Transparent Review of Experience: Operational Dysfunction-Toxic Work Culture - Operations Cherry Technologies Employee Review

Cherry is in a hiring frenzy so I'd like to provide my experience for anyone who would like an honest review of working here before they accept an offer. I was so hopeful for this position and was really hyped up during the interviews and the offer that it would be a great opportunity to help build something. Unfortunately, I felt extremely misled on what my role would actually be and how poor the leadership was at managing their company and operations. Below are the cons from my experience. 1. Profit over People Obviously this is a fintech so profit is important but the focus of this company is growth and revenue over their people to the level I have seen people work themselves sick. The aggressive expansion of the sales team to outpace competitors led to an overwhelming influx of clients, stretching operational resources thin and impeding adequate support provision. 2. Poor Leadership/Disorganization The absence of structured systems and a disconnection between internal knowledge and compliance underscored a lack of organizational preparedness. Despite the availability of sophisticated operational software and automation tools to manage heightened contact volumes, the leadership failed to prioritize their implementation. Consequently, the burden of unsustainable workloads fell disproportionately on the shoulders of operations and engineering staff, resulting in alarming turnover rates. 3. Culture of Overwork Operating within a culture that glorified overwork, team members were inundated with an unmanageable volume of inquiries, compounded by inadequate support from the sales team. Expectations to handle multiple communication channels (live call + 2 live chats + 3 emails + 4 texts) simultaneously, coupled with pressure to maintain productivity at all costs, fostered an environment detrimental to both customer service quality and employee well-being. The prevailing sentiment that acknowledging personal boundaries or prioritizing self-care was equal to failure further exacerbated these challenges. For visibility, as an operations team member, I would likely surpass 120+ inbound inquiries per DAY When I let my manager know this would not provide the felt unsustainable, they simply said they could do 18+ inquiries at a time. This is not a way to provide support to customers or employees and drove many talented people, including myself away. Additionally, the benefits of unlimited paid time off (PTO) proved to be illusory, with stringent scheduling requirements and a pervasive culture of guilt surrounding its utilization. Recognition and advancement within the company appeared contingent upon an individual's willingness to sacrifice personal time and well-being, rather than on merit or accomplishment. In hindsight, my tenure at Cherry made me realize the importance of working for a company that prioritizes employee welfare and fosters a healthy work-life balance. I caution prospective applicants against overlooking these fundamental considerations and to explore alternative employment opportunities that align more closely with their values and aspirations.