Criteo's decline - Anonymous Criteo Employee Review

1.0
Jun 18, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If I had to describe Criteo in one word, it would be disappointment. I am disappointed to have to stay in the company despite everything happening, but while it’s not the worst place in the world, it’s definitely not for me.

Cons

I have met some people who genuinely believe they work for the best company in the world, despite the fact that its prime days are behind it. The company has become mature and resistant to change, and, from my perspective, its transformation is more likely to end in its demise or a sale. The reality of Criteo is that it initially succeeded with a single product, then began acquiring other companies while promoting itself as innovative and cutting-edge business. However, beneath this facade lies an outdated technological stack, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and a culture marked by opaque communication and internal French politics. (Yes, despite having around 20 locations, the company remains an old-fashioned French organization, only now with 3,500 employees and a superficial American vibe). There is a notable lack of strategy at Criteo, with numerous attempts by C-level leaders to convince investors of their competence. However, the only consistent action they take for several years in a row is conducting multiple rounds of global layoffs, dictated by each country's legislation. Of course, a significant factor is the crisis within the Adtech industry itself, especially with the impending 'cookie apocalypse.' The business is struggling to address these complex dilemmas and to shape a sustainable future for the company, and the CEO consistently fails to inspire trust and reliability among her employees at Criteo. There were times of extremely high turnover rates within the company; the current stability is not due to the company creating a safe, innovative, and creative environment but rather because, amidst global IT layoffs, employees know their options are limited and it’s safer to wait for the global situation to improve and then find a better place in the market. I agree with the points mentioned in other reviews. In summary, there is poor middle management across different countries, ineffective and complex processes, below-market salary ranges, top-down decision-making, miscommunication challenges, and limited opportunities for growth. If you have multiple offers to consider, avoid choosing Criteo. The industry is unstable, and the company is struggling to find its footing.

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Criteo Response
1y
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We recognize the importance of addressing both positive and negative experiences you’ve experienced within our company. Firstly, we are grateful for acknowledging Criteo's initial success and our global presence. We take pride in our diverse workforce and the rich cultural dynamics it brings. We understand and regret to hear about your concerns regarding our technological stack, bureaucratic processes, and communication challenges. We acknowledge that these are areas that need continuous improvement while always working to be at the forefront of it. Our industry is indeed rapidly evolving, and we are committed to updating our technology and streamlining our processes to better serve both our employees and clients. Our leadership team is actively working on transparent communication and strategic initiatives to navigate the challenges posed by the 'cookie apocalypse' and other industry changes. We aim to foster a culture of trust and reliability and are dedicated to keeping our engagement and communication with employees at all levels.

Explore other reviews about Criteo

5.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great environment, great people to work with

Cons

Need to go back to office

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Criteo Response
6d
We're thrilled to receive such positive feedback and to know that you've found a place where you can grow and thrive at Criteo. Thank you for sharing and for your trust all these years. It's great to have you on the team!
2.0
Jan 31, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Smart, hardworking people at the individual contributor level (many of whom are now gone). Little micro-managing, but that’s because everyone’s bandwidth is near 0

Cons

Post–new CEO, the company has descended into complete chaos. There is no transparency around decisions that impact teams and roles. There have been consistent strategy, personnel, and supplier changes with no explanation, accountability, or follow-through. Cons, continued: Employee input and performance do not matter. Decisions feel driven by appeasing BoD and optics rather than results, input and reality. The culture has become a corporate hellscape of: Endless reorganizations with no clear rationale, including layoffs with no reasoning Vague all-hands meetings that avoid real issues, even when directly asked A massive disconnect between the C-suite and day-to-day reality Eroded trust and growing position insecurity Middle managers incentivized to prioritize managing up & executive optics over team advocacy “Return to Office” policy put in place when promised a “Work from Anywhere” position, where the RTO policy differs across employees’ location Little to no growth opportunities despite high performance Under-market average compensation that was justified by locale, “Work from Anywhere”, and flexibility — which was recently rolled back A clear favoritism to those that “talk the talk” vs “performance with numbers”

10
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