A culture of fear, micromanagement, and toxic leadership
Arbeitsatmosphäre
The atmosphere at the office is just good when the upper management is not there, and employees always try to avoid being in proximity to them. People are usually burntout and demotivated due to the working conditions.
Image
There is a noticeable gap between the company’s external image and the internal reality. From the outside, the product appears meaningful and socially valuable, particularly because of its educational purpose. The company also presents itself as modern, flexible, child-focused, and committed to values such as equality and education.
Internally, however, this image does not match the day-to-day experience. The actual quality, usability, and appeal of the product for children do not seem to be treated as the company’s main priority. In practice, higher product usage can even appear to be viewed as a disadvantage, since more active users may increase costs without necessarily increasing revenue under the B2B/B2B2C business model.
As a result, the company’s public-facing values and mission can feel disconnected from its internal priorities and decision-making.
Work-Life-Balance
the management is very proud to allow home office and "flexible" working conditions, however this is far from reality. There is a strict office policy in place, where each employee is assigned specific mandatory office days. These days are decided unilaterally by upper management and are not open to discussion or negotiation.
Depending on the individual case, employees may be required to be in the office two, three, four, or even five days per week. Recently, the policy has become even more restrictive, with a planned requirement for everyone to be present in the office four days per week. As a result, the advertised flexibility does not fully reflect the day-to-day reality for employees, and the work-life balance is significantly more constrained than the company’s external image might suggest.
Gehalt/Benefits
Salaries appear to be strongly negotiation-based, and there is a clear impression that upper management aims to keep personnel costs as low as possible. Salary increases are often discussed or promised for a later stage, but in practice these promises do not always materialise.
In my own case, my salary was well below the market average for a comparable position in Germany. Even after a year of positive performance and after raising this mismatch with management, the salary adjustment I received was very limited and did not reflect the gap appropriately.
In addition, employees were moved into a bonus scheme in which the annual bonus depends primarily on the achievement of company-wide targets rather than individual performance or personal milestones.
Kollegenzusammenhalt
Despite the challenging internal environment, employees often support one another and try to maintain a cooperative atmosphere. However, the stressful working conditions lead to a high employee turnover. Over the past year alone, around 25 colleagues have left the company, either voluntarily or as a result of dismissal, which represents approximately half of the workforce. This constant change makes it difficult to develop meaninful relationships and prevents teams from reaching their full potential.
Vorgesetztenverhalten
The behaviour of upper management is another area of serious concern. In some situations, employees are criticised very harshly and publicly, including in front of colleagues. These reactions can feel disproportionate and create an atmosphere in which employees may feel exposed or intimidated rather than constructively supported.
There also appears to be a general lack of trust from management towards employees, which results in a highly controlling leadership style. Even relatively minor decisions often require approval from upper management, leaving little room for individual responsibility or independent decision-making. This creates a strong sense of micromanagement and can be particularly frustrating in a company with many highly qualified employees.
Kommunikation
A major weakness of the company is the lack of transparency in decision-making. Many important decisions are made behind closed doors by upper management, including decisions that affect the entire workforce. Office policies, for example, are often implemented unilaterally, without meaningful consultation with employees or proper consideration of their concerns.
Another serious issue is the limited tolerance for honest feedback. Employees find it difficult to share concerns, ideas, or constructive criticism with management, as criticism can be perceived as a threat rather than as an opportunity to improve. This contributes to a culture of fear and discourages open communication, especially when speaking up usually leads to negative consequences for their position in the company.