Pros
Let's begin on a positive note. Initially, the setup was well-organized, offering a wealth of training videos and comprehensive "how-to" documents to help with various processes. This credit largely goes to the former operations manager, who dedicated time to guide and even arranged meetings to provide further clarification. His support was truly invaluable and played a pivotal role in facilitating my comfort in this role. As a result, the first few months proved to be a relatively smooth transition, aided by my natural inclination to hit the ground running, allowing me to quickly find my rhythm. Huemor's clientele primarily consists of medium to large companies, setting high expectations for the teams to consistently deliver top-notch quality. Fortunately, this was not much of a challenge, considering the caliber of talent they employ. Both designers and developers here are among the very best, which is a significant factor contributing to Huemor's strong reputation in the industry. Another notable aspect of Huemor is its exceptional team. Whether it's developers, designers, QA professionals, or other team members, everyone has been a pleasure to collaborate with. Interestingly, a significant portion—around 80-85%—of the team is based overseas, but this never posed any communication or relatability issues. Frankly, I'm going to miss the people I've had the privilege to work with; they are undoubtedly the most remarkable aspect of my experience at Huemor.
Cons
The initial five months were a period of smooth sailing, and everything appeared to be running seamlessly. However, the unexpected departure of the operations manager sent shockwaves through the entire organization. His departure was particularly jarring due to the invaluable role he played in optimizing our processes, a void that quickly became evident once he left. To compound matters, the company decided to change the main project management system, resulting in significant disruptions. Sadly, there was no formal rollout or plan to familiarize us with this new system. We were left to navigate this uncharted territory on our own, leading to inconsistent approaches and practices across the team. Efforts to fill the vacancy left by the operations manager with a new hire yielded no tangible improvements. Despite my repeated attempts to seek guidance for the project board, my inquiries went unanswered, dispite having multiple meetings with the new operations manager. Members of the team found the system very frustrating to use, which lead to extra time being spent on using the system. Interestingly, the newly appointed operations manager was let go just a few months into the role, which brings me to the next issue: layoffs. It goes without saying , the success of projects relies heavily on the collaboration of developers and cross-functional team members. However, despite the pressing need for developers with multiple projects going into development, a sudden wave of layoffs occurred without any prior warnings. Resulting in many project timelines being pushed, which lead to a backlog of tasks and understandably disgruntled clients. These adjustments were made without any accompanying support, placing the responsibility on project managers like myself to communicate these timeline changes to clients. It is ironic that the company had to rehire some of the laid-off developers just a month later to salvage incomplete projects, underscoring a severe mismanagement of resources. There was a lack of communication with project managers regarding prioritizing essential work. Furthermore, promises of bonuses to incentivize certain development teams to put in extra hours and meet project deadlines were left unfulfilled to this day. This speaks to the value of the company leadership as a whole, which this is just one example of that. The pervasive atmosphere of job insecurity, stemming from the layoffs and arbitrary firings, caused alot of the team to harbor concerns about their job stability. This apprehension extended to minor issues, as people were afraid of being let go. This climate of uncertainty, compounded by the seemingly haphazard firings, contributed to the recent negative reviews on this platform. Clearly, 2023 proved to be a challenging year for Huemor, characterized by a significant number of unpredictable firings and layoffs. Additional concerns regarding this organization include: Inappropriate Relationships: There is an issue with the head of HR is involved in an intimate relationship with one of the owners, which can lead to conflicts of interest. Sales Team Practices: The sales team tends to oversell projects and fails to effectively communicate project details to the project team. Regardless of project scope, all projects are sold with a fixed 6-month timeline, placing unrealistic expectations on project managers to make it work. Client Retention: The organization doesn't take the necessary steps to terminate relationships with problematic clients, leaving the project team to deal with challenging and difficult clients even when leadership is aware of the issues. Employee Valuation Discrepancy: Despite claims of valuing employees, it's widely known within the organization, particularly among Huemor employees, that the company doesn't live up to its stated commitment. Lack of Job Security: Job security is virtually non-existent, even for employees with positive performance reviews. Termination reasons are often given as "performance concerns" without valid evidence, a pattern observed in several terminations, especially among project managers. Absence of Support for Low Performers: The organization doesn't offer warnings or opportunities for improvement to employees struggling with performance issues. Instead, they are swiftly let go without any chance to rectify their shortcomings. Limited Growth Opportunities: There are minimal prospects for career advancement within the company. Leadership Concerns: There are broader concerns related to the leadership team as a whole, which need to be addressed for the organization's overall well-being.