Previously an excellent employer that has settled into being barely adequate - Senior Software Engineer Aiven Employee Review

3.0
15 Sept 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

* Compensation is OK for the industry, but not great anymore - you can find better jobs with the kind of skills that this position requires * Schedule flexibility allows for decent work-life balance * The technical challenges keep things engaging and intellectually stimulating * Direct supervisors are supportive and effective leaders * Team members are both professional and technically proficient

Cons

* The decision-making structure could benefit from streamlining. Multiple layers of input often result in mixed signals reaching individual contributors, making it challenging to align efforts with organizational goals. Leadership frequently requests delivery timelines for specific projects without considering the broader context of existing workload and competing priorities. * Compensation strategies appear to rely heavily on industry benchmarking data that may not fully capture the unique aspects of this workplace or its talent requirements. * The pace of change and shifting priorities can be overwhelming. New initiatives frequently emerge before current projects reach completion, creating a constant state of flux that impacts delivery timelines. * There's an opportunity to strengthen the feedback culture. System-level issues sometimes get personalized, despite teams putting in significant effort. Technical debt and infrastructure concerns that were well-understood at the ground level took considerable time to gain executive attention. * Strategic decisions would benefit from greater transparency around supporting data and success metrics. The rationale behind major choices often remains unclear to those executing the work. * The recent shift away from flexible/remote work and hiring arrangements seems counterintuitive, particularly given the strong performance and contributions from distributed team members. * Priority-setting processes lack clear governance. Decisions can be influenced more by persistence or timing rather than strategic importance or defined criteria. * During delivery planning sessions, there's a tendency to request timeline estimates for individual items without considering the broader workload context. The question of what existing commitments might need to be deprioritized to accommodate new requests is seldom addressed. * There appears to be a noticeable imbalance in resource allocation and organizational focus across departments. The Streaming division receives substantial support and headcount, while other revenue-generating units remain understaffed despite their significant financial contributions to the company. This disparity in treatment has created an unfortunate dynamic where well-resourced teams can occasionally override or dismiss input from their less-favored counterparts, leading to collaboration challenges and interdepartmental friction.

Explore other reviews about Aiven

5.0
8 Aug 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Dynamic sales role! Never a dull moment.

Cons

Very challenging, which forces one to think outside of the box.

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Aiven Response
9mo
Thank you for your positive feedback. We're thrilled to hear that you're enjoying your role here. We hope you continue to enjoy the challenge ahead! Ed Director, Talent & People Experience
2.0
5 Dec 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Decent salary, good international travel opportunities, interesting and kind colleagues

Cons

Executive leadership has no vision or appetite to stick to a plan. Despite hiring many people with the experience and skillset to win, leadership routinely ignores advice from within the house, over-commits to half-baked plans, assigns the wrong people to tasks, and then is unwilling to take accountability for continuously failing to deliver anything new.

10
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