Sharpen reviews

3.6

66% would recommend to a friend

(48 total reviews)

Charlie Newark-French

53% approve of CEO

63% positive business outlook

Sharpen has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 48 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Sharpen employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Telecommunications industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

48 reviews
2.0
Aug 9, 2016

Beware of the wolf in sheep's clothes

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great location and several members on the team who really believe that they are doing their best work. Sharpen (Fathom) is a bit of an underdog (not in a good way) in the Indy tech community, so there is not a great deal of competition for the job openings meaning someone with very little experience or credible background has an opportunity to get their foot in the door here.

Cons

It is difficult to be able to decipher between the truth and everything else that goes on here. Senior leadership, especially at the founder level, will always put their needs ahead of the company, as well as your happiness. At times, it feels as if you are playing part in an elaborate charade as the numbers never match up to reality and instead of making smart decisions to grow profitably, more lipstick is applied to the pig. Although the "lipstick" parts make it a flashier place to work, constantly worrying about if you will get paid as a result is hard to handle. Nepotism is also rampant and employees are frequently leaving, whether on their own accord or not.

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Sharpen Response
9y
Hello Anonymous, I wanted to follow up with you regarding your review. Sharpen is constantly striving to be the best and set ourselves apart. So in a sense, we are kind of like a “wolf” in that we are hungry to be the best, strong to never give up, and are in fact trying to set ourselves apart from other “sheep” in our industry. Starting a business is tough and risky. Sharpen has taken time to identify and address difficult decisions, and has put a lot of hard work and dedication into all aspects of the business. From determining who to hire to innovating on our product, we have survived and will continue to push until we thrive. We are nowhere near perfect but we believe in our team’s abilities and appreciate the fact that they do their best work, not just “believe that they are doing their best work.” Have you ever read “A Tale of Two Entrepreneurs: Understanding Differences in the Types of Entrepreneurship in the Economy”? It is a good read to check out before considering a career with a group like ours. The article does a great job of summarizing why innovative-driven enterprises, or IDEs, have a lot on the line and have to push forward continually as opposed to operating under the more traditional business ideas/models. Please check it out and hopefully it helps to better paint the picture of decisions made in an IDE environment. This all said, I can absolutely relate to being in this situation. I was a “former employee” myself, and I know it can be tough leaving because I lived it too. Whether you make the decision to leave or the decision is made for you, it is a hard thing to go through. I left Sharpen (at the time Fathom) a couple years ago. But as time went on, I felt I made a mistake. I wanted to return for multiple reasons but here are the most important to me: Sharpen has incredible potential to be big, and who doesn’t want to be a part of the next big thing? I wanted to get back with a company where I had the freedom to do my best work and have my opinions be heard. Now, that doesn’t mean they always are executed on but I am able to voice them and understand the decision behind it. I know there are (and will be more) times when I am pushed to my limit and I may hate it in that moment, but ultimately my work is needed. I am valuable and it is worth it. And probably the most important….the people that Sharpen has secured and retained. The existing team is fantastic and additionally the leadership talent Sharpen has brought in over the last 6 months are impressive. In operations, finance, sales, and marketing, there have been some HUGE wins for the team and I knew in joining them, I would learn an incredible amount and help grow Sharpen even more. I am sorry our opportunity wasn’t right for you but for others that see the value, like I did, it is. I am confident you will do well wherever you end up and wish you the best. Sincerely, HR Director Sharpen
5.0
Aug 5, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

As a customer service/experience person, our product is fantastic and improving every day. Down to earth leadership. Philanthropic leadership encourages volunteerism. Sharpen has participated in some very cool projects in my time here. Advancement opportunities. Friendly and fun-loving office environment. Semi-frequent company events, both at the office and off-site. Encourages fitness and healthy living. Unlimited PTO. Stocked kitchen, fresh fruit on a regular basis.

Cons

Be prepared to put in a little extra as this is not an "out the door at 5" kind of job. The company is growing and learning. Things can and will change, but you will almost always be given a reason why.

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Sharpen Response
9y
Hello, We are trying each and every day to deliver on the expectations you mentioned: "product is fantastic and improving every day, Philanthropic leadership encourages volunteerism, Advancement opportunities," etc. Keeping a culture going is sometimes easier said than done so it is nice to read you appreciate initiatives we are targeting. We hope by building on the list you mentioned (and others) next year, you will benefit even more and your excitement to work here will grow too. I can’t give much info yet but anticipate additional info in early 2017. Thank you for the “advice to management” and through our All-Hands Meetings, we will continue to do so. If you’d like more clarity, please reach out to leadership. The open-door policy still stands. Keep being awesome, HR Director Sharpen
3.0
Feb 28, 2016

Start-up life isn't for everyone

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There is a fully-stocked kitchen including alcohol for after hours, monthly company outings. The company is really young. Everyone gets their own apple hardware.

Cons

Its a startup so as a dev, you're there all night as the leadership team urges you to meet deadlines. Everyone is underpaid, but the senior devs. The management is very poor. The ceo has one foot out the door, as he is only looking to sell the company.

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Sharpen Response
9y
Hello, We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback on the company and have taken your advice to heart. Since your review, we have hired additional leadership to help drive Sharpen including a new VP of Operations, VP of Marketing, Director of HR, and an Executive Advisor. Hiring the right people and cultivating management, as well as our employees, is incredibly important to us. Know we have not taken your comments lightly. These new members of our team have been focused on employee development, standardizing procedures, and helping expand Sharpen’s reach internally and externally. The “pros” you shared are still happening and “cons” are being addressed. Deadlines are still very important but we have moved to a more efficient model for planning and tracking workflow. There is much more involvement from the entire development team on assessing timeframes and communication among the group. All functions within the company have gotten stronger by scheduling more “touch bases” and meetings. On the topic of pay, we have conducted salary analysis in the area and assessed that we are competitive; even more so as we continue to grow. During the hiring process, we communicate salary expectations with potential employees, ensuring we are in alignment with one another. Thus far, it has been successful. Regarding our CEO, he is out of the office a day or so a week (sometimes more depending on meetings) but typically is here with us - and his door is typically open. He is kept busy with investor meetings, involved in sales opportunities and networking events. The dream of many CEOs is to built a business to one day sell and reap the benefits of their hard work. Cameron’s vision is to grow Sharpen to become the next big telecommunications software company. I’m sorry you had the impression he had one foot out the door. The vision for growing a company is reinforced to employees today by providing stock options to everyone that joins the team. Thank you again for the time to complete this survey and your work for us. We wish you the best at your new opportunity! Kind regards, Sharpen's HR Director
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Glassdoor has 49 Sharpen reviews submitted anonymously by Sharpen employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Sharpen is right for you.