Will start looking for another job
Verbesserungsvorschläge
Please start communicating reasonably and openly with your employees. Remember that employees are the most important asset ELEMENT has. Keeping them requires a respectful and appreciative interaction and support.
Arbeitsatmosphäre
ELEMENT used to be a very dynamic, innovative company with a real drive to change something in the insurance market. The employees were motivated to move the company forward, there was open dialogue, ideas and personal initiative were appreciated. For just over a year now, the atmosphere has deteriorated continuously. There is now an atmosphere of uncertainty, demotivation and frustration. Several colleagues have already resigned, are thinking about it, quiet quitting or have been fired.
Kommunikation
There is no open, clear communication between management and employees. Decisions are made behind closed doors and are at best announced but hardly explained, even if they involve major cuts to the company's operations or the employee's own working conditions. Decisions that directly affect employees personally are also made over their heads and employees are presented with a fait accompli without being able to express their views. ELEMENT is currently laying off a significant number of people. None of the employees know who is affected; the only way to find out that someone has been fired is through the grapevine. The other employees are left in the dark as to whether they will still have a job in a few months' time or have to rely on what their direct superior tells them.
Kollegenzusammenhalt
The colleagues are the only reason why I have stayed with ELEMENT for so long. In the past, ELEMENT has managed to attract many really talented, well-trained, friendly, fun and motivated people from all over the world. There is still a good sense of cohesion, a kind of community of destiny, especially among the long-serving colleagues. In the meantime, however, the general frustration is also reflected here.
Work-Life-Balance
The workload is manageable. If your supervisor plays along, a significant amount of home office is possible, but this is at his/her discretion. ELEMENT offers the opportunity to work remotely from abroad for up to four weeks a year. That is a real benefit.
What really bothers me is that most of the holiday for the following year has to be applied for in the previous year. That takes away a lot of the flexibility that you actually expect in a relatively young and small company.
Vorgesetztenverhalten
I can only say good things about my direct superiors. Very understanding, open and kind-hearted people. I can't say that about the top management. There is no appreciation or recognition. Employees are managed like pawns in a game of chess. The HR department has also not shown itself to be particularly humane in this respect in recent times.
Interessante Aufgaben
I had many interesting tasks and worked on various interdisciplinary projects with the other departments. There's hardly any of that left. Projects were cut back, processes scrapped, etc.
Gleichberechtigung
In management, the ratio of men to women is around 2:1. Women are otherwise more likely to be in lower positions. I am not aware that ELEMENT specifically supports women. There are projects that deal with the empowerment of women in the professional world, but the initiative for this came from committed female employees.
Umgang mit älteren Kollegen
The age structure at ELEMENT is very mixed, from young to old. I have not experienced any discrimination against older colleagues.
Arbeitsbedingungen
The Berlin office is gorgeous and well located, but rarely fully occupied because many employees work from home. You regularly get the basics you need to work - a decent laptop, mouse and keyboard. You have to set up your home office yourself.
Umwelt-/Sozialbewusstsein
There was a dedicated ESG project at ELEMENT, but I haven't heard anything about it recently. I am not aware of any further endeavours in this regard. At least waste is separated in the office :).
Gehalt/Sozialleistungen
My salary is in line with the market average. Clear guidelines on what is required for a salary increase are not communicated, at least not to me. The decision is made once a year at the end-of-year talks and is not transparent.
In accordance with legal requirements, there is the option of taking out a company pension scheme.
There are a few additional, voluntary benefits - for me, the most important is a platform that offers counselling, workshops and information on the subject of stress management and mental health. You further i.a. have the opportunity to visit a gym at the Berlin office, the obligatory fruit basket, company ticket and a mid-double-digit amount each month that can be redeemed for certain vouchers. Foreign colleagues are supported with housing and language courses.
Image
I cannot make any statement about the external perception of ELEMENT in the insurance market.
Karriere/Weiterbildung
As it is a small company, career opportunities are naturally rare. There have been a internal promotions, but many positions are filled from outside. For people outside management there are a few internal trainings, but ELEMENT does not offer a real career or training/development programme nor does it show significant interest in it's employee development. ELEMENT has become very frugal, which is reflected in all areas, including employee development.
Arbeitgeber-Kommentar
Thank you for your review. We appreciate your openness in regards to your concerns about the working atmosphere and communication. We take your suggestions for improved communication seriously and are actively working for new formats to align expectations. Please feel free to reach out to career@element.in in case you have further suggestions.