Please do beware. - Anonymous employee Cognella Employee Review

Take a look at Mr. Hamadeh's language on this very forum to get a better idea of what it is like to work for him. If you disagree with him or his policies, you will see these words and phrases thrown out at you: "bad seed;" "propaganda;" "toxicity;" "immature;" "inexperienced;" "clouded lens;" "underhanded;" "short-sighted;" and my personal favorite: "lacking a moral compass." Since when does expressing frustration with a job indicate a lack of morality? These ad hominem attacks are par for the course at Cognella; prepare to become either a yes-man or a pariah at this company, as there is no in-between. To those complaining about long hours, in Mr. Hamadeh's defense, he is very clear about the seasonal nature of the company and does not hide his expectations that employees should do what they need to do to get the job done for Cognella's clients. This should not surprise anyone with any experience in the working world. Many companies function like this, and Cognella's fringe benefits, such as above average quantities of paid holidays, vacation, and sick time are meant to partially compensate for the time periods in which longer hours are required. If the salary and benefits offered upon hiring are not sufficient to mitigate your concerns about hard work and overtime, then you should not accept the job offer. The very worst thing about the company is the culture. If Mr. Hamadeh one day succeeds in getting rid of everyone who disagrees with company policies, matters will be even worse, for then there would be nothing but sycophants to surround him and pad his ego. The talented people who join the company are very bright, and that means that they are clever enough to nod their heads at the right times and even curry favor by writing slavish reviews on Glassdoor. (To answer the question of whether management encourages employees to post positive reviews here: I was personally asked to do so by a former manager during my time at the company. It happens. Whether Mr. Hamadeh is a knowing party to this practice is another issue entirely.) How is the culture bad? It comes from the narcissism of Mr. Hamadeh himself. He is passionate about his company, but this passion is defensive, jealous, and paranoid where better leaders would demonstrate passion that is steady, confident, and benevolent. Think of a boy-king who surrounds himself with ingratiating advisors, rules through fits and tantrums, banishes those in his court who fall out of favor, searches for assassins in every shadow, and punishes free thinking with an autocratic iron fist. If you don't mind working for a CEO like this, by all means, join Cognella.