No job security. Insane staff turnover. Depressing atmosphere.
Gut am Arbeitgeber finde ich
The product. It has huge potential.
The location.
Schlecht am Arbeitgeber finde ich
The company has very little respect for German labour law, and there is no job security. I witnessed several cases where employees were fired without formal warning or reason and then had to take the company to court. They make the process of getting a reference as unpleasant and difficult as possible. The company seems to prefer wasting money fighting legal battles over being a fair and decent employer. The good thing is that they mostly lose these.
The staff turnover is absurd and like nowhere else I have ever worked. During my short time there, they had 4 COOs, 4 marketing managers, 3 HR managers, and 3 product directors. It is also not uncommon for entire departments to be fully replaced within a year. They should consider installing a revolving door.
The HR function is a bad joke. There are no employee handbooks, job descriptions, organograms, KPIs, grievance procedures, or request forms. Performance appraisals are extremely rare. Job titles are invented and randomly applied. There is a brief induction, but it only covers the basics. Employees are generally expected to use their own laptops when working remotely.
Verbesserungsvorschläge
Replace the leadership or sell the business.
Arbeitsatmosphäre
The atmosphere in the office is incredibly subdued and depressing. It constantly feels as though the business is about to close. The leadership stays hidden on the ground floor and seldom sets foot anywhere else in the building. New starters lose their enthusiasm within weeks. Unfilled middle management and team leader roles mean no guidance, support, or encouragement. The office feels dead and empty most of the time.
Knowledge, expertise, differences of opinion, and feedback are ignored. Employees are expected to do as they are told without question.
Trying to complain, reason, or improve the situation is pointless, as the leadership is utterly unwilling to change anything. The attitude is ‘if you don’t like it, you can leave’, which is what most then do.
Image
The company has a poor reputation in the Allgäu as an employer and is well known to local law firms and the Arbeitsgericht.
Hardly surprisingly, the brand itself is incredibly weak and struggles against its competitors.
At first glance, the company paints a fairly convincing impression of being professional and well-run, but the reality is very different.
Work-Life-Balance
The flexi hours are good, and the work-life balance is generally okay, but angry messages and emails outside business hours are not uncommon.
Paternity leave is granted but deeply resented.
Staff also face potential issues if they are ever sick or absent during the company's annual social events.
Umwelt-/Sozialbewusstsein
The company preaches and lectures about sustainability at every opportunity, but as an employer, there is no meaningful action. The fleet of company vehicles only ever seems to grow.
Karriere/Weiterbildung
I was one of the lucky few to grow within the company. Many talented employees will hit a dead end due to the absence of a proper HR department.
Kollegenzusammenhalt
If this is ever achieved, it never lasts long because of the ridiculous staff turnover.
Arbeitsbedingungen
For a tech company, the hardware in the office is very dated.
Kommunikation
There is no clear strategy. Communication is generally limited to monthly monologues about abstract and obscure pet projects. Most people in the company are neither involved nor interested in these, as they have nothing to do with the core business.
Communication between departments is also extremely poor. Features, updates, and products are rolled out without many staff members even knowing that they were being worked on.
The company’s financials are never mentioned, though this is perhaps not surprising.
Gehalt/Benefits
I did get several increases, but the salaries are below the industry standard, and the entry-level pay is barely enough to live off.
There are no bonuses and no benefits.
They always paid me on time.