Pros
- Idealistic staff who believe they can make a difference - Flexible working hours and comfortable dress code - Frequent team bonding and interaction sessions, sometimes excessive but great nonetheless - Some opportunities for self-expression and sharing of ideas across teams such as the regular Hackathon sessions - Really good at branding itself as an innovative tech company to the outside world (until you know what goes on in the inside)
Cons
- It will get more depressing the longer you stay because you'll start to realise you won't make much difference to the bottom-line. Decisions are always made behind closed doors in the boardroom by the Executive Leadership Team (or ELT). - Talk about career progression and self-improvement is negligible at best, and non-existent at worst. Personally wanted to discuss the prospect of personal growth and direction for my own career within the company, but was promptly shot down by line managers and told it was better to find something elsewhere. - Speaking of career progression, there is hardly any promotion from within. There is always a perception that external parties are superior/ more competent to staff who have been there for ages (we're talking more than 4 - 7 years). However, promotions, if they are given, aren't all roses - ie. you may earn a regional title but in name only/increase in pay doesn't justify the increase workload. - Beneath the company's cheery facade is an undercurrent of resentment. Department Heads and Directors are there to tow the company line because of the rampant yes-man mentality, at the expense of their subordinates. In short, if you're an exec or manager, be prepared to have your ideas thrown out the window or shot down because you aren't in the position to affect change. - Morale in some departments is low to the point they look and sound worse than the walking dead. There truly isn't any incentive for them to strive to do better things. - Departments function in silos and there isn't transparency across departments - Also, top management wants to initiate change, but this "change" is neither cohesive nor communicated clearly. As a result, each department is unsure how they can contribute to the overall scheme of things. - Don't be enticed by their "cool tech plans" like VR and Artificial Intelligence for property. It has been the rhetoric for a while now with little to show. There really isn't anything in the roadmap that will truly disrupt the real estate online search market. Also, too much attention is given to topics such as IPOs, suing competitors etc.