Handshake Reviews

After a recent large round of layoffs the companies future is certainly called into question. Leadership made some mistakes including cutting the overall contract value assuming that that would fix the new business problem. Similarly they are hanging their hat on new projects that they hope will both cut costs and automate inbound interest. While that is fine, they weren't open to differing opinions and became stuck on this pet project. There is no solidified process for anything. Decision making is disjointed and communication plans are non existent. When changes happen they depend entirely on the "this is tech, you need to thrive with ambiguity" as opposed to taking accountability for a better rollout of massive direct shifts. Mid level/director level management seems to have no ability to advocate for their departments. Whether that means upper management doesn't listen to them or the directors do a poor job stating their case, either way the result is the same. Finally, for a company that pushes forward DEI initiatives for their clients, it appears that they aren't conscious of making equitable decisions for their own internal talent.

Culture It was a totally different experience between the interview process and actually working there. It was presented as an inclusive workplace but it’s actually extremely cutthroat and political. Don’t be fooled by the honeymoon period. Bro-culture mentality Very cliquey: Don’t expect to get along with everyone unless you’re a specific kind of personality. Gossip mill runs rampant: Don’t expect your managers to not talk about you behind your back, often in earshot of other employees Culture of fear: There’s no trust. It seems there was always the assumption (and sometimes accusation) that people aren’t doing their job. They say the pace is fast, but it’s really just chaos with constantly shifting goalposts. It often felt like psychological warfare where everything felt like a test and you were made to constantly doubt your abilities. Work-life balance There is no balance. You are expected to be there feverishly working late, then go home and work even more. Working weekends is needed to keep up and meet demands. Executive immaturity and lack of experience Garrett: the CEO has severe mood swings and you never know where you really stand with him. He plays favorites and over-indexes to pedigree, despite the company’s mission to democratize opportunity for people of all backgrounds. He doesn’t engage with executive women or female employees like he does with male leadership. He seems very arrogant, egotistical, elitist, and narcissistic. It feels like the company is run by executives that have no idea what they’re doing a lot of the time. There’s a general lack of executive direction, ownership, or commitment to a plan. Many managers are inexperienced and have poor people management skills. A word of warning: don’t join this company.