Pros
During my first year at Sage, I experienced a healthy and supportive work environment. The team was collaborative, communication was clear and open, and I felt genuinely supported by both my colleagues and management. The training provided was solid, and I had the opportunity to grow and develop in sourcing and recruiting. I built strong relationships with my teammates, who were passionate and talented individuals, and I truly enjoyed being part of such a dynamic team. The initial culture was positive, fostering a sense of mutual trust and respect, which made work enjoyable.
Cons
Over time, the company culture shifted in a way that made the environment feel increasingly difficult to navigate. What began as a supportive and trusting workplace gradually turned into one marked by micromanagement and a lack of trust in the team’s judgment and work quality. Feedback became inconsistent and often unclear, leaving many of us unsure whether we were meeting expectations. A significant concern was the absence of formal employment contracts; when asked, we were told, “We don’t do that here,” which created ambiguity around job security and employee rights. Efforts to have transparent conversations around compensation were also dismissed—even when market research was presented, we were told that the existing pay structure was already “competitive,” with recognition often limited to verbal praise rather than meaningful rewards. A particularly discouraging experience was when a teammate was let go after expressing that she felt overwhelmed—this sent a message that employee well-being was secondary to constant output. Leadership also exhibited a “savior” mentality at times, where feedback felt more overcorrective than collaborative, and differing perspectives were not welcomed unless they aligned with theirs. What made the environment more difficult was being told that we should come forward with concerns, when in reality the core issue was the management. It’s hard to voice concerns openly when doing so may be interpreted as insubordination. To add to this, there were instances where we were asked to leave positive reviews on Glassdoor to drown out the negative ones—which further discouraged honest, constructive feedback and transparency.