Pros
Being in contact with the people in the company is great. Outside of work, the climate is good and the international context really adds something to the startup flair.
Cons
Unrealistic goalsetting by the management: Most employees and departments do not achieve the goals given by the management, still the expectations rise every now and then. This is not only frustrating and demotivating, as individuals get blamed for not meeting the goals. It also is no indication for the management to adjust goals or see what ressources should be provided to enable performance in the teams. Also related to goalsetting is the current problem that performance is often measured, but the focus always lies on time needed or quantity achieved, not on the quality. This leads to either bad feedback for not meeting the goals or poorly executed tasks. Because often individuals get blamed for ‘underperforming’, the support within teams is lacking and helping colleagues is not appreciated. Strong favouritism: The management does not reward good performance, working long hours or having going the extra mile. Instead, silent employees are being overlooked and those who speak up are rewarded regardless their performance. For me, this feels like an indication of how much the company really cares about its people and the work they put in. Messy and narrow-minded management: Problems are pointed out at a regular basis, so the content of the reviews here is not new at all. So far, there are no changes that anyone expects to impact the way things are around here. On the contrary, the blaming of individuals and the setting of vague or misleading goals continues. The work of the different departments is poorly coordinated and it often happens that important changes are neither discussed, nor communicated. The great work some people at the company do leads to other ones having an even harder day and more frustration. Health: As pointed out in another review, we already have someone missing due to burnout. Others will follow if they don’t find another job as a way out. At the end of the day, it does not matter to the company since employees are not a valuable resource but rather an instrument on the way to success.