- The company conducted layoffs at the beginning of 2023 without giving affected employees a chance to improve their performance through performance improvement plans (PIPs). Instead, they were asked to sign an agreement and put on garden leave. Even employees in their probation period were caught off guard by the sudden termination of their contracts.
- The majority of the leadership is disappointing, importing toxic practices from Amazon without a clear mid-term plan. Mistakes are deemed intolerable, leading to a fear-based work environment that stifles innovation. Micro-management is rampant, limiting opportunities for experimentation.
- The codebase is riddled with workarounds and legacy issues. Teams and tribes operate in silos, hindering collaboration and making it difficult to establish and follow best practices. - The work culture is filled with unprofessional behavior. People constantly talk over one another and display rudeness during meetings and Slack conversations, creating a toxic and disrespectful environment.
- There is a prevalent hero culture where employees are encouraged to solve everything independently and only share the results afterward. This approach promotes toxic silos and hampers effective knowledge sharing.
- The company's career framework is unhelpful for promotion, requiring senior engineers to be proficient in every aspect. Additionally, employees are compared to their peers, putting pressure on them to work excessive hours, even outside of regular working hours.
- The lack of diversity is apparent beyond the senior level, with no women in staff engineering positions or engineering leadership. The majority of the company's leadership consists of white men, disregarding the importance of representation and inclusivity.
- While leaders and directors enjoy the freedom to work remotely from other countries, non-leadership employees are required to spend a significant portion of their week in the office. However, the office environment is far from ideal, often crowded and noisy, necessitating advance table reservations.
- Surprisingly, a food company has chosen to reduce the quantity of food provided to employees, such as fruits, beverages, and cereal. This cost-cutting measure reflects poorly on a company in the food industry, as it demonstrates a lack of consideration for employees' basic needs and well-being.
