JetBrains

1.0

16 Mar 2024

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

- The company's position on the war in Russia is admirable. - The opportunity to work alongside with smart and talented colleagues

Cons

Location Policy is total mess. There is a noticeable disparity in how employees are treated based on their geographical location. Staff in Amsterdam and Munich appear to enjoy significantly better working conditions compared to their colleagues in Serbia, Berlin, Cyprus, Armenia. It kinda feels like where you're based determines how well you're treated. It's like there's an invisible line dividing the cool kids from the rest. Yuck! HR Feels Like a Myth. Interaction with HR seems to be confined mostly to managerial levels, with a lack of direct engagement with mid-level employees. Trying to get a straight answer from HR is like going on a treasure hunt, but without the map. They seem to have their favorites, and if you're not a lead, good luck getting their attention. And if you got, it would be 90% lies and manipulation. Onboarding Process. The absence of a structured onboarding program can be challenging for new hires, requiring them to navigate their roles and responsibilities without formal guidance. It's more like being thrown into the deep end and told to swim. Work a lot without any appreciation. There is an expectation for employees to work beyond their regular hours. But if you like you profession and enjoy to do it in all of your time, don't hold your breath for a pat on the back, a bonus in your paycheck or even just “thank you” words. It's expected that you'll enjoy working at JetBrains every waking moment for your own pleasure, without extra compensation. One-on-One Meetings? No, haven’t heard. Regular one-on-one meetings tend to feel like formal reports to management rather than opportunities for genuine feedback and professional development. They're less "How can we help you grow?" and more "Here's what you've been doing wrong." Tech Geniuses ≠ Great Leaders. Being a coding superstar doesn't automatically translate to being a team leader. We've got people leading the charge who can tackle any tech challenge but struggle just be polite with people and other basic people skills. This mismatch can create some uncomfortable moments, from feeling undervalued to dealing with some pretty elementary attempts at wielding power. It's like they're more into the power trip and playing mind games than actually leading. And if your JetBrains’ team leader seems a bit too full of themselves, talks down to people, or acts like they're the center of the universe, well, you shouldn't be too surprised.

JetBrains Response

Hello, Thank you for your feedback. As a company, we genuinely appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with us. Your insights help us identify areas for improvement and work towards creating a better working environment for all our employees. You've raised several important points, and we want to assure you that we take them seriously. Allow us to address each of them: 1. New Office Locations: We've made a serious decision to react to the war, prompting us to urgently open new offices in various locations. We moved employees based on to better match the cost of living at the location, documentation situations, and competences. Offices in Armenia, Serbia, Cyprus, and Berlin are being developed rapidly, and this year, we're transitioning employees to newer, more comfortable spaces. Serbia: expected Q3/Q4 2024 Berlin: May 2024 Armenia: running Cyprus: expected Q3/Q4 2024 While construction takes time, we're committed to ensuring that all employees, regardless of location, have access to similar working conditions. 2. Human Resources Support: Our HR department has been heavily involved in the startup processes for our new locations, which temporarily affected our ability to support employees at the same level as before. However, we've introduced the Team Partners initiative to address this gap. Team Partners provide employees with a dedicated channel to voice concerns, seek support, and exchange information. 3. Onboarding Processes: We acknowledge the need to adapt and scale our HR processes, including improving the onboarding experience for new hires. We understand the importance of formal guidance and are actively working to enhance our onboarding programs to provide better support and guidance for all employees. 4. Feedback Mechanisms: In response to the increased demand for one-on-one meetings, we're implementing a 360 review program by mid-summer 2024. This program will allow employees to provide feedback, seek development opportunities, and foster better communication between teammates and team leads. 5. Continuous Improvement: We're committed to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and transparency. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us achieve this goal, and we encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts and suggestions with us. Once again, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're committed to addressing your concerns and creating a more inclusive, supportive, and efficient work environment for all our employees. HR Team

Tech Geniuses ≠ Great Leaders - Product Manager JetBrains Employee Review

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