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Great People, Sad Collapse

Software Engineer
Former Employee
Worked at Groupon for 4 years
January 11, 2023
Chicago, Illinois
1.0
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDoesn't Approve of CEO
Pros

Come for the unlimited PTO, stay for the great people. I had some of the best mid and senior level managers ever, until they were either laid off or left the company. It had great benefits compared to other places, and the culture was great. Lots of flexibility and very humane all the way to the Directors (from the VP level up, it's the absolute opposite). I have great memories from working here. When it was good, it was one of the best companies I've ever worked.

Cons

In retrospect, it's pretty sad, coming from the upbeat and very human way in which Aaron and John ran the company through the pandemic, to the collapse of everything that was good that happened afterwards. Honestly, I should've seen it coming, judging from the way Aaron was replaced, even though he managed to keep the company and the morale of the workers from sinking through COVID.

The new management is absolutely deaf. Pulse surveys thinned out and then disappeared, especially when layoffs happened and chaos became the norm. At times, it felt like the CTO wanted to thin the headcount by destroying every process we had and making every workday a miserable experience.

Most of the great people I knew that worked there were laid off or gone. Lots of rumors that the goal is and always was to offshore all the technology team, which is at odds with the supposed "local destination" message they wanted to convey.

Whatever this company was 5 or even 2 years ago, it clearly isn't anymore. Pretty sad outlook overall.

Compensation was average to below average.

Advice to Management

Hope they learned to communicate with the employees at this point already, because this leadership team was catastrophically bad at communicating.

Additional Ratings

Work/Life Balance
5.0
Culture and Values
1.0
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
2.0
Career Opportunities
1.0
Compensation and Benefits
3.0
Senior Management
1.0

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