Do not join if you want to grow in your career and achieve bigger things - werkgeversreview Tech bij Curlec

The overall working environment leaves much to be desired. From my perspective, there is a lack of professionalism and organization in various aspects. The management team consists of two individuals, one of whom possesses the necessary skills to effectively run the company, while the other is solely focused on sales. The latter appears to be disconnected from the overall operations and lacks awareness of what is happening within the company as a whole. Their opinions and decisions are prioritized without allowing room for others to provide input. Anyone who dares to voice dissenting opinions is immediately cast as the antagonist. Respect and advancement within the company seem to be contingent on personal relationships. It is apparent that being close to the bosses or having connections with them, such as being family friends, greatly influences one's reputation and chances for promotions or recognition. Those who do not align with their preferences are marginalized and treated as unwanted individuals. When asked about the high turnover rate, which currently stands at approximately 10 employees in the last three months, one of the bosses trivialized the issue by comparing it to a soccer team, demonstrating a lack of concern for the well-being of the employees. The dismissive statement, "people come and go, and we don't care," is both disheartening and disrespectful. The company lacks clear guidelines and ethical standards. While they proclaim to care about their employees, there is no evidence of actual support or attention to employee needs. Even during town hall meetings where anonymous questions are encouraged, only select queries are addressed, indicating a biased approach. What then is the purpose of anonymity if they only choose to acknowledge certain questions? Micro-management is prevalent to an extreme degree. Even employees in higher positions have little autonomy and are forced to comply with the micromanagement style. This stifles creativity and hinders the sharing of ideas. The resources provided by the company are woefully insufficient. Employees in technical roles are burdened with multiple responsibilities, wearing numerous hats throughout their roles. For instance, a software developer is expected to code, test, document, handle merchant inquiries, integrate with merchants, and even communicate with banks. This heavy workload prevents software developers from focusing on what they excel at, which is developing software. Instead, their time is consumed by attending to merchant questions or engaging in calls for new integrations. The CEO's sole focus on sales greatly impacts the workload on the technical team. They are overwhelmed, and many individuals are consistently overworking themselves. While occasional intense periods are understandable, it is unacceptable for this to be the norm. Even during software releases, there is significant pressure from upper management, with minimal input from the tech team. Consequently, if any issues arise, the blame falls squarely on the tech team, despite their initial reservations about releasing products without sufficient testing. This pattern repeats itself, reflecting a lack of accountability from upper management. Requests for additional resources have been met with empty promises, and there has been no discernible progress. It is no wonder that potential new developers are deterred from joining the company, as they likely recognize the poor working conditions. I commend them for avoiding the challenges faced by current employees. The company offers no benefits or perks whatsoever. Employees should not expect anything beyond their basic salary. Even the consistency of salary dates is questionable, leaving employees uncertain about when their payments will be received. Fundamentally, the two bosses must improve their leadership. Their self-assuredness and belief that their opinions are always correct undermine the potential for open dialogue and constructive criticism. Few individuals are willing to confront them, fearing the consequences of falling out of their favor, which would undoubtedly result in a miserable work life. Only those who are close to the bosses or have personal connections seem to thrive within the company. They receive more promotions, higher salaries, and greater decision-making authority. Others are perpetually made to feel inadequate, consistently needing to prove their worth and fight for raises or promotions. Furthermore, the product being sold by the company is subpar. Despite numerous known issues, the company prioritizes sales and onboarding new merchants, disregarding the necessity of fixing existing problems. This approach results in unresolved bugs and persistent issues, which the bosses seemingly disregard. Their focus is solely on revenue generation, as evidenced by the constant emphasis on GTV (Gross Transaction Value) and increased sales during town hall meetings. Even team bonding activities fail to fulfill their purpose, as both bosses frequently absent themselves from these events. This sends a clear message that they view the staff as beneath them and are unwilling to spend time with them. Any complaints raised during town hall meetings or other gatherings are selectively addressed, with only those relevant to the bosses receiving consideration. This mirrors the negligence shown towards system bugs and the lack of resources in the technical department. Surprisingly, the company's hiring priorities seem to favor the sales team over the tech team, despite the latter's evident need for additional support. This decision raises questions about the company's long-term growth and stability. Lastly, it is worth mentioning that overpromising is a prevalent issue within this company. Products and services that are still under development are being marketed and sold to merchants. Consequently, many merchants have signed up with high expectations, only to terminate their contracts with Curlec due to unfulfilled promises and delays in delivery. This has occurred on numerous occasions, causing frustration and dissatisfaction among merchants.