Leadership bombarding a good company and destroying morale - Anonymous employee Staffbase Employee Review

2.0
6 Sept 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexible work conditions: the ability to work from home as much as necessary is really a blessing, in a time where more companies are mandating a return to the office. No timekeeping, so you can distribute your work and schedule as you see fit. Decent compensation package: at least for my role, the salary band is quite decent, compared with similar roles in Berlin. Most customers really like the product: when we talk with customers, sure, they have some complaints, but overall they are very happy with the product and the support they get.

Cons

A recent history of poor strategic decisions: companies that were bought in the past 3 years or so ended up being obliterated, most of their employees fired, and their products having to be rewritten instead of properly integrated. Weak tech and product leadership: the CEO and "advisory team" basically dictate what to build, with little contribution or pushback from product and tech leadership. This leads to ridiculous amount of work, unattainable goals, and sacrifice of quality. A lot of senior managers also work in a reduced capacity which only makes it worse. Lots of smoke and mirrors: DEI is good on paper, but all the leadership is German, and most of the people leaving/getting fired in middle management and IC roles are foreigners. The decision to close offices outside Germany only makes this situation worse. Internal pulse surveys don't feel acted upon and often are reviewed with a "let's talk about this in person" which completely kills the purpose of anonymous reviews, and creates a climate of micromanagement. Disregard for customer feedback: the backlog of requests is long, and it only increases. In the meantime, product leaders jump on the next "trendy" bandwagon like "AI" toys that do nothing to solve customers' problems, but look good on marketing materials. Too much unqualified hierarchy: most middle managers are inept at doing proper management and mostly act as mouthpieces for C-levels. Information is fed in byte-sized pieces and many teams are left in the dark until the last moment. You have people who never had a job outside this company managing others with over a decade of industry experience. From an IC employee to C-level, you have 5 or 6 degrees of separation. The amount of useless meetings is over the top. Be prepared to have 5-6 recurring meetings of over an hour, weekly, which are basically sitreps with no agenda and no outcomes.

avatar
Staffbase Response
2y
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on your experience at our company. We're pleased to hear that you valued the flexibility of our work conditions, especially the ability to work from home. Additionally, we appreciate your recognition of our compensation package and the positive feedback from our customers about our product and support. Your feedback on tech and product leadership is appreciated. We aim to foster a more collaborative environment where the input of our product and tech teams plays a greater role in decision-making. Regarding DEI and the makeup of our leadership, we understand that diversity and inclusion are vital. In order to support informed decision making, we recently formed a DEI committee that will be involved in many areas. Your comments on customer feedback and the backlog of requests are noted. We recognize the importance of prioritizing customer needs and addressing their concerns promptly. If you have any additional suggestions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our PX department (join@staffbase.com). Thanks again for your feedback!

Explore other reviews about Staffbase

5.0
7 Apr 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Transparent, quick interview process - Helpful culture, quick growth possibilities

Cons

- Can't see one so far!

avatar
Staffbase Response
1y
Thank you for your review! We're glad to hear that you had a quick and smooth interview process and that you value our company culture.
5.0
28 Mar 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The people here have been such a highlight during my time at Staffbase. The company is full of driven, caring people, and our product is best in the industry, so it's easy to be proud of what we do. The company was founded in Germany so there's a lot of European values embedded in the company and benefits offered to employees (flexible schedules, 30 vacation days and Fridays off in August!). The vibe at work is energetic and ambitious - we are a 10 year old start up who's moved into "scale up" mode, so the growth mindset is still very much alive.

Cons

I can't think of many cons, but I will say it is a very global business, and that means I see most people working outside of typical 9-5 business hours. For some, I imagine that would be a deal breaker.

avatar
Staffbase Response
1y
Thank you for your fantastic feedback! It's great to hear that you value our benefits, our working environment and team culture. And while we always welcome suggestions for improvement, we’ll take your few cons, that are more notes, with a grateful smile. Thanks again for being part of Staffbase — and for helping shape what’s next.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All