ABOUT YOU Reviews

--* -- HR + Benefits + Pay -- * -- Despite being such a large department, I don’t think the HR actually contributed to anything except hiring and firing. The performance review process was extremely poorly developed and outdated, and there are no benefits worth mentioning except for occasional parties and discounts off AY or affiliate brands, despite the fact that a continual point of feedback from employees was asking for more benefits. Turnover was constant - in my 6 months there I saw an unbelievable amount of people come and go, and the overall attitude seemed to be that management didn't care, they could hire another rather than retain the experienced and competent employees who were leaving for better pay, mentorship, and growth opportunities. It seems to me such an outdated and short-sighted mindset to simply keep rehiring and put no effort into retaining your employees when the cost of hiring and training new employees is so high, not to mention the intangible costs of lost talent, business knowledge, and continuity with projects and clients. Whenever you had any feedback, you would be told to “fiLL oUT PeAKon”(the company’s formal feedback tool), but I suspect it was only used by management to gauge the overall mood of employees - they never introduced any new policies or projects that would address the common negative feedback points - namely poor pay, lack of benefits, overwhelmingly male management, non-transparent decision-making processes, etc. This was always met with vague promises that maybe in the future we’ll do something about it. --* -- German-dominant + limited growth opportunities --*-- Although I spoke German in 80% of my day-to-day, it was clear that German ways of doing things were prioritized. (This mainly applies to SCAYLE specifically). German ways of working are prioritized as most clients are German, and almost 100% of managers are German, meaning your growth opportunities, while already limited, will be even more so if you aren’t German. This is something to keep in mind as many of the people who left were in fact internationals who were frustrated by their limited growth opportunities and being excluded from projects/meetings because of the language and cultural barrier. Ironically, since the company recently acquired a few international clients they are scrambling to catch-up to a more international focus. --*-- Lack of Innovation, Poor Strategy + Product & Dismal Management --*-- What was frustrating for me was the zero focus on innovation. On the marketing side, they are using outdated marketing models from years ago that are rightly being questioned or even rejected by clients. The overall attitude from management was - quality and innovation are not important, we will just sell whatever we can. Poor documentation and processes were also prevalent and likely stemmed from the lack of continuity due to turnover as well as missing leadership, especially on the technical side. They also have one of the worst product strategies I’ve ever seen; I would expect better even at an early-stage startup, not a company of hundreds. Rather than focusing on core features, USP, or differentiating from competitors, they were completely reactive, basing new product changes entirely on which customers cried the loudest and fixing the inevitable emergencies that constantly came up. Directors who have no product background or experience are over-involved in the day-to-day of clients rather than having product experts define the strategy and roadmap. Despite talented and engaged employees at the bottom, leadership is extremely top-heavy. Frustratingly, this is again another case of too many mediocre, male, white senior managers and directors who think they know best rather than forming an actual strategy or even trusting subject-matter experts. Decisions are made on a whim or vetoed based on some executive’s decision that day with no transparency as to the reason behind it. Projects are kiboshed or urgently prioritized seemingly randomly. Strategy at SCAYLE was non-existent. I asked repeatedly about vision, goals, OKRs, product roadmap, etc. to get some clarity on our priorities and projects. The answer I got back was, we do whatever drives the most revenue. How enlightening. Every company is aiming to make a profit. The question is - how do we get there? I’ve seen companies with a fraction of the employees and management team do this infinitely better. --*-- Layoff--*-- Lastly, I would like to outline the details of my layoff, since it perfectly represents the trainwreck that is SCAYLE’s management. On the absolute last day of my 6-month probation period, I was called in by the director and told that although I had good performance they couldn’t afford to employ me any longer due to the loss of 2 big clients at the beginning of the year (clearly clients are also getting wise to how subpar and disorganized SCAYLE is). They offered for me to interview for another comparable position, but my contract at SCAYLE was in effect over. My boss and teammates were as shocked as I was, having had no say in the matter. I asked why they had been hiring new employees and why they didn’t give me a heads up earlier if the company was in such dire financial straits - to no good response. The answer was clear - if I had been there one day longer, laying me off would mean having to pay me for a 3-month notice period, instead of the 2-week notice I got. For new employees or potential job-seekers take note: this is a company that will use you for every day of work that they can, as they take advantage of low-paid young grads or internationals dependent on a work visa - then kick you to the curb the second your employment turns into something more permanent, as long as it benefits their bottom line. This company will treat you like a commodity and exploit you for your work and commitment until it doesn't suit them any more. You are just a number on the balance sheet to them. —-* —- Conclusion —-* —- This is a company that has been resting on the laurels of its reputation in Germany from the past decade, and is now struggling to keep up as it is outpaced by the speed, innovation and strategy of its competitors. As senior management fights among one another for whatever scrap of political power they can gain, employees and clients have already noticed the downhill trend and are getting out while they can. AY and SCAYLE are dying a slow death that will only accelerate as the best talent and clients continue to move on to better pastures. My advice - get out while you can or avoid this company altogether.

-lack of leadership -lack of support for developments -lack of feedback culture -managers often take credit for your work -everybody gets burned out after a year or two