Smoke and Mirrors - Anonymous employee Chatbooks Employee Review

Several common complaints arise when discussing Chatbooks with current and former employees. While speaking to my own experience, I can state confidently that my concerns are widespread and represent a shared experience and pattern evident to many. Women, with an emphasis on mothers, will be paid only enough to keep them around as long as they're needed, not compensated at industry or regional standard. Mothers are told that flexibility in schedule should be considered part of their compensation package, but the moment they exercise said flexibility they will be chastised for not being invested and as such ineligible for pay increases and/or professional opportunities. There is no formal procedure for compensation reviews, and raises are often determined by no more than whether or not your manager likes you. Chatbooks will take advantage of its employees from a financial standpoint as much and for as long as possible. Those outwardly loyal will be among the most exploited. It's not uncommon to be treated as if you are to be grateful for your job, no matter the circumstance. Top-level executives have acknowledged that Chatbooks has failed in regard to establishing itself as a company that nurtures career development. Those fortunate enough to work beneath one of Chatbooks' few supportive directors may have found their superior entertained a career roadmap, but rarely do these plans materialize. With recent layoffs, the general consensus amongst those outside of senior leadership is that even fewer opportunities for growth exist and seeking advancement will ultimately lead to your dismissal. For those working beneath one of Chatbooks more characteristic directors, ambition is aggressively dissuaded, professional gatekeeping runs rampant, and success is improperly credited as a general practice. The ego amongst senior leadership has stifled the potential of many talented employees. Leaning on public perception to draw top tier talent is the company's number one priority. Treating this pool of talent with fairness and respect is secondary, if a concern at all. Chatbooks boasts accolades like "Best Place for Women to Work" while routinely dismissing complaints - even those well documented - of mistreatment from the women they employ. In fact, they double down on such behaviors more often than not. Awards, including several others, are earned through bribery and pleas that border nagging to fill out qualifying surveys. Calls to participate flood the company's General Slack channel, and the entire process is gamified by offering rewards and recognition to those that complete them. No one dares include a negative response as those who relay any negative feedback are subject to being unjustly flagged as problematic themselves, and rarely has "anonymous" been a truthful promise in the Chatbooks world. Illustrative of the manner in which they value perception over anything, Chatbooks will be more concerned with burying this review, gaslighting its author, and controlling the narrative than it will be with addressing the content within. To the company, this will boil down to no more than the rant of another disgruntled employee. The primary purpose of HR is to dilute complaints, silence negative depictions of the company, and prevent truth about the toxic nature of Chatbooks from seeping through the walls of the business at any cost. There is no avenue for feedback as a mid-level Chatbooks employee. While E-team, C-suite, and HR teams are made acutely aware of issues ranging in severity, the only person held accountable will be the complainant themself. The moment one questions even the most virulent practice is the moment they should start updating their resume. It is widely understood (and unfortunately, accepted) that while disrespecting team members beneath you is tolerated, speaking up, questioning the behavior of, or self-advocating to a superior is grounds what Chatbooks deems justifiable retaliation. The CEO preaches "no smart jerks" at company-wide meetings, but what he fails to include is the exemption for senior leadership in regard to those they oversee. HR will not acknowledge, let alone lift a finger to address legitimate concerns. You'll only be paid attention as you exit the company, at which point they'll be professionally rewarded for acting as your ally until they feel confident enough you aren't going to air any of their dirty laundry. The importance of public perception is further amplified by the lack of diversity at Chatbooks. In the wake of 2020 the company established a Slack-based club to promote DE&I efforts, which ultimately did little more than buy themselves new Chatbooks-themed Pride t-shirts with company funds. Hiring managers are told they must interview at least one diverse candidate for any open role, but never is this confirmed (and certain directors have skirted this policy by asking if anyone has a 'diverse friend' they could interview to check this to-do off the list). Leadership patted themselves on the back as they announced Juneteenth would be recognized as a company holiday, only to express relief when it fell on a Saturday the following year so they "wouldn't have to give anyone the day off." The few representing the LGBTQ+ community are encouraged to use terms that identify themselves as such in promotional materials (ie "my wife and I enjoy these Chatbooks perks" to emphasize sexual orientation). Parents of diverse children are asked to use their families as content in paid marketing (with no compensation for doing so). There are few, if any diverse employees holding managerial positions, yet nearly every diverse employee has been scrupulously featured on the Chatbooks career page in effort to portray an inclusive environment which simply does not exist. While I've intentionally chosen to include generalities rather than specific examples for purpose of this review, it is worth nothing that incidents I've experienced are considerably more shocking than what has been depicted above. Chatbooks has carefully choreographed a public persona meant to attract both talent and consumers alike, but upon pulling back the curtain it's evident that the company culture is not as it sells itself to be. Rather, they balk responsibility and accountability under the guise of "startup" and blame it on "growing pains" when the reality is that these complaints have persisted the majority of their near 10 years with no effort to change the status quo. For a job seeker looking to put their head down, trade their values for a couple bucks and a collection of free t-shirts, and hang around just long enough to boost your LinkedIn profile, this could be a decent place to work. For those seeking a career opportunity with growth potential where you will be treated with fairness, respect, and concern for your mental health, despite all its claims Chatbooks is not the place for you.