Smart, curious staff. No hippos. Career growth. - Anonymous employee Helix Employee Review

5.0
Jul 8, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

First and foremost: Amazing people. The intersection of genetic scientists and industry professionals in marketing, design, and engineering is really a unique workplace. I feel that I am learning something new every day, and everyone is willing to share or teach you. I don't have a science background, and I feel like I am always welcome to ask any questions I want that I don't understand without any attitude or backlash. There are no hippos (highest paid person's opinion) and the company also actively makes sure that when we hire that we detect for any hints of that sort of attitude. As for the work, you are expected to own and take the lead on your role. You are hired because you are an expert in your own right and should speak up about what you think is the right thing to do. This is not a place for people managers and finger-pointers (save for actual VP-level roles). People are expected to not only recommend, but execute the work. This allows for a huge amount of skill attainment and career growth. Small company culture, competitive compensation, great perks and benefits (401K already?!), catered food- the full package. The company invests in its employees on many different levels.

Cons

As we grow, policies change from quarter to quarter. Sometimes this is frustrating. This is just a reality of the size of company we're currently at. Sometimes that changes how we operate very quickly, but it's a reality we have to embrace as we add more employees and define teams.

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Helix Response
9y
We're glad to hear that you're enjoying your experience and feel the environment is enabling you to advance in your career. As we continue to grow, we hope that the policies that are being implemented impact employees in a positive way. I'd encourage you to have an open conversation with your manager, the co-founders, or myself if you think there are policies that we should reexamine or ways to improve implementation. Thanks again for providing feedback! -Derek Talent Acquisition Team

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5.0
Feb 19, 2026
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CEO approval
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Pros

Dynamic fast modern company with lots of opportunities to learn modern tools.

Cons

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1.0
Nov 2, 2024
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The industry the company is in has potential.

Cons

After a decade, many basic processes are still not standardized. Simple tasks that should be easy elsewhere take unnecessary effort here. Mid-level managers form cliques, handling conflicts by forcing the more reasonable side to back down. Double standards are everywhere. People who don’t do the work tend to oppress those who do. Managers have a shallow understanding of both the work and people, resorting to bullying those who are kind while avoiding confrontations with the strong or rude. There's a constant manpower shortage, and higher-level issues are often dumped on lower-level employees, but salaries and promotions don’t reflect this. Meetings are mostly for show—employees are only allowed to ask trivial questions or praise each other. If you bring up real issues, they’ll either ask you to fix them yourself or tell you to stay quiet. Layoffs have been frequent over the past year, mostly targeting decent employees who won’t cause trouble or those who dare to speak up. The company is rigidly hierarchical, both in title and race. Middle managers give speeches as if they’re important figures, which is laughable. The quality of employees has dropped, and management is full of holes. Issues in old negative Glassdoor reviews remain unresolved to this day. The tolerance for toxic employees and the chaotic management have left good employees discouraged—they either find excuses to leave or simply cut down their productivity. As one one-star review said, this company needs a complete overhaul, not just minor tweaks.

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