Upwork Senior Program Manager, Technology reviews

1.2

7% would recommend to a friend

(9 total reviews)
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Hayden Brown

3% approve of CEO

7% positive business outlook

Reviews by job title

9 reviews
5.0
Jun 2, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I've only been at Upwork for a few months and I have really enjoyed it. I scrolled through some of the reviews and was shocked to see some of the reviews stating lack of transparency - perhaps its because I'm used to scrappy start ups, but I feel Upwork has been very transparent. We have weekly meetings with the leadership team where they very transparently share company goals, take our questions, etc. I've never seen a company be so transparent with earnings as well. I am on the Sales team so I guess it could be department specific, but as a member of sales I feel there is alot of transparency. I think salary is above market rate as well. These are the best benefits I've ever had (cheap health insurance with good coverage, 100% WFH with the option to work from the office whenever I want, free food in the office, home office stipend, monthly internet reimbursement, and very generous referral bonuses just to name a few).

Cons

I think the bonus is a little low, especially compared to other tech companies the size of Upwork, but my base salary is above market rate so I am happy with total comp. The company is still somewhat in start up mode (which I don't mind), but if you arent into a rapidly changing environment, this may not be the place for you.

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Upwork Response
4y
Thanks for your review! We do aim for transparency as a company, so it's amazing to hear you feel that. If you have any other feedback please do not hesitate to reach out to HR directly. - Upwork HR
1.0
May 31, 2022

The company culture is a JOKE

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Unlimited PTO is offered for employees. Everything else they say about the culture is a lie.

Cons

- Terrible HR Leadership team that doesn't lead by example or support their team. - Executive team turnover is alarming. If you do not agree with the CEO, you'll be pushed out. - The HRBP team has had the most dramatic turnover and nobody knows who's actually here to help in HR. - No way to anonymously share concerns. - Serious transparency and communication problems throughout the entire org. - Lack of management training for new managers, or senior managers. - Mid to Senior level leadership does not lead by example and does not support their team. - Employees find out people leave by searching on slack. No communication to teams about who has absorbed someone else's project work. - Company survey sent out once a year and nothing has been done to address the issues left in the survey. The CEO, Chief People Officer, and Chief Sales Officer need to go.

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Upwork Response
4y
Hey there, thank you so much for being candid enough to write this. I know it's a lot when you still work here. I would truly welcome the chance to discuss your feedback. With regards to the HR team in particular, it would be so helpful to understand what we can do better. As you have feedback for me and my team it would be insightful to understand your perspective. I'll make myself available whenever works for you. Thanks, zoe
3.0
May 18, 2022

Leaderless and Disorganized

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Unlimited PTO; work from home.

Cons

Terrible, short-sighted leadership. Everything is a panic and a fire drill all the time. No work-life balance. Despite having unlimited PTO and working from home, the inept leaders will find a way to ruin all of that for you with their lack of planning and jumping from one thing to the next. If you're trying to work on a project that should take a few days anywhere else, at Upwork it either take weeks, months, or years to make any progress because some spineless "director" will come tell you to drop everything and work on something completely unrelated to your job. It's always because the executive leadership team didn't have much of a plan, or couldn't communicate their plan coherently to the rest of the company, and middle management is mostly comprised of spineless yes-people, so it seems like everything is done on-the-fly. Although the culture is generally okay, Upwork is run by a small clique of insiders. Your career advancement will plateau, or even turn sharply downward, if you don't get on the inside of that clique. Feels a lot like high school at times.

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Upwork Response
4y
Thank you for taking the time to leave this review. We are so disappointed to hear about your negative experience. As a company we aim for clarity and transparency, but we understand that this is not always everyone's experience, and your feedback is heard and appreciated as we strive to do better as a company. If you have any additional thoughts to share, please do not hesitate to reach out to Upwork HR via email or Slack. - Upwork HR
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