Avoid like the plague! - Head Of Operations Backbone Connect Employee Review

Other than the senior management and directors the staff are friendly.

The primary issue at Backbone Connect lies directly with the directors and senior management. There is a palpable sense that staff wellbeing and interests are at the bottom of their priority list, as the leadership appears almost entirely blinded by financial gain at the expense of their people. In my experience, there is a shocking lack of honour at the top. Management are seemingly comfortable fabricating narratives or being untruthful to push people out of the business, making for a very insecure and untrustworthy working environment. Despite the hard work of the staff, the company is incredibly tight-fisted. Pay rises are virtually non-existent, and there have been instances of failing to pay staff correctly or fairly for their time. There is a massive disconnect between the boardroom and the reality of the daily operations. The bosses assume they know best despite never having worked in the roles they are managing. They are dismissive, refuse to listen to feedback, and operate with a level of arrogance that stifles any real progress. Culture: It is a culture of "profit over people" in the worst possible sense. If you value transparency, career growth, or being treated with basic respect, you won't find it here.

Backbone Connect is a fantastic place to work if you're ambitious, motivated, and looking to progress your sales career in tech. The company genuinely invests in its people—from regular training and coaching to fast-tracking high performers into leadership roles. I personally went from Senior BDM to Sales Manager in my 4 years there thanks to clear performance goals and strong internal support. The commission structure is generous and transparent, and high achievers are properly rewarded. Management has done a great job in building a positive, collaborative culture—there’s a strong team spirit, and success is always recognised. One of the most exciting developments is our growing cybersecurity proposition, which is gaining real traction in the market. It’s opened up new opportunities for engaging with larger, more complex clients and has made the sales conversations much more strategic.

It’s a fast-paced environment, so you need to be proactive and able to manage your own pipeline and targets. Not a con if you’re self-driven, but it won’t suit everyone.