VALD Reviews

Pros

VALD is a forward-thinking organisation with an incredible energy. Positives for me include working with a motivated and supportive team, the opportunity for growth as the company expands and the ability to work around my family commitments. Working for VALD has many perks such as in house chefs, a barista, masseuse etc. More importantly, it is led by co-founders who genuinely care and generously invest in their staff in order to see their team grow and thrive.

Cons

No cons, however, management are approachable should I need to address an issue.

Pros

- Good mentoring (gave me skills that I still use now at my current job when mentoring other developers) - Excellent tech stack - .NET/Typescript/React which is used widely in the industry - Well established development structure since the last year or so - have proper lead developers and an engineering manager in place - Given it's an established startup moving onto medium sized business now, there are plenty of new projects to work on, so you will always be moving onto different projects to challenge yourself in whatever project you do - Given the industry is sports tech, job security is quite good, given the current climate of redundancies - Food was great and plentiful, I can't seem to get make my own hollandaise sauce for the life of me as well as the VALD chefs do. You can claim this as a food allowance during EOFY tax time and it also saves you time from making your own food!

Cons

- Parking is an absolute pain unless you come early in the morning. However, if you are a developer, you can work remote quite comfortably nowadays so it's not a big problem if you live far away - Might be difficult to get promoted upwards in management now as they already have an established hierarchy of development leadership - Technical debt but I do believe this is now being addressed with the new structure. It has improved in the last year so this is gradually being addressed

Pros

The company knows where it is heading. Is growing so we are putting on people not laying off like Swyftx where 2 of my friends just got redundant. Here we get to take ownership of my work and people respond. Also the culture is bang on like Mint coffee bar and food.

Cons

The air conditioning is good inside but some days it is hot for the warehouse staff. They are troupers

Pros

- Working at a tech company focused on making a difference to people's health is very satisfying - Great people to work with - you'd happily sit down and have lunch with anyone - High quality work is valued - Fast paced and flexible, focused on solving problems for clients - Subsidised lunch and coffee makes such a difference. Work from home and the first coffee of the day costs more than my lunch at VALD. The quality of the food is beyond good for the number of plates served per day.

Cons

- The fast paced nature isn't for everyone, and can take a little bit of time to adapt to. Once you do, you thrive with the pro's above.

Pros

A place where you feel welcome and valued! There are so many great things about working at Vald, to list some of them: - Great diversity. There are colleagues from different cultures, gender, background and age groups. - Highly skilled colleagues - Everyone is very approachable and keen to help. (I learn something new every day). - The management have monthly private meetings with you to provide and receive feedback. - Parties, team-building activities and awards throughout the year. (Including olympics where all overseas employees come to brisbane for a week of work and fun activities). -Career growth. (Since I have joined Vald, I have seen many people being promoted) - The company is open to learn new processes or approaches to improve outcomes and communication between teams. - International trip opportunities to visit clients. - Breakfast and lunch, every day a different meal, prepared by 2 in-house chefs - even if you have a special dietary, they adapt the menu of the day to suit you. - in-house barista. Extremely friendly and always know how you like your coffee. - In-house gym. You can use the facility for free (before work, during lunch break or after work). - In-house R&D/Physio clinic. Which you can access and test products and have real feedback in real time. - In-house masseuse twice a week for a very affordable price (or for free if you have private health insurance). - At Vald, you receive not one or two, but FIVE (!!!) different branded t-shirts and a choice of a hoodie or zipped jacket for free, which is great, so you don't need to worry about doing the washing many times during the week.

Cons

Parking is a bit tricky, as the company is growing and for being located in a very busy area, there are not many parkings available (for those who prefer to drive) - unless you are happy to use public transport (train station wak distance and bus stop a couple of steps away)

Pros

Great people, great management and great benefits

Cons

None really, I love it

Pros

- Very welcoming and friendly team - Collaborative and team focused - Allowed for flexible hours whenever needed - Leadership team has been super friendly - Always checking in to see what can make my working experience better - Super affordable and delicious food provided at breakfast and lunch times - Have enjoyed playing in one of the many company social sports teams - Super interesting and fun products that we get to interact with within the office - Are always looking to improve their processes and aren’t afraid of change

Cons

Nothing at this time. Have really enjoyed my time at VALD :)

Pros

- Some of the people there are truly brilliant. There is a goal in the long term from the company to help people but it's driven purely by those deeply involved in the industry or backgrounds in the industry. - Food provided (paid for by you still, but extremely worth the price) is brilliant and the core kitchen team is great.

Cons

If you don't want to read the points below, I'll summarise: I would absolutely not recommend anyone work here; it will stunt your growth in your chosen career as it did mine. I don't regret anywhere I've worked, but VALD feels like a regrettable career decision for me. The more in-depth points: - Culture of fear: CEO rules with an iron fist, projects collapse entirely because he's not happy and you're the one to blame not the fact directions are never, ever clear. If you're not liked, you're fired - EVEN if you've passed probation, so make sure you get in touch with Fair Work if that happens. Fun fact: there was a door that said "Don't be ruled by fear" which, ironically, they painted over completely when it became apparent that the business was, in fact, ruled by fear. - No HR: they don't have a HR team. Red flag. They were very proud of that fact, too. - Whispers: there are deeply ingrained employees at VALD who report and keep tabs on what you do, where you are, how long you take doing tasks, chatting to people and the like. I understand productivity being important, but the micromanagement is absurd and the lack of trust definitely made me feel good... - Absurd micromanagement: Every single employee must write a weekly report to the CEO describing what tasks you've done, why tasks weren't, but it needs to be presented as an essay. If it's not in depth enough, you'll cop a hiding from either your superior or the CEO. - Out of scope work: most of my work became completely out of scope for what I was hired to do, however, I'd say that's because the staff attrition rate was laughable and, from what I've read, seems to continue. - Work life balance is non-existent: if you don't respond to emails on a weekend or after hours or action something immediately then you're in for a great chat with the CEO or direct superior come Monday morning. - Old Boys Club: I'm not going to elaborate on it here, I'd just ask that you read the other reviews that mention it because they do a good job of describing the current management status and cliques that exist. - No tools to do your job: There's never a budget or trust if you want to introduce tools and efficient workflows. You deal with what you've got and don't ask for more. - There's a "game" to be played, and if you play it your employment is safe and you'll be okay until the CEO doesn't like you anymore and decides to get rid of you. Play their game or you're out. - Poor communication: communication is not a strong suit there and, as a result, projects fall apart, things get missed and information that goes out is incorrect. You'll also cop a hiding for this too. - CEO's communication is rubbish and scary and not at all productive: you send an email asking for clarity and the CEO says "you should know the answer," and then you stew over what's going on. He's not to be questioned or trusted by any stretch.

Pros

- some of VALD employees are good quality human beings - the food, prepared by the current chef, is wonderful

Cons

Where should I begin? The CEO and his business partners (aides) are the most toxic constellation of a leadership team you can find in a business. They are all-powerful, the only ones who can make decisions - so be prepared to be micro managed, even if your title is "Director". The three "mates" as they like to call themselves, are prone to changing their mind often and at short notice. While it is their business, they seem to forget that they are responsible for over 100 employees and their futures. The lack of structure is being excused by the CEO by saying that it is the "nature of a startup" despite being in business for over 7 years. The company has no HR department to speak of, a colossal red flag that I have ignored. When employees are being let go, there is no communication about it, and the reasons for it are being swept under the rug - mainly because they are unjust or something that fair work would not approve of. The lack of respect, especially towards women, is appalling. Any senior manager who had to let people go the VALD way, and is still with them, should be ashamed of themselves. The lack of a moral compass in almost every senior manager should also not be ignored, if you are thinking about joining VALD. It comes with the territory - you have to be immature to endure, understand, and support the immaturity that is "leading" the pack. If you are a female that is currently thinking about joining VALD, do yourself a favour and re-visit your options carefully. The sexism is thriving, you will not be taken seriously, and will be blamed for missed project deadlines that weren't realistic to begin with. Although, the latter will happen to your male co-workers too. It is worth noting that, as it currently stands, there is not one female leader/manager in that business. It has not gone unnoticed at conferences, that VALD’s APAC/Oceania sales team consists of males only - a true Old Boys Club.

Pros

I’ve been a member of the VALD team for over two years, and have experienced a range of opportunities and challenges here – all of which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. It’s a collaborative, fast-paced and agile workplace that has helped me progress in my career more than I could’ve expected. Having worked in more traditional businesses in the past, this has been a breath of fresh air, as I’ve felt that I’ve got out exactly what I’ve put in, rather than being stuck in a strict hierarchy or inflexible career path. While at VALD, I’ve regularly been given opportunities to step up and perform under pressure, for example when new products are being released or for specific product delivery milestones. This hasn’t been easy, as management’s expectations are set very high, but this has brought out the best in me and helped me produce work I’m truly proud of. This has been all the more rewarding when my work contributes to our team delivering a big, bold goal like launching a new product or delivering on a critical contract. More than anything, the people at VALD are what make this such a rewarding place to work – they’re intelligent, passionate and friendly but also frank and honest, which means we don’t always agree, but we always push each other to be better. Having read some of the negative reviews here, I can say that they don’t reflect my experience at VALD at all. I cannot comment on individual circumstances, but I do believe that the negative reviews are more likely to be due to a mismatch in expectations, rather than any deeper cultural issue at VALD. A few others have said it in their reviews, but VALD is definitely not for everyone – our culture encourages candour, which I know many people wouldn’t enjoy, but it’s also a culture where good ideas and results always win out, regardless of role or rank. I have benefitted from this culture myself, as I’ve worked very hard but always felt like I’ve been rewarded for it. I think that for anyone looking to be challenged and supported while being part of an innovative, fast-growing company in an exciting industry, this is for you. If you’re willing to work hard, take on frank feedback and direction, try new and sometimes daunting things, make mistakes and learn from them, you’ll thrive here. Above all else, for anyone considering joining the team at VALD, I’d encourage you to come in for a meeting and judge the environment and culture for yourself. This is a truly great business and it would be a shame for great people to miss out on an opportunity at VALD on account of a few bad reviews from former staff. If nothing else, you’ll get a top-notch coffee and (if you time it right) a free breakfast or lunch made by the in-house kitchen staff for your time.

Cons

Parking can be an issue but Vald has subsidised a few parking locations in the area - which is far more than most businesses in the area.