LookSmart Reviews

2.7

31% would recommend to a friend

(20 total reviews)

Jean-Yves Dexmier

57% approve of CEO

53% positive business outlook

LookSmart has an employee rating of 2.7 out of 5 stars, based on 20 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The LookSmart employee rating is 30% below average for employers within the Information Technology industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

20 reviews
2.0
Feb 21, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Looksmart is a 9 to 5 job. The company's results have been so poor for so long that there's not much stress associated with reaching targets. If you're into stress free, those qualities are good. The people that work there are all quite nice. Location is close to Market St, near BART and bus lines.

Cons

The company is a renowned internet failure and over time employees have grown to accept that fact. The company has continued to shrink since it's peak in 2004. Once 500 people, it's now down to 60 or so. And the lay-offs continue. As is typical of failing, higher quality and/or results-driven people tend to cycle in and out quickly. The people who stay are deeply entrenched, and considered "mission critical". Since the current mission is continued failure, that's a bad thing. For years, the board of directors hasn't understood Looksmart's core business. The rumor around the hallways was that they were the main reason for the failures of the company.

3.0
Aug 24, 2009

LookSmart Interview

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Small public company; plenty of opportunities to improve upon out-of-date processes; ample access to senior management;

Cons

Small public company fighting to keep it's head above water in current environment; company politics seem to be deeply ingrained; have not yet experienced a formal review process or quarterly bonus pay-out; company lacks a solid growth strategy.

1.0
Aug 4, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Internet Advertising is a space that's not going away. This place could be a good springboard for those starting out. This is also a good spot for people working in support roles and just starting out in the IT or production side of technology. Some very tried and true architecture mixed in with some home grown solutions can provide a solid background of real-world education/experience.

Cons

Sr. Management is a collection of information hoarders and micro managers. Innovation in technical areas is non-existant. There is too much emphasis on reusing older technology versus inovating with newer but often costlier technology. Return on investment does not equal squeeze the last drop of life from something; a less on the spending authorities here could stand to learn.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 20 Reviews

Glassdoor has 23 LookSmart reviews submitted anonymously by LookSmart employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if LookSmart is right for you.