Good people, but lack of fairness and transparency issues - Software Engineer Sage Employee Review

3.0
4 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good People around to work with

Cons

* There appears to be a lack of awareness or consistent understanding of company policies among some managers. For example, requests for transfers to locations closer to employees' hometowns are often denied without clear justification, while similar requests from other employees are approved. This creates a perception of inconsistency and unfair treatment. * There is a noticeable perception of partiality within certain teams, where opportunities and decisions seem to vary between employees without transparent criteria. This can negatively impact employee morale and trust. * The allocation of RSUs and other long-term incentives lacks transparency. Employees with similar experience, performance, and contributions sometimes receive significantly different benefits, leading to concerns about fairness in reward distribution. * Promotion cycles are often delayed, resulting in employees waiting longer than expected for career progression. This has contributed to dissatisfaction and has led some employees to seek opportunities elsewhere. * Salary increments in recent cycles have not been competitive with market standards or employee expectations. The absence of meaningful hikes despite increased responsibilities and contributions has impacted motivation and retention. * There is a need for greater transparency in decisions related to promotions, compensation, transfers, and rewards. Clearly communicated criteria would help employees better understand expectations and career growth opportunities. * Employee contributions and achievements are not always recognized consistently across teams. This can create a feeling that effort and performance are not equally valued. * Career growth opportunities within certain teams appear limited, making it difficult for employees to envision a long-term future within the organization. * Communication regarding policy changes, compensation decisions, and organizational initiatives could be improved to ensure employees feel informed and aligned with company goals. * Retention of experienced employees has become a concern, as delays in career progression, perceived inequities, and lower compensation growth have encouraged many talented individuals to explore opportunities outside the organization.

Explore other reviews about Sage

5.0
23 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Working at Sage these past 4 years has been both rewarding and energizing. I’ve really valued the opportunity to collaborate with talented teams across the business while helping evolve our Developer Content organization into a broader developer experience and AI-enabled function. One of the most meaningful parts of the experience has been seeing how open people are to innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. It’s been exciting to contribute to initiatives that improve both internal workflows and the experience for our developer community. I’m grateful for the relationships, growth opportunities, and trust I’ve been given throughout the year, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.

Cons

With so much innovation and transformation happening across the company, priorities can evolve quickly — but it also creates exciting opportunities to learn, adapt, and contribute to meaningful change.

3.0
15 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Pay’s decent -Benefits are solid -The Sage Foundation feels like proper philanthropy -Some genuinely nice people -If you’re happy treating work as just a payslip and don’t mind things being a bit dull, Sage is actually quite a comfortable place to be. That stability is a real perk

Cons

-Far too many layers of middle management and general bureaucracy -The Ai push is getting a bit daft -Not especially innovative, so the work can feel quite uninspiring. I’m grateful to be employed, but if you’re after something more interesting, Sage will probably disappoint. That said, some people prefer it that way, fair enough -The office / hybrid requirements feel a bit pointless -Sage doesn’t tend to do layoffs, which is good, but it does mean there are quite a few people where you’re not entirely sure what they do. A lot of meetings, essentially. Even the positives come with trade-offs

4
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Sage Response
1mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughtful and balanced review. We’re pleased to hear that you value your compensation and benefits, as well as the work our Foundation do, among the areas you’ve highlighted. We also recognise the points you’ve raised around bureaucracy, innovation, and the pace and focus of change. Different people are motivated by different things at work, and it’s helpful to hear honest perspectives on how our structure, processes, and priorities can impact day‑to‑day experience and engagement. Feedback like yours helps inform ongoing conversations as we continue to evolve our ways of working, use technology more meaningfully, and improve the products and experiences we create for our customers. If you’re open to sharing further insight, we encourage you to do so through our Always Listening survey. Thank you again for your openness and for being part of Sage.
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