Toxic work environment at a company that doesn’t know how to retain talent. - Anonymous employee 90octane Employee Review

1.0
14 Apr 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Unlimited Paid Time Off Policy

Cons

What started as a great company to work for has turned into a company that has become unrecognizable. If you are not in the very noticeable clique that exists, you will not win at 90. It doesn’t matter how smart or how hard you try, don’t waste your energy. I read an article recently that said, "You can’t change toxic work culture, it will only change you”; couldn’t be more true. A lot of gossip and backstabbing, it feels like you are reliving high school. For a company as old as 90, they have a lot to figure out. There is no leadership whatsoever, because empty leadership positions got filled by favorites and people who aren’t leaders. The company will read this and fabricate some kind of cheerleader speech with empty words about how they believe in themselves and care but it’s only a matter of time before more people see through it and start to look for employment and opportunities elsewhere if they don't invest in their people for the long haul and instead keep pretending that everything is great.

Explore other reviews about 90octane

5.0
26 Sept 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

People, culture, collaboration, the work was exciting and everyone cared a lot.

Cons

None that I can think of. Maybe pay but I still feel it was generous.

2.0
9 Apr 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

When I first got hired, there was a lot to love at 90octane: compressed work week, thirsty Thursdays, quarterly social activities for the entire staff, and more. By the time I left, things had shifted a bit. However, the tactical training for Account Coordinator staff is truly excellent; in fact, many of the Account Coordinators would be hired by other companies because the industry in Denver knows how well 90octane trains their staff. Opportunity to be relatively autonomous was presented, and if you are a high performer, upper management will work with you to find a job/title/department that fits your interests. The owners believed in profit sharing, and bonuses were distributed on a quarterly basis dependent on profit. The people make 90octane, hands down. I have indicated that I would recommend this employer because of the valuable training received in the Account Management department and because of the connections possible with the awesome people on staff.

Cons

The company wasn't prepared for the level of growth they experienced. By my departure, the owners had stopped showing up at all-company social events, thirsty Thursdays were basically nonexistent in terms of attendance, and the focus had shifted from culture to billable hours. There were mixed messages from upper management about what the future of the company culture was, and the understanding around time off started to disappear. Where before they had encouraged work/life balance, they started to make it known that salaried employees are expected to work overtime (particularly if you wanted to spend time on professional development). Base compensation was low.

3
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