Unethical Leadership, Charity a Grift - Software Quality Assurance Engineer Starkey Employee Review

1.0
31 Oct 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Starkey is great to work for if you already have family working there. There are many multi-generational employees. The president of Starkey has benefited from nepotism while the company shielded him from multiple sexual harassment lawsuits.

Cons

The Starkey Hearing Foundation is ostensibly a great idea, but that money goes right back into Starkey. The Hearing Foundation's biggest expense? Batteries. Starkey writes off its old hearing aids by donating them to the Hearing Foundation and the Hearing Foundation turns around and buys all its batteries (with donated funds) from Starkey. Management stole from employee stock plan which resulted in a lawsuit.

Explore other reviews about Starkey

5.0
26 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexibility, good pay, rewarding work, great employees, private company

Cons

Some silos between departments can be difficult to work with sometimes

3.0
24 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Mission-Driven Impact: You get the unique satisfaction of knowing your technical infrastructure directly supports technology that restores hearing and improves the quality of life for millions. • Innovation Hub: Because Starkey integrates AI and sensors into their hearing aids, IT engineers often work with sophisticated, modern stacks that bridge the gap between traditional enterprise IT and wearable tech. • Strong Local Culture: As a privately held company with deep roots in Minnesota, Starkey offers a stable, family-oriented environment that often feels more personal than a massive, faceless tech conglomerate.

Cons

Legacy Debt: Like many established manufacturing giants, you may encounter older legacy systems and "on-prem" hurdles that can slow down the deployment of more modern, cloud-native solutions. • Corporate Rigidity: Some employees report a traditional top-down management style, which can occasionally feel restrictive if you are used to the agile, flat autonomy found in Silicon Valley-style startups. • High-Pressure Environment: Given the precision required for medical devices and global distribution, the IT uptime requirements can lead to demanding "on-call" cycles and high-stress troubleshooting windows.

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