzen Response
4y
We appreciate your feedback and would love to hear more about how we can build on the positives and address the opportunities. As a current employee, we encourage you to complete our anonymous feedback form and connect with a member of our People Ops team to find a solution together. Thank you again for your feedback.

Explore other reviews about Yardzen

5.0
Apr 8, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great place to work. It’s a startup so expect to work hard and have your role evolve as the business evolves. I work with highly talented people that I am able to learn from each day. The owners are approachable and kind. They are working hard to ensure their business succeeds.

Cons

Thins can be chaotic but these are uncertain times and everyone is working hard!

1.0
Jun 10, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They are a remote-first company and have great benefits

Cons

Work-life balance is virtually nonexistent. Employees are expected to wear multiple hats, but the expectation goes far beyond normal startup culture. Taking on additional responsibilities is treated as the baseline, and those who question the workload or push back are often made to feel like they are not committed enough. The company lacks basic structure, clear ownership, and effective processes. Despite ongoing operational issues, there is little willingness to implement feedback or make meaningful improvements. Teams are often left wondering why projects are stalled when the underlying problems have been identified repeatedly. Leadership frequently changes direction with little warning, making it difficult to execute any long-term strategy. Teams can spend days or weeks working on projects only to have priorities suddenly shift and their work discarded. This creates a cycle of wasted effort, frustration, and low morale. Decision-making often feels reactive rather than strategic. Instead of following a clear plan, priorities can change based on the moment, leaving employees constantly adjusting to the latest pivot. Hiring, promotion, and workforce decisions lack transparency and consistency. The company has, at times, lost employees who were critical to the success of the business, while retaining or elevating individuals whose contributions were less clear. This has contributed to turnover, knowledge loss, and declining confidence in leadership. Overall, the company talks about growth and innovation, but the lack of structure, process, planning, and stable leadership makes it difficult for employees and teams to succeed.

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