Disappointing Experience in a Dysfunctional Culture - Anonymous employee SmartSurvey Employee Review

• Remote working is available • Pension matching 12% • A basic benefits package (although more beneficial to the company than the employee)

• Overall, my experience at SmartSurvey was quite negative. • The company culture can be toxic, with poor communication and siloed teams that operate without real collaboration. • There is frequent micromanagement, with little autonomy given to employees to apply their skills or make meaningful contributions. • The company is still described as a start-up, but it has been around for years without much actual growth or innovation. • During my time, the company steadily shrank, with employees quietly let go or pushed out. Often without clear communication or explanation. • Job security is low, and there’s minimal opportunity for progression or salary increases. • Benefits are limited — for example, only 5 paid sick days per year, which is below industry norms. • A learning and development budget was mentioned (around £1,000), but it was never encouraged or supported in practice. • Goals are typically set to serve the business only, with little regard for employee growth or interests. • I also found the work schedule to be unfair at times, and the combination of burnout and mental fatigue significantly impacted my mental health. • Senior leadership frequently oversteps, often overriding team decisions or shifting priorities without explanation, leading to confusion and lack of direction.

Remote working. Amazon voucher on your birthday. They pay well, but only because they're careless with money.

Nobody there has ever been promoted. It's a waste of time. Management will tell you that you're bad at your job. They will never help you, in case you become as knowledgeable as them. They just want to keep you down. It's an ego trip for them. They also won't employ anyone who might be better than them.