Lab49 reviews about "training"

Has gone downhill massively since Ion Trading took over, though the rot started before then. Ion Trading is a terrible company to work for (just look at their Glass Door reviews), so this isn't very surprising. I feel sorry for some of Ion Trading's more recent acquisitions, such as Caplin, since it's highly likely they'll end up the same way. The culture is riddled with immoral working practices such as: * Making people redundant with no notice or consultancy period and the absolute minimum legal redundancy payment. And in some cases, they apparently needed a legal reminder on what this minimum even was. * Requiring new joiners to write a Glass Door review as part of their on-boarding process, presumably in an attempt to improve their rating. * Refusing to provide references unless they are provided with full details, including contacts, of someone's new place of employment. A Lab49 employment contract usually allows you to work anywhere you haven't personally worked at, through Lab49, in the last 12 months. However Lab have a history of contacting your new employer and threatening legal action if you try go to any of their clients or potential clients, even though you have never worked with them yourself. People have had job offers or contracts pulled at the 11th hour though this tactic. Even an unsuccessful sales pitch in the last 12 months apparently qualifies as a potential client. If they ever decide that Ion clients count as Lab clients, then most of the financial industry in London will be closed off to you. * Mandatory (and a register is often taken) meetings in the evening, at least twice a year, with a sole purpose of trying to brainwash you into thinking Lab49 is really a great place to work. It doesn't work. After five minutes boredom sets in and everyone switches off. There have also been a number of very dodgy business decisions. For example in 2016, they fired every single QA resource they had. Despite them being some of the best QA resources I've ever had the pleasure to work with. The excuse was that Lab could use Ion's QA team in India. Management have since admitted that Ion, as a group, doesn't do QA very well. And of course, now none of the current Lab49 projects have any formal QA. And don't expect any training courses. You're expected to buy a book and do this yourself on the weekend. Apparently a few years ago, they did put on a Capital Markets course, but like the brainwashing sessions (sorry Town-hall meetings), these were in the evenings, mandatory, had a register and even had a test you had to pass. Also don't expect to have any say whatsoever as to what project you get put on. From what the old-timers say, a few years ago Lab49 in London employed almost 100 people. These days the number of software engineers is in single figures, and that includes the three new graduates hired last year. Unless something is done to turn things around very quickly, I'd be surprised if there's anyone left in London by the end of 2017. As soon as I can find another role outside The City, or one that doesn't need HR references, I'm out. Not a place I'd ever recommend to my friends.

- Clients are in the financial sector, and some of them are difficult - Consultancy is not for everyone

You get none of these things working for Lab49.

1. Company Overview Business & Scale The company operates as an IT consulting firm with a limited number of active projects. Currently, it appears to be struggling to secure new engagements. In India, the employee strength is approximately 50–60 people. Mission, Vision, and Values There is no clearly articulated mission, vision, or value system in practice. The company does not have a dedicated office space. At times, employees work from coworking spaces, while at other times temporary arrangements are requested from the ION Group. Noida is the only operational location. Any mention of additional Delhi NCR offices typically refers to ION Group premises, which generally do not share infrastructure with Lab49 employees. Although employees are technically on the ION Group’s payroll, there is minimal functional integration beyond that. Target Market & Clients Currently, the company appears to accept any project that becomes available. While 5–6 years ago it had stronger engagements within the financial services domain, this focus has diminished. Roles are often loosely defined, including instances where developers are assigned QA responsibilities. 2. Leadership & Management Leadership Quality & Decision-Making Leadership effectiveness is notably weak. The management style is heavily focused on highlighting past mistakes—sometimes from months or even years ago—rather than constructive guidance. Decision-making authority within the India region is largely absent, and there is minimal leadership visibility or recognition of good work. Transparency & Communication Management is highly transparent when pointing out employee mistakes. However, positive contributions are largely treated as “business as usual” and receive little to no acknowledgment. Trust & Approachability There is little evidence of trust-building or genuine approachability. While the individual heading the India region may be accessible, escalation rarely results in meaningful resolution. 3. Work Culture & Environment Company Culture in Practice There is no clearly defined culture. Team enjoyment and collaboration depend entirely on personal relationships rather than organizational initiatives. The primary value emphasized appears to be billability—employees are valued mainly when they are actively billed to a client. Inclusivity & Diversity The workforce is approximately 90% male. Peer-level respect among employees exists; however, this is not actively supported or reinforced by leadership or management. Collaboration & Morale Collaboration occurs as required for work delivery, but maintaining morale is considered an individual responsibility rather than an organizational priority. Work-Life Balance The company enforces a 100% work-from-office model with no remote option. Although official policy allows six hours in-office followed by work from home, adhering strictly to this policy often attracts negative attention, even when employees are fully compliant. 4. Job Roles & Responsibilities Role Clarity Roles and expectations are poorly defined. Employees are generally expected to complete whatever work is assigned without clarity or long-term role alignment. Autonomy vs. Micromanagement The work environment has moved steadily toward micromanagement. While the company hires talented individuals, the operating environment often limits their effectiveness and growth. Initiative & Ownership There are very limited opportunities to take initiative or influence outcomes within the India organization. Workload & Stress Workload itself is manageable and expected in consulting. However, stress levels are high due to persistent internal conflicts, unproductive leadership interactions, and frequent interpersonal friction. 5. Compensation & Benefits Salary Competitiveness Compensation was previously strong, often offering packages equivalent to 4–5 times years of experience. This has declined and currently averages closer to 3–4 times experience, making it less competitive. Bonuses & Variable Pay A 10% variable pay component exists and is typically paid in full if the employee remains billable throughout the year. Benefits & Perks Benefits such as insurance and leave policies are standard and unremarkable. Pay Fairness Compensation consistency and fairness are below expectations, though this is a common issue in consulting firms. 6. Career Growth & Learning Promotions & Mobility Career progression is extremely limited. Employees with 10+ years of experience are often hired at the Senior Associate level, with little to no upward movement thereafter. Among the 50–60 employees in India, promotions beyond Senior Associate are extremely rare. Training & Upskilling Formal training is minimal. Occasionally, access to platforms such as Udemy or A Cloud Guru is provided, but typically only for short durations. Performance Reviews Performance appraisals are largely procedural. Feedback is delivered with “honesty,” but without constructive outcomes or growth planning. Long-Term Career Support There is negligible support for long-term career development. Professionals seeking job satisfaction, growth, or stability may find this organization unsuitable. 7. Performance & Business Stability Business Trajectory The company appears to be in decline, with few high-quality projects entering the pipeline. Job Security Job stability is uncertain, though this risk is not uncommon within IT consulting. Market Reputation The company’s reputation has deteriorated in recent years. Hiring standards have lowered, and feedback from both current and former employees is predominantly negative.

You know how to really judge a company by how they respond to a crisis, whilst the major tech and financial corporates extended leave and promised no redundancies during coronavirus. Lab49 laid people off, postponed bonuses and cancelled online training subscriptions despite no material impact to their business.

-Have not yet received a formal review and have been at the company for 6+ months. -Liaising with employees in other office locations can sometimes be tricky though is worked out where possible, this may mean early mornings or late nights though this is to be expected in a full-time position.

Consulting grinds you down. No training, no learning. Too many late nights and weekends. Paltry bonus, if one was even granted. Dead end.

Bonuses scheduled to be paid in April, actually paid between June - Nov even though you read online that the global CEO pays himself 9 digits a year as he buys more and more companies. Company sells itself as doing attractive front office projects with great design but banks don't actually outsource that kind of work. Hero culture where you are asked to work weekends to deliver on some unrealistic deadline instead of good management and setting projects up for success. NY culture is toxic, especially heads of strategy and project management who are verbally insulting. They seem to get it that way from the CEO and then quickly pass the buck. No support system for training / learning and development even though you get graded on it at eval time. CEO actively avoids having to interact with the proletariat staff. Low-ball all the offers and you have to fight annually for market pay directly with the lab CEO. It seems like the positive Glassdoor reviews are written by a select group of new people that management is trying to isolate and treat well and encourage to write glassdoor reviews for the sole purpose of saving their rating.