IQTalent Partners reviews about "layoff"

Company does not know how to run their own business. The company unwisely over-hired during a busy season with no thoughts of the future, then had to drastically cut back on employees (some of whom had only been employed for a month and had given up other jobs to join IQ.) Instead of laying us off, they temporarily laid us off (called a furlough) without pay and then ended up officially laying us off after the furlough was complete which dragged us all through additional stress and uncertainty. After that, the employees who remained on-board had their salaries cut by 20% and were expected to perform the same amount of work as before. Also, there is a weird cult-like culture to the company. There is an overwhelming pressure to join social activities, be friends with your co-workers, and a large amount of co-workers ended up dating each other, hooking up with each other, and being active friends outside of work. This caused a lot of drama and gossip and ultimately I felt like I was reliving my high school experience while working there. The company also employed cult-like social tactics where we were encouraged to be vulnerable with each other and management in a way to emotionally manipulate us to become attached to the company. All of this was done with a spirit of "progressive" goodwill, but ultimately felt fake and calculated to benefit their own agenda. I can't help but wonder if these cult-like emotional tactics were used to gain employee loyalty so employees would tolerate the companies ridiculous business choices and subsequent salary cuts. (WARNING: this is why you do not become friends with your company, because they will use that falsely crafted emotional intimacy to screw you over. ) Additionally, there were certain male individuals there who showed extremely inappropriate and predatory behavior to some of the younger/newer female employees. HR did not care and dismissed these complaints, gaslighting the female employees for being "too dramatic" and "too angry" and the predatory male employee in question was just given a casual verbal warning. This male employee ended up being fired for inappropriate behavior, but only after he had demonstrated inappropriate and trauma-inducing behavior to 3+ individuals. For a company that prides itself on DEI and being progressive, I thought this was a crock of hypocrisy.

Unstable, had 3 layoffs in the 4 years I was there

They did rounds of layoffs and I was among them. They did gave us a heads up and attempted to do an “Unbiased” format of performing layoffs. Their main issue was that they were hiring more people while they were waiting to attain more clients. As the clients took their time to watch the market then pulled out, that’s what caused the company to commit layoffs as they couldn’t afford to keep everyone employed.

There have been significant concerns regarding leadership's decision-making at IQ Talent Partners. Some notable instances include a questionable approach to hiring post-pandemic, simultaneous promotions, and the choice of the office building. A recurring issue has been the consistent furloughing of 2-5 employees monthly. The assertion that requiring everyone to return to the office will revive spirit and culture seemed disconnected from the reality of ongoing pay cuts and workforce reduction. The company's priorities have raised questions about employee morale. With a 20% pay reduction and persistent layoffs, job security takes precedence over social events or office amenities like ping pong. Adding to the challenges, the absence of provided parking forces employees to bear a monthly expense of $180. These concerns have led to a sense of unease among employees, focusing their attention on job stability rather than the company's attempts to reinvigorate its culture through in-office measures.

The instability is getting harder and harder to tolerate. Furloughs and subsequent layoffs began 13 months ago and continue today. The first round of furloughs were unfortunate, but understandable. The tech sector came to a halt, severely affecting the business, and there has been GREAT economic uncertainty and recruiting is always an industry that is affected first. What followed has been utterly demoralizing - a temporary 20% paycut that became permanent after 3 months, and another round of furloughs that lasted 6 months, eventually resulting in layoffs. The "lucky" few to remain were grateful to hear that the business looked stable and looked to be able to sustain itself. A mere one week later, more people were furloughed, which has continued through the summer. The company has to do what they have to do to survive but it seems demise is imminent. I have been with IQTalent for its highest highs and its current state is its lowest lows and this is just so sad to watch. Additionally, adhering to the newly implemented 2-day/week RTO is nearly intolerable. After a 20% paycut, employees are forced to pay *at minimum* $52/month for parking, none of which is reimbursed. Once in-office, morale is so low, and the fear of furlough and eventual layoff is constant. People joke about living to see another day but truly, we're all burnt out after a year of constant anxiety about whether or not we'll be furloughed.