Thinking about my time at YouGov still fills me with anxiety. Although there are *some* smart people working here, the management is toxic, the products were of questionable value, and the culture was pretty non-existent. Work-life balance was hard, as I was often expected to work nights and weekends (often >60 hrs/week). My manager was known for being abrasive, but concerns raised to HR were dismissed, as nothing he was doing was *illegal*. I developed an anxiety condition from the overwork, constant criticism, and gaslighting.
The technical infrastructure wasn't well-maintained, and I was frequently unable to complete my work due to non-functioning pipelines. Engineers were understaffed and often grumpy, occasionally refusing to do work for folks they didn't think paid them enough respect. It was weird.
I never really bought into the value of YG's syndicated products, as I came to realize that the data they were based on was problematic, and we couldn't deduce any real insights (even internally) from it. The sustainability of the business model seems to be to constantly attract new clients to replace those that have left (in droves). As a result, salespeople have a VERY hard job, and are selling a product without clear value to their clients.
When I left, I got a similar job in the area with a salary nearly twice what I made at YG. No longer having to deal with the toxic culture has greatly improved my quality of life.
There's really no "culture" across the company. There was no "teambuilding", training, or "all-hands" in the US to keep folks up to date.
