Pros
The people are great so at least you’ll be unhappy with awesome people. They’re a few bad apples in each department, but for the most part you do work with some really awesome, fun people. Let’s be real though... that only goes so far. Intelligent, nice people can be found in many companies in Austin so don’t let that be your only criteria. Health insurance was actually fairly good compared to most companies.
Cons
First off, let me save you some time... don’t read a review from 2-4 years ago and think that it holds any weight as to what the company is today. Spiceworks was extremely different back then and many of those people have left in the past year. Now, if you love gimmicks and a faux culture, then apply right away. But if you like actually having money in your pocket, look elsewhere. I’ll never forget the day when the company announced a cereal wall would be added to the kitchen. Those who still drink the “orange kool-aid” reacted like they had just received a $5k bonus… “Hey guys, don’t worry that we don’t have 401k matching, because we have a cereal wall!” I guess it’s awesome if you eat a lot of cereal… (trust me you won’t because that thing is always empty). The office is brand new and does actually have a pretty view but the location is far from ideal (get to love 360 a lot). Mix that with the fact that there is virtually no opportunity to work from home or come in after traffic dies down (with the exception of marketing and dev, who seemingly don’t have to play by this rule), you’ll grow to hate your existence. The product isn’t very good to be honest and upper management seems confused on both how to make the product better and the direction of the company. IPO was on the horizon for a solid 2 years but that has definitely gone to the way side. Plus, there was a layoff recently, adding to the confusion on where this company is going. Vacation time is a joke. Old timers think 2 weeks is generous but anyone who is young, or just simply wants to enjoy their precious time on this earth, will grow to hate the little amount of time you get. Since Spiceworks can’t even really afford to pay as much as other companies, they should look into giving more generous time off and having a more flexible work schedule, but I don’t see that changing any time soon. Speaking of pay, a common theme seems to be that most people in any department feel underpaid. I think it’s fairly decent for a college grad but if you’re more established then don’t take a pay cut just because the culture seems “fun”. The odds of working for a bad manager are pretty high (sales and media operations seem to have the most problems). Most have no idea what they’re doing and many got the job because they just happen to have been there the longest. You’ll be frustrated with their advice and lack of knowledge, especially if you're the type that doesn’t like being micromanaged. Career growth is also a problem for many departments, something that managers don’t address very well. If you love meetings then you’ll love SW. It’s meetings galore. People always want to meet! Sometimes just to talk about an upcoming meeting. Also, there's a company wide meeting at 4:30 every Friday where people talk about what they’ve been doing all week. The meeting is intended to bring departments together with beer and wine which worked well when the company was smaller but now the company is too big for people to truly integrate/care about other departments. Once in a blue moon there will be an interesting subject, but let’s be real, we all just care that the work gets done, not an explanation on how it happened. To be honest, what company actually insists on having it’s employees stay until 5 on a Friday? You’ll be on your phone for the majority of it wishing you could leave and start your weekend. I’m sure there are some companies who don’t even focus on culture, leading many to believe that SW is the best thing to have ever happened to them. I get it, I felt special too when I was chosen after 20 seemingly endless rounds of interviews. But if you dare to even look slightly under the surface then you’ll find it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. In the end, will you survive? Sure. If you value having access to a cereal wall, a pretty view, and a cult like culture then you’ll fit right in and survive. However, if you actually want money in your pocket, career growth, freedom to work how you want, and time to travel/enjoy your life then look elsewhere.
