Decent potential squandered by awful management - Editor Fonpit AG Employee Review

1.0
16 Feb 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Nice office in a central location. Free beer. Friendly co-workers, for the most part.

Cons

The lowest wages a startup can possibly offer, unless you're German, then you have the privilege of higher pay. There is also literally no plan for career paths. Your starting position will most likely be your only position (unless they radically restructure the office without warning and let you invent your own title). The management is appalling. They are neither interested, nor in any way invested, in their staff. They will sooner see you walk out the door than actually implement a change you suggest. Zero respect for pretty much any lower-level employee as far as I could tell, with most of them considered merely to be "filling chairs". There is a complete lack of vision, leading to a change in tact one month, with little followup, and another change of direction a month or two later. The atmosphere is toxic, rampant with cronyism, closed-door discussions and suspicion. Psychological bullying It's a very unpleasant environment to spend every weekday of your life. You will have to fight like a dog for months to get a pay rise, and, even if you do fight, you might instead be offered an extra day or two of holiday each year. As another reviewer mentioned, the almost comically unattainable bonuses were abolished without warning and with no replacement. You will not feel in any way rewarded by the company for any work you do.

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Fonpit AG Response
9y
Dear Reviewer! Thank you for taking your time to review your employment experience at Fonpit AG. Looking at the last review before yours, it seems you had someone to exchange your experiences with. We really would have appreciated, if you had taken the chance to discuss your concerns and opinions with the management while still being employed. Doing so afterwards is what causes suspicion and a toxic environment. We offer a lot of formats where questions and concerns can be raised. And it's a pity to see those matters only coming up after leaving the company. As salaries have been a subject twice now...: Salaries at Fonpit are evidently at market range considering the business and the location. All salaries are determined by education, experience and (as a matter of fact) negotiations - just as in every other company. Raises have to be earned by performance. They are part of our daily business which can easily be proven by talking to existing (also non-German) staff. As much as we do appreciate being honest and open in reviews like this, we'd also appreciate sticking to facts and respectful consideration of thoughts when publishing. Thanks a lot! Claudia (HR Manager)

Explore other reviews about Fonpit AG

1.0
26 Sept 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good pay for Berlin The office was nice and in a cool area

Cons

Horrible management will work you to the bone No flexibility / telecommuting, and if you ever get sick, you'll never hear the end of it. Overall atmosphere of suspicion and derision

4
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Fonpit AG Response
8y
Dear Reviewer! Thank you for taking the time to review your work experience at Fonpit AG. Unfortunately, we do not understand what you mean by "No flexibility / telecommuting, and if you ever get sick, you'll never hear the end of it." If you could go into little more detail here, that would help a lot. Looking at (anonymous) feedback we are receiving from current employees, we cannot see any evidence of people being worked to the bone. In contrast we encourage people to take compensation days and of course their holidays. For your future career paths, we would like to advise you to be more open regarding feedback while you are still employed. Regards, Fonpit AG
5.0
7 Mar 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

For the first time im my whole career, both in Berlin and abroad, I have found a place where I gladly arrive in the morning, as if I would be meeting friends for a coffee. 1. I never feel obligated (forced or pushed) to do anything, and this is for me the biggest motivation to work hard and stay inspired. I mean, I feel way more efficient when being able to set priorities together with my colleagues in a friendly atmosphere and not simply "do what the boss told". 2. I also have a chance to combine multiple responsibilities and learn new technologies, which is for me a reason to come to the office in the morning. 3. Here each one is his/her own boss. So for someone in a junior position, maybe it's not the best place to learn from someone. But for people with high level of self-motivation and a vision for goals, it's simply perfect. Here you have to rely on yourself. 4. The company is very family-friendly and offers a flexible schedule. 5. Benefits like fruits, nuts etc. I hope there's no need to tell much . Just normal startup-setup here. 6. I will not say about other departments (maybe it's different from how it looks), but in mine people are insanely positive.

Cons

Well, for me personally the "contras" is something I find beneficial: no clear goals and finely-planned strategy from management lets us all be self-managed and do more than indicated by the job description. What could be improved: 1. Hardware could be better. 2. Out-of-the-office professional activities, such as conferences, are not much supported. It's even hard to get a day-off, not to mention the company will not pay them.

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