Talented engineers but poor management - Software Engineer White Widget Employee Review

2.0
16 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Most of the engineers are talented. I learned a lot from them. - Most of the employees are kind and friendly. - Friendships I made with some employees lasted even after I left. - Pay is good compared to local companies. It's also high if you're a junior engineer. - There are a lot of company activities and workcations.

Cons

- This is not a meritocracy. Management favors the engineers who have been in the company the longest. - It also recognizes people who have good verbal communication skills. Even if you code well and submit with minimal bugs, the CEO will only notice you if you're a good reporter. This can be a pro for people who are good conversationalists though. - The CEO is a micromanager. - The CEO always blames and scolds people who are not from the engineering department. - The meetings will take hours. They will go past the cut-off time but no one will say anything about it. - Mental health leaves are recognized on paper. But management will tell you to just walk more. Management is generally like this in all aspects of work - inconsistent, two-faced, and unable to take accountability. - Some engineers don't listen to reason. They will insist their way is the best even when presented with evidence that it's not. They are the founding engineers.

Explore other reviews about White Widget

2.0
27 Apr 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Competitive total salary for early-career professionals - Additional allowance for renting near the office - Free food and coffee in the office - Flexibility in working from home when needed - Talented people who drive growth in respective roles

Cons

TLDR: Biased management and poor leadership makes this a toxic workplace. It took me some time to realize this and outgrow the company. If possible, apply somewhere else. - Low base salary - Minimal salary increase - Nonexistent performance review system - "Flat hierarchy" but it's actually leaning towards dictatorship - Software engineers are favored, while all other roles are less valued and usually mistreated - CEO micromanages and manipulates employees, never admits mistakes and blames other people instead - Admin and tenured employees tolerate CEO's wrongdoings - CEO claims to listen to employees but treats valid criticism as personal attack, unfairly subjecting employees to administrative actions - Policies change easily and mostly without proper documentation and announcement - Admin snitches on employees to the CEO, making even harmless remarks be treated like offenses - CEO is AI-crazy — favors AI-generated articles over those created by actual writers, pushes artists to produce assets with AI, downplays the environmental effects of generative AI, and many more - Long meetings, sometimes unnecessary, are the norm - Employees are given the illusion of choice, yet the CEO makes the final product decisions regardless of logic - CEO communicates unprofessionally — sending passive-aggressive and long-winding messages, messaging people on holidays and weekends, and policing people on sending private messages when she does it herself - CEO overpromises to clients, leading to heavy expectations shouldered by employees - Serious management issues are met with band-aid fixes rather than sustainable solutions that address the root causes - Promotions are granted based on tenure, preventing high-performing employees with less tenure from achieving leadership roles

12
1.0
3 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Benefits are relatively great, but can change anytime and on the spot despite written records - Each desk is for one employee only, allowing people to make their desks "theirs" - Occasional snacks - Occasional events

Cons

Most of the people's grievances have already been stated multiple times across the different reviews here, and they're all true. In addition to those: Favoritism is evident towards certain employees that don't bother calling out leadership during questionable decisions; because if employees do, they will be subject to humiliation or invalidation. Inconsistent rationales and decisions from leadership will make you wonder why your work was being questioned, but approved and praised when brought up by the favorite employees despite it literally being the same as your ideas and suggestions. Credit-grabbing or inappropriate credit-giving is also a problem; with employees working hard on certain tasks, only for the credit and thanks to be given to (a) favorite employee/s which will obviously hinder promotions or rising up the ranks for the other employees. It's very jarring how inconsistent management is in this company; causing trust issues among employees towards leadership, and second guessing their own actions instead of experiencing the build-up of one's confidence for their work and intentions. There has been instances wherein employees have voiced out their ideas, only to be shot down by leadership and then "stolen" much later; giving credit to themselves or their favorite employees. Management is indeed very reactionary, instead of genuinely taking the time to think about the matter and discussing it with the employees. Leadership also feels manipulative with how they ask the team questions for when it's supposed to matter company-wide, but the questions are molded such that you will notice that leadership expects a "right answer" (ex. Option 1 is worded negatively, Option 2 is worded positively). There are times that you will be directly told to do some tasks a certain way, but if you do, it's suddenly wrong or lacking. For example, asking questions or asking for help is "encouraged", but doing those will immediately get you berated for "not knowing this" or "wasting other people's time". This in turn makes mentorship from management or leadership almost non-existent, as well as push the employees' motivation to learn go downhill. It's also possible for you to be humiliated in front of the client for doing your job, albeit successfully and smoothly, instead of being contacted privately if management deems your process is not the expected way. Everyone at first will be made to feel welcome and well taken care of through the unique and truly helpful benefits that will be offered to you, but as time goes on, it will feel more like a ploy to manipulate you into an "utang-na-loob" mindset. As mentioned by other reviews, certain policies and treatment can immediately change without proper announcements the moment a related concern or inquiry is brought up by the employee to, in theory or allegedly, accommodate the "comfort" of leadership and/or favorite employees in the company without genuinely thinking how it will impact the rest of the affected employees. Certain activities, benefits, provisions, etc. will be highly and verbally encouraged in front of you and employees, even include these in guides or handbooks, then shock you with a sudden contradictory statement that does not align with what employees would have believed to be welcome and encouraged in the company. There are employees (will not confirm nor deny if they are current or previous employees) that have also started taking therapy because of working for this company, and it's not even directly because of the clients. If you value your work, your dignity, your mental health, it might be best to apply somewhere else; but if you think you'll be fine with everything stated previously and here, go for it! You might make unforgettable memories and life-long friends in this company as several employees did (current or former); but be aware that leaving the company will be made to feel like it is seen as a traitorous move and you will be deemed ungrateful. Back then, this company really did feel like the best for a while, but saving face seems more important to this company, to be honest. Controlling the narrative to the point of invention is a common occurrence.

6
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