Works Applications reviews

- Non-existent training and guidance, especially in terms of technical know-hows. During the so-called training period, evaluators focus more on your "ideas and thinking" rather than coding skills. Hence, you may produce rubbish messy codes and still pass the training as long as the "idea is brilliant". During actual work (which, honestly, requires way more knowledge than basic JS, HTML, CSS, and jQuery learnt during training), expect even less guidance. Here, Team Leads got into management way too early that they are often the most detached from the code base out of everyone. Your peers may be knowledgeable, but the lack of motivation means they also produce the bare minimum. The company follows a "firefighting mentality" that focuses more on quick fixes and less on getting into the root problem. - Poor management. Having worked in SG Office, there is never a single moment where I am clear of the company's direction, goal, achievement, etc. All the CEO does is to keep harping on the so-called WORKS WAY; abstract nonsensical notions such as Just Think, No Scapegoating, and Breakthrough. During development, sudden feature requests can be thrown without any warning, disrupting any form of planning done by the Team Leads. Deadlines for these features are often short yet the specifications can change again and again throughout the course of development. - Diminishing salary. Evaluation is irregular and not objective. Worse, good evaluation does not mean you will get salary increase. In fact, you WILL get promoted, given more responsibility, but WITHOUT salary increase. These coupled with the ever-weakening Yen, mean many senior employees find themselves with decreasing pay month after month. - Good people are leaving. For the past 3 months, there is at least 1 "Farewell Email" received every single week. Critical members, and members who produces results are leaving because of the toxic working culture and lack of career progression. Those who are left behind are either actively looking for other opportunities, or stuck because they are unable to move on. At the same time, they are struggling to cope with the demands of the upper management owing to the messy code base and lack of support from the now-gone experienced members. - Nobody cares about the product anymore. Some people may put "chill working environment" as a positive, but actually this is due to the fact that nobody is proud of what they are doing anymore. There is no internal motivation, no sense of pride, and not sense of purpose. Every single bug fix, function addition, etc are done solely because the upper management requested it.

Though this company calls itself a global organization but is not so in any manner. All the higher positions are mostly occupied by native members, despite they knowing very little about the tech or business flow. In fact, some are a liability to the company. Without prior knowledge they force the subordinates to work on tasks and makes them change the product at the last moment. Some of the managers do not practice to take charge in case of a failed product and accuse their subordinates. Though some of the senior members(managers) have less/zero idea about certain projects, they do not take the effort to learn anything new. To save themselves from having an ill reputation, they pressurize their subordinates and make their life difficult beyond imagination. Their evaluation system is one of the worst system to evaluate employees. They evaluate based on who can appeal more by talking and show-off rather than work. Once they form an opinion about an employee, they do not change their minds despite the hard work put.Neither do they give good advice to members for improvement nor do they support them. Communication GAP is HUGE. It is not just the language barrier. Instead they have a mind barrier where they do not communicate openly. The management makes false promises to the employees and one fine day fires them. Some current employees are on the verge of depression. This company has drained off the funds initially and now to cut cost are firing foreign employees. It does nothing to deal with so many undeserving old native employees. Initially they did mass hiring, then they did mass firing-but just for foreigners. Because of terrible knowledge transfer, bad management, unskilled senior employees some of the products have become a mess. Due to decreasing funds and "No Firing" policy in Japan, the native employees in Singapore are also safe. The foreign employees are at their mercy. Despite many appeals from foreign employees, the management pays no attention for the improvement of the work culture. Life is hell here and the management condition is beyond repair.