5y
There is some truth to this review in that at the time it was written I had recently communicated to the company that I believed that we could and should be performing better than we were.
Very few companies follow a linear path to success, and many, including our competitors, have experienced moments in their trajectory where approaches needed to be evaluated and adjusted. We had one of those moments in 2020 during the pandemic, made the necessary changes, and are once again well on track.
It’s also true that we had a period of higher than usual employee departures in late 2020 but still well below 2020’s tech industry average, after having historically low turnover for most of our history. That has since reverted to a normal rate.
All that said, I would be remiss if I didn’t correct some significant inaccuracies in this review.
1) “revenue targets are being missed by overwhelming margins”
This is simply not true. Despite some higher than typical churn in the first part of 2020 due to COVID, we exceeded our revenue stretch goals for both the calendar year 2020 as well as for the first quarter of 2021.
2) "The values that 15Five executives publicly espouse (like on the podcast or marketing materials) are not the prevalent themes you’ll find in team meetings or one-on-ones."
I do not believe this is universal to 15Five. I've solicited first-hand feedback from a variety of 15Fivers on this topic and have not found this to be a common theme, at all, and is not evidenced by our overwhelming number of other positive reviews here on Glassdoor.
3) "I do not expect 15Five executives to take responsibility for their impact on the company's position and/or take meaningful action to change its fate."
As CEO, the buck stops with me; I take full responsibility for any and all failings of the organization. I invest quite a bit of time listening to employees, seeking counsel with peers and advisors, and connecting with 15Fivers 1:1 whenever I feel someone has important feedback to share.
I deeply care about both our mission and our people, and every member of our Senior Leadership Team is dedicated to being responsive to both strategic and executional changes as necessary, and to employee feedback directly.
That's not to say that we're all perfect and get it right all the time, but we are committed to taking responsibility and being responsive as a team and an organization, to which I know many at 15Five would attest.
Most importantly, we’re deeply committed to everyone being happier, healthier, and more fulfilled versions of themselves as a result of working with us, and by and large have and continue to fulfill on this commitment.
I'm personally sad and sorry to hear that you had such a negative experience at 15Five. This is far from the norm of feedback we regularly receive, and not indicative of the vast majority of our team’s experience.