Disorganized & Political - Not a Meritocracy - Staff Software Engineer Appian Employee Review

2.0
26 May 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Appian inherently teaches its developers a great deal about how businesses function, from a process-based perspective. Most (but not all) of your colleagues will be a pleasure to work with - smart, innovative team-players with an eye for high-quality, valuable application development.

Cons

Compensation is low, and sizeable raises are hard to come by. Things vary wildly between departments - policy decisions, developer workflows, team sizes, expectations of output, communication channels, etc. are inconsistent from department to department. Hard work often goes unnoticed and unrecognized. Some employees who strive to exceed expectations are met only with greater expectations, rather than with recognition or monetary rewards. Politics play a major role in employees' career trajectory at Appian - often supplanting merit and technical achievements. Performance evaluation lacks transparency - employees have little say in the process. and no room for negotiation.

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Appian Response
4y
Thank you for your candid feedback, although it sounds like your experience wasn’t as good as either of us would have liked. While I’m happy to hear of your feedback on being surrounded by wonderful peers, it’s unfortunate to hear your thoughts on recognition and long-term career growth. Providing a space for growth opportunities for our team members, horizontally and vertically, is something that we pride ourselves on. Recognition has also been a huge focus area for us for quite some time, and even more so recently with several newly rolled-out recognition programs and initiatives. I wish you all the very best in your future endeavors.

Explore other reviews about Appian

5.0
10 June 2026
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CEO approval
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Pros

Great people and business processes

Cons

Office is a far drive from Washington DC.

1.0
21 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Cool office & perks, unlimited PTO.

Cons

My manager ultimately stabbed me in the back. Being a recruiter here is a trap. No one has your back, your are just an order taker and every stakeholder has unrealistic and unfair expectations. The founders have their hand in the entire recruiting process and it makes it so unbelievably hard. They want top talent but have not top talent pay. They are not flexible on RTO so good luck.

5
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Appian Response
1w
Thank you for sharing your perspective and highlighting our employee perks. We acknowledge your feedback regarding the recruiting process, stakeholder alignment, and our Return-to-Office guidelines. Providing a supportive environment where expectations are clear and fair is something we hold ourselves accountable to every day. While our commitment to an in-person workplace is rooted in building strong collaboration and connection across our teams, we are equally focused on ensuring our leaders have the tools and training necessary to support every department. We appreciate you taking the time to help us look for ways to improve.
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