Pros
I've had the privilege of working alongside incredibly talented individuals at this company, many of whom have become close friends. I've gained invaluable knowledge and skills from their expertise. Additional benefits beyond the standard, 35 days annual leave for all employees (even for our American colleagues), a 5 week sabbatical after 5 years of service, Employee Assistance Programme and mental health support. Free electric car charging at the HQ office in Edinburgh.
Cons
Ooni try their best to integrate their values into the culture, but their Value Nomination shout outs in all hands meetings are only for the individuals who work weekends, or late nights. This has fostered a hero culture that leads to burnout as people think they’ll only get promoted or recognised if they work ridiculous hours. This is also at odds with their claims to promote a healthy work life balance. Due to the company's success during COVID, numerous positions were created without a full understanding of the requirements. There appeared to be instances of nepotism in hiring individuals known to the company without ensuring their suitability for the roles and if their experience would be a good fit. The majority of the Software team were hired with specific expectations that did not align with the actual tasks and goals. As a result, the team still lacks clear direction or purpose, which can be attributed to the inexperienced Head of Software, who seems more inclined to coast by. Additionally, they do not advocate for the team, often leaving the team out to dry and deal with situations in which leadership support would have greatly been appreciated and frankly, should have been a given. As a result, I ultimately chose to move on because despite numerous feedback to the company regarding this (myself, and many, many others), no meaningful action was taken. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a unique case in having issues with my line manager. It’s no secret at all that there are problematic individuals in relatively senior positions. The people who raise concerns are brushed off, you are made to feel like the problem. A lot of “yes men” - and I do mean men, who just say yes to the higher ups at the expense of their team. So many talented people have their glory taken by their managers instead. There is so much talk and so little action. Sustainability, the environment, diversity, mental health, staff feedback - all things that they say they value, but in my time there, have seen very little meaningful actions or output from it.