Great new role but company with bad rep..

techguy

Hello,

So here's the thing, I'm progressing nicely in the interview process for a seemingly very interesting company. If I got offered/accepted then I would be working on some very interesting stuff. The work itself would be challenging and interesting and a more advanced progression from my last role. It's a niche area too btw, so difficult to find opportunities in the area.

But, on Glassdoor the company has extremely bad reviews. Total is 54 which the large majority being very negative, painting an awful picture of C levels and general business team. I even got chatting to somebody who used to work there and they said to avoid like the plague, that the main man was an absolute psycho.

If you forget about all the negativity for a moment, if I got the job I would be absolutely made up. Location, salary, everything.

Obviously, I should heed the warning from others and obviously not take the job but I really want it and it's tough to stop thinking about it.

What are your thoughts, guys and gals? Ever been through something like this?

jeni

it's a risk, happened to me n i took the risk after weighing up the pros and cons, yeah the bosses were complete pit bulls, but it was worth it for the perks etc, i grinned and got on with it,

take a leap of faith or flip a coin

Tom Dunne

What's your exit strategy if it doesn't work out?

Could you survive one year at the place? (in the interest of not having a short stint at the company on your CV)

MillField

I find that Glassdoor users generally give low ratings for companies. They'll review a place if they have a complaint rather than if they like their work. If you get the job go for it. Don't rely on some bad reviews from a website.

3DataModem

techguy wrote: »

Hello,

So here's the thing, I'm progressing nicely in the interview process for a seemingly very interesting company. If I got offered/accepted then I would be working on some very interesting stuff. The work itself would be challenging and interesting and a more advanced progression from my last role. It's a niche area too btw, so difficult to find opportunities in the area.

But, on Glassdoor the company has extremely bad reviews. Total is 54 which the large majority being very negative, painting an awful picture of C levels and general business team. I even got chatting to somebody who used to work there and they said to avoid like the plague, that the main man was an absolute psycho.

If you forget about all the negativity for a moment, if I got the job I would be absolutely made up. Location, salary, everything.

Obviously, I should heed the warning from others and obviously not take the job but I really want it and it's tough to stop thinking about it.

What are your thoughts, guys and gals? Ever been through something like this?

Perhaps the place is under new ownership?

E.g. Full Tilt poker in cherrywood has nightmare reviews on glassdoor, but they predate a complete overhaul under new ownership two years ago.

The Corinthian

As Tom points out, you'll need a plan B in the event that it doesn't work out and you end up staying there only a year or perhaps less.

The second thing is that you should consider this company in the context of your career. For example, I doubt I could stomach working for Google, but would be more than tempted to do so because of the benefit to my CV to hack it for two years or so. So benefits, location and so on aside, will this company stand you in good stead in the long run.

Overall, I'd take online reviews with a pinch of salt, although I'd take the personal recommendation more seriously. However it remains a role of the dice as it may not be as bad as advertised. Or it could be worse.

If you do get an offer and decide not to take it, do everyone a favour and tell them why. If enough candidates turn them down on the basis of a bad reputation, it may force them to improve things for the poor bâstards already there.

Oink

Another vote here for an exit strategy.
Of course you would be taking a chance, and it might turn out ok.
But don't put yourself in a position where they own your... backside for the next 10 years.

yop

I'm with Tom and The Corinthian on this one, have a plan B.

I'd go with it, if the tech is good and the role is too then go and see what you get, some people just dont get on with others or like the work and thats ok, that doesn't necessarily apply to you.
In a previous job I had a situation where I went into a group, said a person wasn't very nice and a bully etc etc, I had a picture in my head. Got an offer from another group, turned out this person was also in the group, have had nothing but good experience with this person, so wondering was it just a clash of personality, pressure at the time etc.

So I would say go for it, but have a plan B.

jester77

People will more readily post negative comments before anything nice. I haven't heard of Glassdoor but it sounds similar to Kununu. Maybe have a look there as well to see what people are posting.

I would try and find out about the department that you would be working in. If it's a medium to large company, then the department you are working in might not be exposed to the negativity. Get a feel for the colleagues you would be working with there during the interview process and ask them about spirit in the team. Their initial reaction should be enough to give you an idea of what to expect.

Teyla Emmagan

Go in with your eyes open and low expectations and you should be okay. If it's good for your career then it's worth taking the chance on. It's the day to day people you work with that make all the difference. If you are on a good team then you will be fine, but you won't know that until you get there. If it's awful then you could always make a quick call and run. I have a few short term roles buried on my Cv because they didn't work out or I have nothing good to say about them. You can always pull the "I was in Asia for 2 months" line. I have worked in "bad" companies before, you will know as soon as you get in the door. But not everyone will have the same experience of a place, so if you really want it you should go for it. The good may outweigh the bad.

EamonnDunne

techguy wrote: »

I even got chatting to somebody who used to work there and they said to avoid like the plague, that the main man was an absolute psycho.

Whats your relationship to this person that you spoke to face to face, do you trust them?

CreepingDeath

Is the company financially stable ?
Is it in profit?

Sometimes stressed out management can be a sign of money worries, or other times just the growing pains of an expanding company.

Manach

A lot depends on one's own personality. Would the OP thrive in that particular type of environment or find it would not mesh with their own modus operandi. If nothing else, taking the role would be an experience.

techguy

Thanks for the feedback folks.

I'll try to respond to everybody here.

To be honest, I understand that negativity on Glassdoor could be limited to disgruntled employees, but this time seems exceptional really. I mean there are so many negative reviews all basically singing the same tune. And at the same time there are a bunch of positive reviews all written around the same date. I'm inclined to believe it, backed up by the person who I got to speak to, who I do trust.

I understand there are pros and cons to joining but I think the cons far outweigh this time.

The company itself is around nearly 10 years but doesn't appear to have any real revenue (let alone profit) considering it's investment/valuation. There have also been mention of floating it so it sounds a bit too risky for me.

I haven't had a chance to test my personality around pitbulls and I think this might not be the best way to test.

EamonnDunne

techguy wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback folks.

I'll try to respond to everybody here.

To be honest, I understand that negativity on Glassdoor could be limited to disgruntled employees, but this time seems exceptional really. I mean there are so many negative reviews all basically singing the same tune. And at the same time there are a bunch of positive reviews all written around the same date. I'm inclined to believe it, backed up by the person who I got to speak to, who I do trust.

I understand there are pros and cons to joining but I think the cons far outweigh this time.

The company itself is around nearly 10 years but doesn't appear to have any real revenue (let alone profit) considering it's investment/valuation. There have also been mention of floating it so it sounds a bit too risky for me.

I haven't had a chance to test my personality around pitbulls and I think this might not be the best way to test.

I've been in your position before and didn't trust my gut feeling. It was a decision I bitterly regretted, go with your gut.

techguy

EamonnDunne wrote: »

I've been in your position before and didn't trust my gut feeling. It was a decision I bitterly regretted, go with your gut.

You see the problem is. There are a few pros to the job along with the cons. Considering the pros, my gut feeling is to take the job. However, my gut is afraid my gut might be wrong.:D

All advice points to not taking the job however.

The Corinthian

When all else fails and you cannot escape a deadlock, flip a coin.

Aswerty

The Corinthian wrote: »

When all else fails and you cannot escape a deadlock, flip a coin.

And then decide on whether you agree with the coin or not :pac:

Good advice though – very freudian.

Berserker

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Could you survive one year at the place? (in the interest of not having a short stint at the company on your CV)

One year is a bit long, surely? The probation period is six months in most places, nowadays. If the job doesn't work out then he can walk away at that point, with no loss when it comes to future employment. I too would urge you to have an exit strategy too. I always have one in mind to be honest. You never know when you could be made redundant.

techguy

I have an exit strategy but hopefully it won't come to that.

ANd just out of curiosity, what does an exit plan typically look like.

yop

techguy wrote: »

I have an exit strategy but hopefully it won't come to that.

ANd just out of curiosity, what does an exit plan typically look like.

• A resignation letter
• A door
• A new job

smcelhinney

yop wrote: »

• A resignation letter
• A door
• A new job

Agreed, but in a different order (new job first).

Aswerty

smcelhinney wrote: »

Agreed, but in a different order (new job first).

While I agree – he did use an unordered list. I don't think there was any chance he wouldn't have put "get new job" first on an ordered list.

I'd also add "have some cash in the bank" to the list because there is always a level of risk when leaving one job and going into another. Especially if relocation is required.

Berserker

Also, needs to take care to find the correct new job. No point in leaving one horror show for another. There is a serious amount of work out there at the moment. Trying to separate the wheat from the chaff is a full time job in itself.