Great company to work for as an engineer, but some things need to change - Software Engineer Yelp Employee Review

4.0
Mar 19, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It's in the city. Engineers are self-directed and management is horizontal. Engineers are friendly, have a strong sense of humor, and are happy. The company thoroughly has faith in that you're self-driven and will get your stuff done. This is a big gamble since some engineers may take advantage of this, but from my experience most engineers still work hard and are dedicated to the success of the company. They're liberal in terms of working from home and coming in whenever you want to. There are unique opportunities available in specific areas as this company continues to grow rapidly, especially for engineers interested in search, spam detecting, machine learning, and data mining.

Cons

The awkward division between sales and engineering which is obvious by reading other reviews. The culture and goals of each are completely different. They might as well be two companies. None of this gets explained to you. Yelp is a sad place for designers or design-minded folk, at least for the time being. Yelp hires very few real designers and leaves most design work to product managers, who typically only have a technical background. Being a public company forces product to give priority to short term revenue over building a great products. For example, banner ads are all over the site, and many of these ads are not only ugly but directly contradict Yelp's mission of connecting people with local businesses (e.g. Taco Bell). In many ways Yelp is very corporate, as much as they would hate to admit it. Terribly inefficient workflows and outdated internal tools are maintained despite constant griping. Important decisions often go unquestioned. Quality is not job one. The politics of priority or "MVP" prevent good ideas from even seeing the light of day.

Explore other reviews about Yelp

5.0
Apr 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great company to work for

Cons

No negatives come to mind

5.0
Jul 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Supportive management-My manager is amazing and truly cares about my personal and professional growth. Career development- I love the position I am in, but have been encouraged for others. Yelp offers great opportunities to advance, explore new roles and develop new skills if that's the direction you want. Work life balance-10/10. As a mom of 3, I feel empowered to balance my family responsibilities and career and Yelp does just that. Inclusivity and culture- Yelp’s commitment to belonging and inclusivity is real, I’ve always felt valued here. I love my team so much. Flexibility- Movement between roles and growth are genuinely supported. Working from home also helps a lot with flexibility. Employee recognition-Hard work is acknowledged and celebrated daily.

Cons

Large company changes- Like any sizable company, occasional shifts or leadership changes mean adapting to new processes. Remote work challenges- Not unique to Yelp, but staying connected with coworkers virtually can take extra effort. Compensation-Base is very low compared to a lot of other tech companies, but again you put the work in and it all evens out.

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