Great place to work and learn - Software Development Engineer II Zonar Systems Employee Review

5.0
Aug 24, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Having been at Zonar for almost a year, I can happily say that my experiences here have all been very positive. Having come from a much larger software company, the transition to a smaller company has been a very refreshing change of pace. From the technical side of things, you get a lot of exposure to many different technologies, languages, and tools. For those eager to learn, it is definitely an excellent way broaden your skills. While ramp-up and learning everything may seem daunting at first, there are some very knowledgable people working at Zonar, and everyone is always willing to help. Don't be afraid to ask questions...even if it is the same question over and over again. The various engineering teams work closely together to ensure a good product makes its way to our customers. Developing internal tools, documentation, and brining in new ideas is well received and encouraged by your co-workers. As far as software shops go, Zonar has a great work life balance. Working overtime isn't something you need to do in order to get all your work done. In addition, putting in extra time and effort is noticed by others and your extra efforts are acknowledged.

Cons

Some software tools and libraries may be a little dated, but there is good internal push to move to newer versions or replacements.

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Zonar Systems Response
10y
Thank you for the great feedback! We are so glad you are enjoying your time here at Zonar! Thank you for all of your dedication and hard work.

Explore other reviews about Zonar Systems

5.0
Jun 18, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Love the Energy Work Remote Reorg is painful, but future is bright

Cons

Work Remote. Its a plus and a negative as it is sometimes hard to build camaraderie.

1.0
Jun 11, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are still some genuinely good people at Zonar. A lot of talented, hard-working employees are still trying to do right by the customers and keep things moving despite everything going on around them. At one point, Zonar had a strong identity and a real place in the pupil transportation space. The company understood school bus and student transportation customers in a way that not many others did, and that history is still something worth acknowledging.

Cons

Zonar is not the company it used to be. Over the last several years, the company has been gutted by waves of layoffs, constant restructuring, outsourcing, and leadership decisions that rarely seem to make sense to the people actually doing the work. Morale has been destroyed. Teams have been cut down over and over again, and employees are expected to keep delivering with fewer people, less support, and no clear direction. One of the biggest mistakes was refusing to innovate and abandoning the pupil transportation customers that made Zonar what it was. Those customers were the foundation of the company. Instead of continuing to invest in that space, leadership seemed to lose interest and chase whatever new direction sounded good at the time. Those customers took the hint and started leaving too. The company now feels like it has no real product direction. Instead of building strong Zonar products, it feels like a bunch of other companies’ products have been white-labeled, stapled together, and sold as one platform. Internally, it is confusing. Externally, customers can see it too. A lot of work has also been shifted offshore, especially to Colombia. That may save money on paper, but it has also come with the loss of experienced employees, lost institutional knowledge, and a general feeling that the company is being dismantled instead of rebuilt. Leadership is also a huge part of the problem. The CEO’s direction feels erratic, short-sighted, and disconnected from what employees and customers are actually experiencing. The focus seems to be on cutting costs and chasing whatever looks good in the moment, not on building a stable company or supporting the people who kept it alive for years. Good employees can only hold things together for so long when the strategy is broken, the culture is gone, and the customer base that built the company has been pushed away.

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