Pros
At Symend, I work with a fantastic group of colleagues who are always supportive and helpful. The team is filled with talented and friendly individuals who make the work environment enjoyable. Additionally, the company provides great benefits such as health, dental, and vision insurance, as well as decent pay for the industry and job role. They also offer RRSP matching, contributing to employees' retirement savings, and the flexibility of working remotely, which allows for a better work-life balance.
Cons
There are some significant drawbacks to working at Symend. The culture, starting from the C-suite, leaves much to be desired. The CEO displays unprofessional behavior, often yelling at employees when things don't go his way and making them feel incompetent, which creates a hostile work environment. This lack of professionalism is frustrating and demoralizing for the team. The company's approach to employee compensation is also problematic. It's disheartening to see new employees receive higher salaries than seasoned employees who have dedicated years to the company. This unfair treatment forces experienced employees to seek new job opportunities to get a decent raise, rather than being compensated fairly at their current workplace. Unless you are highly favored by management, obtaining raises or promotions is difficult for many hardworking employees to advance in their careers. Symend has also recently implemented a new policy for employees going on maternity leave. This policy requires employees to work for six months after returning from maternity leave, or else they must pay back all the money the company provided them during their leave. This policy puts undue pressure on new parents and may discourage employees from taking necessary time off to care for their newborns. The company culture also encourages long working hours, with employees expected to work evenings and weekends. This expectation holds even for employees who are nine months pregnant, as they are still expected to work evenings and weekends when clients are unhappy. This results in a high-pressure work environment that causes a great deal of stress for many employees. Furthermore, the company culture promotes unhealthy habits, such as eating at your desk, which should not be considered the norm. Additionally, office politics and power plays often delay projects and hinder progress, while a lack of transparency in the company's decision-making process leads to confusion and distrust among team members. Another area of concern is the lack of diversity and inclusion within the company. For example, the HR team is predominantly composed of white females, and when layoffs occurred, non-white employees were disproportionately affected. This lack of diversity and equity within the company structure is disheartening and suggests that there is a need for significant improvement in this area.