Poor Experience, Good People, Interesting Business Area - Data Engineer dataffirm Employee Review

1.0
Aug 19, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Interesting area of work and some cool technologies. Some very bright people with amazing experience but little opportunity to learn from them. Good package and HR support is good when CEO is not around. Some of the middle managers could be brilliant but they were always marginalised which was a shame.

Cons

Everyone lives in fear of CEO. He spends most of the time telling everyone how amazingly clever he is and loves making fun of people in meetings (and some of the project staff copied this which was not great). No real plan and priorities change almost every morning, moving deadlines, no training, not a great place to do best coding.

Explore other reviews about dataffirm

5.0
Aug 27, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Working alongside some very smart people with impressive backgrounds which gives an opportunity to learn as well as teach. Good team spirit with people helping each other wherever possible. The innovative nature of the projects, and the complexities of the finance industry, allow for interesting challenges, both, technically and from a research perspective. Culture of open ideas and discussion so anyone can provide suggestions and be listened to, regardless of expertise in the field. Good work is often recognised and rewarded by the CEO and management. Due to the relatively flat hierarchy, your work often has direct impact on the product so your efforts are often visible, which I like, as it gives a sense of responsibility. HR listens to feedback and since I started to now, we've had increase in benefits, free drinks in the fridge, book budget for research, and more team socials.

Cons

Due to the fluctuating nature of the finance industry, and the goal to keep innovating to adapt to the changes, the work can be fast paced. Whilst I prefer this, it may not be suited to people who prefer a more routine or constant pace of work.

4
1.0
Aug 10, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

“Fast paced”. The opportunity to be exposed to financial data. Some smart individuals and some nice people, but the majority have been let go of now. I hope the rest vote with their feet eventually unless the culture changes.

Cons

No structure at all. Not really any management. The strategy just seemed to be what the CEO wanted on any one particular day. Be prepared to be laughed at if you ask for benefits like flexible working or the ability to work from home. Stupidly high churn rate due to hiring and firing culture -> don’t be fooled by thinking a permanent role means permanent, you’re very much treated as a contractor with a notice period. I felt a culture of fear and intimidation which filtered down - public office dressing downs were a common occurrence during my time, which was very awkward and of course completely unprofessional.

11
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