Adyen

Free, nutritious lunch/coffee & big, spacious offices.

Where to begin...

Adyen used to be special (3+ years ago). Holding a large variety of people and teamwork was the essence of it all (and probably part of the success). However, since about a year back, a lot has changed. Stakeholders set demands and, as a result, the whole company changed – more or less.

Way more Americans hold high positions and, instead of growing internally (valuing the loyalty of experienced employees), desirable positions go to external hires instead.

So, needless to say, the growth at the company is NOT what it used to be, and you should not expect any breakthrough career happening at Adyen.

Now there are two more things worth mentioning.

The workload in most teams is more than can be handled, and the communication between teams that should collaborate is bizarre; inefficient would be a nice word for it.

This lack of communication and collaboration not only drives employees crazy but also naturally makes the job harder.

As a result, teams shit-talk each other, and irritation grows.

I have also seen bullying in the office, which leads to the most vital point – company culture.

Sure, it looks cool with the huge parties and stickers on the computers (it's a tech company, after all), but behind this facade and PR strategy, it's a soulless company where you are just as replaceable as the next guy.

Real company culture is not free lunch and parties, but a motivational, safe, encouraging work environment where people feel appreciated and valued as humans.