Why I would not recommend Sage to a friend or family member - Product Engineering Director Sage Employee Review

1.0
Dec 6, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Sage has a bold and ambitious strategy. Unfortunately people ('colleagues' in Sage language) need to execute the strategy and my view is that we will not see this fantastic business strategy realized. Certainly not under Stephen Kelly's current leadership practices.

Cons

Stephen Kelly's customer obsession is admirable but who serves the customer? His 'colleagues' do. Its common sense that engaged colleagues are far more likely to be better at serving customers. Unempathetic rounds of retrenchments, dis-empowerment, condescending language, poor C level hires, scape-goating, lack of investment in talent and ability to retain talent, and a culture of fear and imbalance typify Kelly's leadership style. This may be construed as merely the words of a disgruntled employee but, Mr Kelly, to put your mind and those of your shareholders at ease, why don't you conduct a employee Net Promoter Score on your leadership i.e. a simple NPS rated question as to whether your colleagues would recommend you as CEO to another similar global company's employees? If what I feel and what I hear on the ground is anything to go by, you would be horrified at what your colleagues think of your leadership.

Explore other reviews about Sage

5.0
Jun 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They will work with you and teach you everything you need to know and help you as long as you help yourself and meet kpi but they help you meet it

Cons

No cons to add at this time

3.0
Apr 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Pay’s decent -Benefits are solid -The Sage Foundation feels like proper philanthropy -Some genuinely nice people -If you’re happy treating work as just a payslip and don’t mind things being a bit dull, Sage is actually quite a comfortable place to be. That stability is a real perk

Cons

-Far too many layers of middle management and general bureaucracy -The Ai push is getting a bit daft -Not especially innovative, so the work can feel quite uninspiring. I’m grateful to be employed, but if you’re after something more interesting, Sage will probably disappoint. That said, some people prefer it that way, fair enough -The office / hybrid requirements feel a bit pointless -Sage doesn’t tend to do layoffs, which is good, but it does mean there are quite a few people where you’re not entirely sure what they do. A lot of meetings, essentially. Even the positives come with trade-offs

4
avatar
Sage Response
1mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughtful and balanced review. We’re pleased to hear that you value your compensation and benefits, as well as the work our Foundation do, among the areas you’ve highlighted. We also recognise the points you’ve raised around bureaucracy, innovation, and the pace and focus of change. Different people are motivated by different things at work, and it’s helpful to hear honest perspectives on how our structure, processes, and priorities can impact day‑to‑day experience and engagement. Feedback like yours helps inform ongoing conversations as we continue to evolve our ways of working, use technology more meaningfully, and improve the products and experiences we create for our customers. If you’re open to sharing further insight, we encourage you to do so through our Always Listening survey. Thank you again for your openness and for being part of Sage.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All