Optimy abounds with terrible business choices, absurd internal politics and poor management. I'll try here to focus only on the managerial issues, though as an employee you suffer from the combination of the three.
- Incompetent and conflictual managers that never protect their teams
- Unsteady environment where appearances prevail on actual work
- Culture based on constant pressure and fear of being fired
- Deceptive values and blatant lies to keep the company afloat
- Godlike CEO micromanaging every inch and making erratic decisions
// Confusing unprofessionalism
One of the first striking and disturbing observation you can make in the early days or weeks is how people in charge lack both practical and managerial skills. Good thing the turnover is so high: in one year, only one manager (out of six departments) has not been replaced.
Anyhow, this situation leads to contradictory instructions from top-management, as it is not rare that an unsound intuition strikes the CEO and that policy radically changes overnight. On top of that, managers unilaterally set arbitrary deadlines and targets well beyond reach - but only for team members, obviously. In this context, it is only natural that even the best-intentioned employees start feeling frustration and figuring out the level of incompetence.
While management asks workers to be proficient and exerts pressure in that direction, they are the firsts to display severe lacks of professionalism. I have eye-witnessed heated arguments between employees and managers turn into shouting and arms waving from the latter. The outcome is always the same: the dubbed manager is always right and legitimate. Most of them replicates the outdated carrot and stick strategy the CEO cherishes, but with no carrot.
No formal structure or process is to be expected - it is after all the perfect excuse to blame you or your team for how catastrophic the operations might run. This deficiency of clear business rules is understandable given the fact that no previous employee had the time to write something up, and that half of the entire workforce (even more at certain times) is made up of demotivated interns, fully aware of how the company works.
// Hypocrisy at all levels
Managers don't hesitate to promise mountains and wonders during the recruitment phase, their prime goal being to close the wound, continuously open, of people leaving and being let go. The "not a 9 to 5 job" really means that employees are expected to work way more than agreed in their contracts, in exchange for... nothing. Optimy is not the place you'll get recognition, let alone any promotion. Also, you're not allowed to leave earlier if your job is done for the day: instead, you're requested to keep busy and honor the golden rule of sustaining the illusion of a professional workplace.
Optimy brands itself as "tech for good", but the bitter truth is that it couldn't care less of what it is selling, to whom, and how many employees burn out in the process. It is quite noticeable how the company fails to mention employee well-being on its corporate website and in Glassdoor's answers to bad reviews but instead emphasizes how great of a business it is. The company is not a place of diversity unlike what it claims: if you're too contrasting or atypical to their taste, you'll certainly be pushed to the door.
// Culture of secrecy, culture of terror
Once you had one or two points of frictions, you quickly realize that most of your coworkers had some of their own. That's why every little piece of information is carefully hidden by management from the rest of the company so that the golden rule of keeping up the appearances is preserved. But given the size of the company, no secret can last long. Due to this lack of transparency, most employees go through various states of disillusionment: from naïve recruit to disenchanted worker to being a nine-to-fiver under the spotlight.
Every week or so, some coworker disappear, and the only form of explanation is a Slack message, where a manager explains that the person left for "personal reason" or because "there wasn't a great fit anymore". This method actually pays off and has the intended effect of putting most people in fear of losing their job.
Personally, I sometimes went to work feeling like having a knot in the stomach, worried about being yelled at yet again.
// All-powerful CEO
You will read it in other reviews: the CEO is hugely problematic and probably a great source of the issues at Optimy. Apart from his condescending and paternalistic attitude, it has been more than eight years that he clings to his position of absolute power. He takes pride in approving - but more often disapproving - every little decision he has no knowledge or expertise about. Every one. Need a new screen? Talk to the person in charge, but first to the CEO. Have a sweet idea for office life? Chances are the CEO's not going to like it.
As he's (also) been the previous Sales manager, it is not surprising his only concern is bringing cash in, something he likes to remind everyone when he gets the chance. His inflated ego allows him to give very long speeches to the whole company about his life and career during corporate events, as well as to bluntly interrupt a meeting he's not invited to just to remove someone he must absolutely talk to. His way of calling a meeting is shouting someone's name in the open space while quickly snapping his fingers. Lastly, he's responsible for most of the people being fired, for as little as disagreeing with him on professional matters, or just not being a white cis-hetero male drinking his words.
// Final words
You can probably guess that my experience at Optimy has not been great. I do hope that time heals all wounds, as I'm still not fully recovered from all this. And as much as I like to keep my anonymity, I don't mind talking out loud, and I assume every word. If you have any question, or if you're also feeling abused as a current or former employee, you can reach me out: optimy_ex_employee at outlook dot com.
To the Optimy staff reading this: you're not welcome to write me anything. I don't want to hear from you ever again.
