A company with serious leadership and culture issues - Anonymous employee BrightLocal Employee Review

Thank you for your review and the clarity of your feedback. As CEO, I read your comments with genuine concern and appreciate the time and bravery you’ve taken in speaking up. I apologise that this reply hasn't come sooner. I assure you that the delay in replying was not due to a lack of concern or considersation for the issues you raised. Rather, that the issues raised are both complex and very concerning, and I needed time to consider these and ensure I spoke with our leaders and the People & Culture team to formulate a detailed, personal, and responsible response, which is nothing less than you deserve. The concerns you’ve raised—specifically about discrimination, lack of inclusivity, and a diminished sense of psychological safety—are completely at odds with the core beliefs we promote and are committed to, especially Caring Personally and Speaking Up. The fact that you and potentially other team members fell unsafe, unheard, or unsupported, is a failure that I take personal accountability for. I have structured the reply below around the main points in your review, tackling each in turn. 1. On Leadership Accountability and Our Beliefs Our culture is built around our beliefs, which are non-negotiable. We do not tolerate behaviour that is out of line with them. You stated that we have allowed some leaders to behave in problematic ways and not dealt with it. We encourage feedback through multiple channels, including external and impartial support - this happens both during someone's employment and, importantly, when they leave, via an exit interview. When we receive feedback about leaders, we take it seriously and act on it. i) Confidentiality: The actions we take are not always public, due to confidentiality. Our approach is not a “witch hunt,” but an opportunity to help a leader see the impact of their behaviour and improve. ii) Doubt vs. Action: I understand this lack of visibility can create doubt, leading to the impression that we are defending problematic behaviour. However, I assure you we are taking steps to address it; if a leader is unable to improve and lead in the way we expect, then we part ways with them. iii) Being Brave: It is also the role of leaders to be Brave and take difficult, and at times unpopular, decisions—especially when it involves performance management or necessary changes to move the business forward. 2. On Change and Team Evolution It is true that more longer-term team members have left BrightLocal over the past year. Some sought new opportunities, while others left because BrightLocal is changing. This is expected in any business as it grows and evolves. BrightLocal needs to change for us to succeed. To thrive as a bigger organization in a more competitive world, we must evolve. This isn’t changing who we are at our core, but rather the way we operate. This need for evolution often puts two of our beliefs in tension: Being Brave (making bold, strategic decisions) and Caring Personally (supporting those affected). My commitment is that when decisions affect individuals, we will always do our absolute best to support them, so they leave with their dignity and pride. We are focused on ensuring we have the right structure, roles, and skills for our future success. No one should feel unsafe if they are continuing to deliver value and impact in their role. You also imply in your review that the team we have today are less collaborative and engaged than team members who have left. I’m sorry but on this point I don’t agree. I am constantly impressed by the level of commitment, positivity and teamwork I see from team members in all teams and across all countries. You just have to look at the amazing breadth and variety of the peer-to-peer nominations in our Big Heart Awards to see the evidence of this, daily. 3. On Diversity and Respect for All Team Members. I acknowledge that my position means my words may sound hollow or defensive when addressing concerns about respect for women and non-white employees. But I want to answer you directly. Our commitment to making BrightLocal a diverse and inclusive place to work is genuine and wholehearted. It gives us the diverse viewpoints needed to make better decisions and build a stronger company. To that point, I would like to be clear and say that I am not aware of any team member leaving the business due to their ethnicity or any other protected characteristic, and I would take swift action to identify and address the source of such a negative action if it did occur. i) Women in Leadership: We have more female team members in senior leadership roles than men (55% - 45%), leading critical functions such as Marketing, Customer Support, Product, Customer Success, and People & Culture. Their positions are earned on merit, talent, and commitment to our beliefs. I do openly acknowledge the imbalance at the C-suite level (4 men, 1 woman), across the whole business we are close to parity between men and women in team and squad leadership roles. ii) Commitment to Action: I have had detailed discussions with our People & Culture team about this. We are moving forward with a review—through both quantitative surveys and qualitative discussions—with female team members across the organisation. The goal is to fully understand if and where issues lie and how broadly, so we can act immediately to improve our culture through training and open conversation. 4. On Glassdoor Reviews and Transparency Regarding the volume of positive reviews: we do proactively ask employees to leave reviews at certain milestones, such as when they pass their three-month graduation and at annual milestones. This is a common and legitimate practice for building a positive employer brand. We do not incentivize team members, nor do we prompt them to say specific things. We want every team member to feel appreciated and have agency in their roles. Our commitment to the new EMI share scheme is a key step to ensure that everyone benefits directly and personally from the success of the business. I hope this detailed response convinces you of our commitment to continually making BrightLocal a great place for everyone to work. I would be happy to have discrete, one-to-one meetings with you or any others in our team to listen to your concerns in more detail and work with you to ensure we address them - so please do message me directly if you would like this.