Handshake reviews

I'm writing this note in response to a few of the recent negative reviews over the past couple of months. To make it abundantly clear, HR no anyone else has asked me to write this review, I'd just like to share my perspective. I've been in tech for quite some time and an early employee at a few unicorn startups and I can say, without doubt, that Handshake is a special and generational company with a serious potential to be one of the most successful startups of our time. In short, Handshake is founded on the premise of helping students get jobs, how can't you get behind that? Aside from the mission, the best part of this company are its people. Period. Handshake has done an incredible job hiring kind, empathetic, hardworking people of all types, backgrounds, experiences, and cultures to walk the walk. Everyone is friendly with one another and while there are office politics, they are peanuts compared to other companies. There's really an opportunity to contribute something special, no matter what team you're on. Team leaders are open to feedback, fresh ideas, and encourage their direct reports to think outside of the box. The prevailing point I want to make here is: this job is hard. Startups are hard. Tech companies are hard. You are often asked to do more with the same, or even less. Managers can be overwhelmed. Resources might be thin. You may be asked to take on different responsibilities. You may be frustrated with your job. What drives success is how you react and persevere through these hardships. If you want easy, go work at a legacy tech company abundant with resources and support. Remember, people join startups because they a) care about its mission - and b) want a challenge. Handshake is that. It's not perfect, it has its shortcomings, but your mindset and how you approach your role here is what will drive success.

Handshake has been a great organization to work for. Like any business, but especially any that is growing as fast as ours, there will be obstacles, mistakes and oversight. I've found management's eagerness to address these challenges head on and maintain transparency very refreshing and encouraging. The value "Learn Grow Repeat" holds true for people at all levels in the organization and has a positive impact on culture. The company is filled with incredibly brilliant and thoughtful people who are all hungry to work toward the shared mission. This makes for a very inspiring atmosphere and culture of growth. There are countless avenues to engage with people across the organization and learn what is going on outside your team. I find this level of knowledge sharing and communication really connecting and grounding.