Curlec Reviews

As a former employee, take it from me that all the negative Glassdoor reviews are 100% true. I have similarly experienced what other people went through in my time there. I thought for a long time about whether to speak about my experience. I finally decided that the truth needs to be spoken so potential employees know what they’re getting into. To put this in my own words: From a work perspective, they simply do not manage things properly there. Even middle management is micromanaged to the nth degree. There is no proper prioritisation or coordination on how to achieve something. They just want everything, and they want it now. They are taking on risks that they don’t even understand. There is no check and balance or adequate independence within the company. Like another review said, there isn’t even a proper KYC process. Any attempt at a healthy challenge to upper management is quashed, sometimes in very humiliating ways for the person who dared to question at all. And risks continue happening in this environment. The Stashaway issue where money was debited over 20 times for multiple customers’ accounts happened another time with a different client — not to the same degree, but that clearly shows an inept approach to resolving issues. From a culture perspective, upper management is absolutely biased towards a certain stereotype / social class. If you fit into the type of person they recognise within their own exclusive social circles, you can do no wrong and your career here can only fly. If you’re an average middle class Malaysian from a local uni… this is the wrong place to expect meritocracy from. At least half of upper management (one of the two men at the top) has a vision for the company and its future. But there is no plan or management or prioritisation of resources to get there. Decisions are not made in a structured or considered manner. Everyone is just working on everything, all the time. Everyone, everything, and everywhere all at once. The other half of upper management is the CEO who is an indolent rich guy who spends half his time either modelling or on trips abroad. The other half of his time is spent demanding numbers with no plan to achieve said numbers, or on micromanaging people relentlessly who are already doing their jobs so he can understand what it is that they are doing to achieve the goal, which he has an understanding deficiency in — and that deficiency is because he is not in touch with the operational side of things. Also, the goal in his mind keeps changing like his vacation locations. Upper management also got very angry at the bad reviews on Glassdoor and did a few things. One was to attempt to get the reviews and the page taken down. Second was to start asking people in the company to leave good reviews — for example, don’t take for good the review by the Head of Key Accounts, because that’s the brother to the CEO. Third was to go to the extent of asking an employee to remove their personal social media content and to issue a public apology when that employee posted about wanting to leave. The employee didn’t even specify what they wanted to leave. It could’ve been a relationship or a situation outside of work, but they were so sensitive that they demanded the employee post a public apology about it. It’s an invasion into this employee’s privacy, and an extremely inappropriate reaction to the feedback that they are receiving. Instead of reflecting, they double down. This alone should tell you enough about the company and the people that run it. Upper management is very condescending. They hire people for the person’s demonstrated expertise, but question the person’s advice once it is not in line with what they think, and sometimes even claim the opposite of what the facts are without any factual grounds. Everyone joins the company in high spirits and with a lot of enthusiasm to make a difference. But everyone (except those that fit into upper management’s social circles) loses their shine eventually and just does what upper management asks for so they won’t have to suffer even more daily. As you can probably already gather from the above, you will have little autonomy and trust in this company unless you fit a very specific criteria. There is little to no support for employees from a work perspective, and little prioritisation for personal growth. Join at your own peril.

I wanted to take a moment to provide some feedback and share my experience during my tenure at Curlec. I believe open and honest communication is essential for the growth and improvement of any organization. Curlec is a company that has its roots in a close-knit environment, resembling a "friends and family-run" establishment. However, during my time at the company, I observed that the founding leaders often prioritized hiring individuals based on their personal connections (neighbour, elite background, foreign graduate, friend of a friend etc) rather than their experience or suitability for the open roles. This approach sometimes led to a lack of expertise and relevance within certain positions, which could have been better served by qualified professionals. One issue that came to my attention was the preferential treatment given to these "friends and family" hires. They were granted special privileges, such as unlimited holidays with work-from-home or remote working options, which were not extended to the rest of the employees. This discrepancy in benefits was limited to a select few, creating a sense of unfairness and inequality among the workforce. Another concern I encountered was the practice of granting double job promotions within a single year, both in terms of title and extended portfolio, to the "F&F". These promotions seemed to be awarded without any substantial contributions to their roles. This situation inadvertently created a perception that meritocracy and professional growth were not valued as much as personal relationships within the company. Furthermore, the 'brand model or the young C level's' involvement in day-to-day operations often raised eyebrows. Despite lacking relevant skills or expertise in certain areas frequently exhibited FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and requested numerous meetings and updates from Heads of Departments. This intervention sometimes hindered efficient decision-making processes and undermined the autonomy of the respective teams. The the young C's predominant role appeared to be that of a brand ambassador for Curlec, often featured in magazines and delivering speeches. However, it was perplexing to determine the true value that the audience derived from these encounters, considering the his limited impact and influence within their own leadership. It was also noticeable that the Original Founder of the company often followed the Young C's orders without thoroughly assessing the integrity or potential impact of these decisions. This dynamic created an impression that personal loyalty took precedence over critical evaluation and analysis. Despite being the brain behind the company's existence, the Original Founder's influence appeared to be overshadowed by the young C's directives. One of the most distressing aspects I observed during my time at Curlec was the overt discrimination displayed towards employees. The company seemed to display a preference for hiring individuals from foreign universities or privileged backgrounds, possibly to align with the Young C's personal preferences and ideals. Unfortunately, this discriminatory behavior was accompanied by condescending remarks, which disrespected and undervalued the contributions of certain employees, particularly those who had attained local education and had proven themselves as top performers. Unfortunately, this created a hostile and toxic work environment that led to the departure of many talented individuals who could have contributed significantly to Curlec's growth.