Retain employees with improvements, not finances - Anonymous employee App Academy Employee Review

- Employees are financially manipulated. Instructional staff are hired directly from the bootcamp (in a financially delicate position) at a salary lower than that of a market level web developer's, must accept within a few days, and no negotiations are considered. They are given a bonus that must be paid back if they leave before a year ends. This results in people staying at the company because they can't afford to pay back the bonus. It affects the culture negatively and lowers morale when employees who would rather move on from the company feel financially obligated to stay. - A new program that hires Junior Teacher Assistants from the bootcamp pays less than intern-level hourly wages. - Departments are understaffed: It is impossible for employees to give enough attention to the students whose educations and job searches they are supposed to be supporting without working a lot of overtime. - High turnover: Employees rarely stay for more than a year. I'd guess they would leave sooner if not for needing to pay back the bonus. - Management fails to create a system for career advancement on the instructional team. Opportunities are given without transparency. The most career - advancing technical projects have all been given to men with little explanation. Much of the remaining work is cyclically repetitive, emotionally laborious, and over time leads to burnout if employees are not given more advanced projects. - Diversity efforts are led entirely by a few concerned employees from underrepresented communities in tech, and not well-supported by upper management. - Health insurance is not good. Well below the standard of most tech companies.