A Case Study in Dysfunction Funded by Taxpayers
Gut am Arbeitgeber finde ich
On the bright side, the organisation definitely aligns with a work–life balance concept. Working hours are very flexible. People come and go as they please... and sometimes don’t come to the office at all . If you get the chance to leave the office, some of the external events you attend can be really interesting. Most colleagues are nice, capable, and smart, but sadly, the environment rarely allows them to realise their full potential.
Schlecht am Arbeitgeber finde ich
This organisation can be a decent starting point if you have little experience or don’t speak German. But beyond that, it is a textbook example of dysfunction, mismanagement, and wasted potential.
It takes the average newcomer about six months to even understand what the organisation does. By that point, many become disillusioned and disappointed, realising there is no (logical) path for growth, no meaningful work, and no real mission. Most who seek development quickly start looking for a way out (many of the current employees are actively searching for another job). Those who stay often settle for lower salaries, stagnant development, and meaningless tasks.
There are almost no established processes. Policies appear sporadically, seemingly invented overnight, and unclear even to long-time staff, and newcomers often "discover" them by accident. This absence of structure breeds chaos, constant blame games, and a toxic atmosphere where colleagues are pitted against each other, with everyone blaming someone else for doing nothing.
If you raise issues, be it mobbing, harassment, image damaging misconduct by management's protégés, or lack of development opportunities, don’t expect them to be addressed. Emails vanish unanswered, and the consistent message of the managing director: "If you don't like it here, leave!" Concerns are either ignored out of indifference or brushed aside through often shocking incompetence.
Compensation is a black box. It is opaque, inconsistent, and unfair. Promotions follow no discernible logic. When seasoned employees leave due to unresolved concerns, newcomers are hired at lower pay, under the assumption there will always be enough cheap labour willing to take the job. The result is a revolving door of talent, inefficiency, and frustration.
But bigger picture is that this is a taxpayer-funded organisation that creates minimal value. Many see it (and some similar EIT KICs, to be fair) as a total waste of public money. Management, meanwhile, seems utterly unbothered and content to let the dysfunction run unchecked, clinging to their comfortable seats.
I wouldn’t say “don’t join.” By all means, experience it for yourself. But don’t expect development, fairness, or purpose. Nearly everyone who has left is relieved to be out, which perhaps speaks louder than anything else.