Pros
At face value, Houzz is a millennial's dream. Big, open office, catered lunches, team outings, reward systems, and all the bells and whistles of a Silicon Valley-esque startup. Underneath, however, is a rapidly growing sense of tension, dissatisfaction, and frustration. It's a rubber band just waiting to snap. I'll start with the positives: -Bright, fun team members -Successful company -A nice line on the resume
Cons
If you're looking for a job of substance, a challenge, an opportunity for professional growth, something fun that varies from day to day, or a career, you just won't find it here. I came in highly qualified and ready to put those qualifications to use. I realized the position was entry level, but I never expected to feel my job was better suited for a young college student's first internship. Most of the positions here are repetitive, goal/numbers-driven, mentally un-stimulating, micromanaged, and very, very unlikely to change anytime soon. If this was the only negative, I'd say take this job temporarily and then move on shortly, but unfortunately there's a lot more going on here. The pay is inexcusable. You cannot expect employees to feel valued or "lucky" (this word is used a lot here) when most of us can't afford to move of our parents' house (unless we have 2-3 roommates or a spouse who earns a lot more than we do – a common occurrence here). They'll offer you a job that pays 30-50% less than what similar companies pay. They'll tell you a 1% annual raise is "standard," and a 1-5% raise for a lower-level promotion here is the norm. Needless to say, it's more than disheartening to hear senior management continually boast about the astronomical revenue of Houzz while our paychecks look like they do. Benefits are decent but misleading. The "unlimited" vacation policy they pride themselves on is 15 days, including sick pay. Health insurance is fully paid, a nice plus. But alongside astoundingly low salary and tanking employee morale, this feels like a pretty small crumb of cheese. They'll tell you that they pay $1 million+ per year on food and that you should consider it part of your salary. I think I speak for hundreds of others when I say I'd have opted for livable wages in lieu of overpriced food. Management is ultimately funneled through 1 or 2 people in an office of over 500. Mid- and lower-level management is, though usually emotionally supportive and kind, bogged down at best. Progress is slow to nonexistant. A company of this size needs real management training (there is none offered) so managers who are young and inexperienced are trained to manage rather than trained to funnel anything and everything through those high above them. It's essentially an illusion of multi-tiered management. Lastly, it's baffling to know that when this review is read, it will be written off by senior management as the complaints of someone ungrateful (and promptly followed up with some eerily similar 5-star reviews). I've seen the reactions to criticisms about the company, and they are almost never taken seriously or respected by those with true authority. I wish I had the magic words to make it all click to them. All of the above is why turnover rates have exploded in this past year, especially in recent months. Valuable, capable, and dedicated employees are leaving by the boatload for careers that offer a challenge, growth, fair compensation, and a future. These aren't the selfish rantings of an entitled millennial; they're realities that are causing serious distress beneath the protein bar- and dollar sign-laden surface of the company. I've loved my team and some of my experiences here, and it's my sincere hope that things change here fast. If they don't, I can't foresee Houzz having a happy or loyal employee base anytime soon.
