Sad, out of touch, insular company, but has potential to be amazing - Anonymous employee Draper Employee Review

2.0
Sep 8, 2020
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very good healthcare and 401k benefits. Exciting projects but only if you are on the engineering side and have a good manager.

Cons

Draper is surprisingly out-of-date for a company that sells itself on doing cutting edge work. Consider the following observations: -The administrative side is run by white men who have been there 20-30 years plus, in many cases. Some have never worked anywhere else, except perhaps the military. Meetings are full of old-fashioned comments and depressing in-jokes about things that happened a very long time ago. -They prefer young, naive new hires to mold as they see fit, and who they can pay lessened who will not question things as much. -Mid-career employees with good experience might get hired, but do not last long. They are seen as a threat. (Probably because they have knowledge of the more progressive outside world. This is a shame, because it is just what Draper needs.) -Management is not interested in what their own teams think. They hire new people and make changes without informing or consulting those who will be directly affected. -Gaslighting: They cowardly sideline the people they do not want, all the while telling them everything is fine, or imply that they are solely the problem until they leave. -Culture of fear: new ideas and problem solving is discouraged. Management does not want to be challenged, they just want to be admired. The respect one gets at a progressive company compared to Draper is astonishing. You do not really understand how toxic your environment is until you are away from it.

Explore other reviews about Draper

5.0
May 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great pay and great benefits.

Cons

none to report so far

4.0
Apr 17, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Dynamic work environment with many opportunities to get experience in a variety of fields. Management is accommodating and respectful of employee time.

Cons

While Draper works on a wide variety of projects, I found I didn’t get much of a say in what I was working on. I was placed on projects that didn’t align with my stated preferences.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All