Cardlytics Reviews

In the first years of its founding, Cardlytics was transparent and collaborative top-to-bottom. However, the climate of the company became suddenly and uncomfortably political in the past year. Most of the original employees who truly believed in Cardlytics' mission have been let go or have quit (including 3 CTOs in 5 months), and most of those left are there for a payout. One manager, for example, was allowed to routinely subvert legal and operations processes while providing personal financial reasons for doing so (e.g., bonuses, commission). This attitude is indicative of the recent shift in company values that has taken place: Revenue over Quality. Asking too many questions means that you are difficult to work with, and saying no means that you're not a team player (even if 'no' is the right answer). Expertise is no longer valued, as an employee's value is based solely on how quickly they can perform a task. You can be awesome at what you do (and the only one who does it), but if you aren't a "yes" person, be expected to be treated like an enemy. This is what the current job postings really mean when they list a "collaborative attitude" as a must. The ultimate con of Cardlytics, however, is that leadership will feed you ice cream sundaes, take you to free movies, buy expensive game consoles, and throw elaborate, alcohol-fueled parties, while reciting lines about how every employee is important to the success of the company and how Cardlytics is a family. But when the executive team failed to create a cohesive and obtainable directive for the company in 2015, they irresponsibly set the stage for the catastrophic layoffs and associated resignations of long-time employees in 2016. The CEO even admitted to the remaining employees that "some mistakes were made" in the hasty layoffs, and the company is already re-hiring for the exact same jobs from which people were let go. Such a large and impactful company-wide decision should never have to be made so quickly that experts and company loyalists are "mistakenly" let go. Perks do not make up for employee morale or distrust of leadership.

Office/facilities management demonstrates an openly tyrannical attitude by locking restrooms and arbitrarily blocking access to the "cool" office amenities. The leadership team is unable to construct consistent narratives as to why the company misses goals, performs poorly, or is "forced" to make difficult decisions such as firing dozens of employees. There have been multiple CTOs in just a matter of months (only two members of the original leadership team remain). Employees who are sales or client-facing are allowed and often encouraged to bully employees in operational roles into working 12+ hour days, then "reward" them with a $25 gift card to Starbucks. Accolades, awards, and promotions are reserved for those who demonstrate a willingness to play politics or successfully manage to hinder the career advancement of others through manipulation, lies, or coercion.