Very difficult company culture that doesn't invest in employees and is highly hierarchical.
The CEO is included in most decisions which creates a culture where every manager is reluctant to make decisions independently. The in-office policy is overly strict (especially within sales) with specific hours mandated, making it especially difficult for parents of young children or anyone with outside obligations.
In my time working there, it felt as if the executive team thought employees should feel privileged to be at Sonar because of the company's strong financial performance. Expressions of appreciation were scarce and it became uninspiring over time. Also, the strong financial performance isn't shared with most employees - only Director-level and above receive equity and performance bonuses, with select employees receiving equity through a very opaque program. In my time there - company raises were limited to 1% (2% for strong performers) and promotions involved incremental increases to salary that were not in line with the market.
It was unsettling to see how expendable employees were. I saw multiple instances of employees being abruptly let go because a new leader came in - a dynamic which, at best, felt political and, at worst, totally lacking empathy.
Overall, it was a very disappointing experience working at Sonar. It felt as if employees were treated as children and that the strict office policy had to do with the CEO's tendency to distrust employees rather than inspiring and empowering them.
