Konrad Group Reviews

Pros

I've had a great experience so far. When I started I was pretty new out of school and Konrad set me up with a senior developer who helped show me the ropes. I've learned a lot over the past year and I've gotten to work with some people who have become my friends. I've had the chance to work on monolithic builds and learn some new technologies along the way. There are all of the standard tech company perks (stocked kitchen, video games, ping pong, and beer taps etc.) that a lot of other places in Toronto have but the people are what this place awesome. The people that perform are the ones who get promoted and become leaders, not sure what the other reviews are about on here. There are some decent benefits like RRSP matching and device plans. I've had some good chats with the HR director when I needed them and she was very helpful. There is an office full of people that are there to help the employees when they need it.

Cons

Like some of the other reviews on here say, there can be tight deadlines that need to be met. It's not always the case but when it's crunch time, it's crunch time. The benefits are pretty good but they aren't mind-blowing, there's some room for improvement with things like work from home policy which some other companies offer.

Pros

I’ve worked at KG almost 2 years and can honestly say that I’ve never worked with smarter or more dedicated people. If you want the opportunity to learn and grow, KG this is the place to be. There is a company culture of hard work and camaraderie that I have not seen or heard of in many places and should not be underestimated. The ‘culture’ is constantly evolving and growing to suit the ever changing needs of the work environment. Sure, there’s snacks and kegs and socials and parties and team retreats and special events but those things are not that important at the end of the day. What’s important to me personally is knowing the the company and your colleagues have your back and want to support your growth personally and professionally, and I’ve experienced this first hand. I’m not sure where the reviews that the company doesn’t care about the employees comes from as it’s quite the opposite in my mind. That said, if you’re not driven and are happy with mediocrity, or you feel you’re too good to start at the bottom and work your way up then this is not the place for you. Everybody gets a chance to prove themselves, internal promotions are common and hard work is rewarded, no matter who you are. On top of that, KG has a beautiful office, has good benefits, a great parental leave policy, an RRSP matching program and clearly supports community and new families (judging by the amount of babies that visit the office!).

Cons

No company is perfect and yes there are things that can be improved on but I think KG is getting there with really great intentions to always be better!

Pros

A great place to learn the fundamentals. If you need a footing right out of school, you have access to really talented people to work on projects with. It's hard to get through the design test, and those who do get through, are worth their weight in gold. I learned a lot when I was given opportunities to do so. - Culture can be really great if you make friends. There's socials, events, an active Slack group, and universal lunch time so you're forced to sit with people. - Everyone is friendly. Everyone. - Fully stocked kitchen, free catering every Friday.

Cons

Kids leading kids. This leads to a lack of new knowledge or managers without experience. Ultimately, the kids they hire become the kids that lead. Many of your seniors or managers started their first job at KG. Mentorship and training is weak. Everyone is "figuring it out together". This is charming but is also a safety net of an answer when something doesn't work. This can be resolved by improving your own resources to hiring competent seniors within departments, with new knowledge to bring to the company. - No clear structure in career advancement. No education budgets available. No clear idea on how to advance into senior roles (usually just on the whim of the managers and your impressions on upper management). This is due to the inexperienced nature of the company. This can be resolved by hiring a proper HR department to help each department outline clear means of evolving their employees, instead of letting each department/team figure it out themselves. - No work from home, unpaid lunch, 9-5:30. If you can't handle 40hr/wk of being constantly surrounded by loud people, talking, or even the low-lit basement-like Dev area, then too bad cause that's the only place you're allowed to do work in. This can be resolved by reaching out to companies with successful social environments that implement WFH policies, and learning to understand how it works. - You are a resource and upper management will never recognize your efforts. Direct management is great and will try their best to help you grow but their hands are also tied. Prepare for the chance to be stuck on work you never signed up for because upper management planned poorly. Also be prepared to never be acknowledged by upper management. This can be resolved by having empathy. - Favoritism in projects. You have to network your way onto worthwhile projects within the company. These worthwhile projects are important because that's the only opportunity you have to learn. This can be resolved by trusting the employees you hire.

Pros

Anything that is remotely okay here can be found elsewhere without all the b.s.

Cons

So many. Read the other reviews. The negative ones are accurate, and the positive themes are accurate too. Be mindful of the many reviews written by management.

Pros

- Love the people here - Love the culture here - Kitchen is well stocked - Referral bonus is fairly decent, RRSP matching and $500 tech credit every 2 years. - Free lunch every Friday, amazing!

Cons

- Hours suck, they recently made the change from a 9am-6pm work schedule to a 9am-530pm work schedule but this is still far from the industry norm, it took many people leaving and many people turning down offers from KG to enact this change. - Similarly for flex hours, after a couple of candidates turned down offers from KG - Working with the clients is extremely difficult, you really have to get it through their thick skulls that sometimes theres a reason why we need to do things a certain way. Too much red tape in this industry. As a software developer you feel chained to the desk, unable to make decisions that are for the better, as clients prefer the method which reduces the number of hours and total cost of development. - No working from home. Caught in a blizzard? Too bad, you gotta come to work because the client only allows remote connection from the office's IP address. They also don't trust their employees to be independent enough to work from home.

Pros

Clients are global, and a lot of responsibility on each project Coworkers are extremely smart Lots of activities and events Retirement matching plan & benefits Good salary Company is growing quickly, allowing for promotions and career growth Flexible work is now an option in most offices

Cons

Work can be very challenging, and you are expected to learn quickly from day 1 Fast growing company, so if you don't like change, this is NOT the place to work Competitive environment