Distribusion Reviews

- Not a people centric company. They build to sell at some point, so don't expect for them to be - Hustle culture so make sure you want this. You are expected to work late hours and weekends - People team leadership was the worst to work with as they have very toxic, inexperienced folks sitting at VP level who would just micromanage you to prove their worth and add value in their day-to-day - Easy firing culture. My team saw 11 people left in the matter of 9 months. Reason given my leadership - not competent

Working in the People team at Distribusion was one of the most demoralizing professional experiences of my career. There is no coaching, no development, no structure, and no salary bands. You are expected to execute tasks robotically, without feedback or recognition, while being subjected to constant criticism. Leadership operates through fear and blame, not guidance or trust. Motivation is drained quickly, and psychological safety does not exist. The attrition rate in the People team is staggering. Over 16 people joined and left within 13 months, with yet another group exiting this week. This is not due to incompetence — it’s because people are thrown into high-pressure situations without leadership or support and then blamed when things inevitably fall apart. One team hemorrhaging talent at this rate should alarm any serious company. Here, it’s ignored. Recruiters are treated particularly poorly. They are given constantly shifting priorities, unrealistic hiring expectations, and no protection from hiring managers. When timelines slip — often due to changing direction — recruiters are interrogated and blamed with questions like: “Why haven’t you made a hire?” “What are you doing to get there?” “Your hiring managers are complaining about your performance.” There is no effort to manage expectations, communicate trade-offs, or stand up for the team. The leader is the primary source of stress. We have screenshots of Slack messages sent outside core hours and on weekends, often with an aggressive and disturbing tone. This includes racist remarks such as “stop hiring Indians / Turks — they are not a cultural fit” and demeaning messages like “are you stupid?” This behavior is tolerated, normalized, and unchallenged. The culture of overwork is extreme. Senior leaders work during vacations and send messages late at night and on weekends, implicitly setting the expectation that everyone else should do the same. Even while on PTO, employees are expected to act on Sunday-night messages “first thing Monday.” Boundaries are performative at best. Everyone in the People team operates under constant pressure and fear — afraid to speak up, afraid to ask for help, afraid of being screamed at, fired, or ignored. Feedback goes nowhere. Silence is safer. The office situation is equally absurd. Despite raising over €80 million in funding, the Berlin office has around 40 desks total and only four tiny phone booths. Unsurprisingly, almost no one wants to come in. Yet the People team is held to a stricter in-office policy than everyone else, with no regard for space or working conditions. On top of that, the People team is expected to clean up after other employees. Direct quote from the VP People: “When did you last offer to clean the kitchen after lunch? When did you last refill toilet paper in the bathrooms?” Distribusion calls itself a startup, but it operates like a poorly run, top-down corporation driven by fear and control. If you’re considering joining the People team, be aware: you will have no voice, no protection, and no meaningful support — only unrealistic expectations, constant pressure, and leadership that sees you as a problem, not a person. Benefits are nonexistent. Zero. You’re expected to be grateful for 23 days of vacation, which you are discouraged from taking during probation because “what dedication does that show for the job?”