Bad management all around - Anonymous employee PayPal Employee Review

1.0
Aug 10, 2010
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Looks good on a resume.

Cons

The department I worked in was chaotic, spiteful and territorial. Managers were lost and so incapable of either managing projects or providing basic information like what needs to be done and when. Developers were unskilled and often pretended a dev task was too difficult to implement when it clearly was not (like making a line of text bold--too hard!). There were no standards, no consistency and above all, no training. Coming in fresh, there was no orientation and no one to explain how the department worked. Employees are so defensive that even asking questions was just as likely get you snapped at. Meetings were often extended and chaotic, and no one knew what had been decided on by the time they were over. There were almost no processes in place, and those that did allegedly exist might just as likely be ignored as followed.

Explore other reviews about PayPal

5.0
May 7, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good work life balance. Lot of opportunities to learn

Cons

Company is in transition mode

2.0
Apr 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

PayPal has a lot of potential. It has two very strong brands in PayPal and Venmo with significant awareness and user bases that other companies envy. There are pockets of teams that are really pushing the envelop to reimagine what PayPal and Venmo could be—especially the Venmo team—and to move with speed given the company must stay focused and not waste time with Apple Pay, Shop Pay, and so many other competitors nipping at PayPal's heels and aggressively taking market share.

Cons

While some teams are pushing to self-disrupt and are moving fast, too many teams—and I'd argue the majority of the company–are living off of PayPal's laurels from the late 2010s through the pandemic. The culture and mindset have to change for the company to remain competitive. Otherwise, they are the Titanic and they're sinking slowly. The former CEO who only last 2 years tried diversifying the company's revenue, planning for the future. But the board and its former chairman (now new CEO) felt he wasn't moving fast enough to stabilize and marketshare. Instead, the board hired the former chairman who made computers and printers at HP—another sinking ship—to lead the oldest fintech company. The loss of confidence in the leadership team and the strategy are only accelerating.

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