So much potential, so little respect for employees - Anonymous employee IPSY Employee Review

2.0
3 Dec 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The company has great product-market fit and operational efficiency with the Glam Bag program. They're profitable and customers love their product. The office is stocked with snacks and drinks, and there are parties a couple of times a year. There are lots of fun, hardworking employees who genuinely care about customers and coworkers.

Cons

Upper management is a hot mess. For such a (relatively) small company, it's unusual that top executives are so inaccessible and uncommunicative. The CEO likes to show up to play the "cool boss" card but never seems to be around for the hard conversations and doesn't really engage with or get to know most employees. Many department heads are very intense personalities who care so much about making themselves look good that they focus only on hitting arbitrary metrics, without thinking strategically about the long-term effects of their decisions on the business, or on the health of their teams. Managers often throw other team members under the bus to protect themselves, or actively prevent their direct reports from growing within the company. Within a single year, multiple teams had a 50% turnover rate. Many people quit without another position lined up, simply because they couldn't stand the work environment anymore. In February 2017, the entire company was asked to participate in an employee sentiment survey. The detailed results were never shared with employees, and nothing actionable was done other than holding 3 focus groups with a small set of employees on specific culture and compensation topics. All we heard was that sentiment was generally negative, and that leadership was concerned about the feedback. Nothing changed as a result of it. Pay at ipsy is generally below market value by at least 20%. Many employees stay despite the pay because they love their coworkers and care about the product, but overall culture has gotten so bad that it's harder and harder to justify the below-market compensation. Go somewhere else where your input and work will be valued and compensated fairly!

Explore other reviews about IPSY

5.0
5 July 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good work life balance Coworkers are a pleasure to deal with Remote First company

Cons

Remote setting is not always best for important meetings

1
avatar
IPSY Response
10mo
We love hearing that flexibility, work-life balance, and your teammates are bright spots in your IPSY experience. We hear you on the challenges that come with remote meetings—finding ways to stay meaningfully connected is something we’re always working on. With appreciation, IPSY People Team
3.0
25 Mar 2026
Anonymous contractor
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Remote first - Kind coworkers - Fun brand

Cons

My entire career has been built on digital transformation/migration projects, but IPSY showed me a new kind of chaos. A very immature project management function coupled with constant rebrands, shifting priorities, and last-minute legal changes made it feel like they were trying to rebuild the car while it's already rolling downhill. Still a spreadsheet place. Product requirements constantly got buried in Slack. (Why are we so afraid of email?) Disjointed processes and minimal communication to contractors. (It's often the norm to treat contractors like secondary citizens, but most places will at least communicate info relevant to your job). Seems like a bad idea to lay off tech team members midway through a delayed transformation project.

1
avatar
IPSY Response
1mo
Thank you for sharing your experience. We’re glad to hear that our people and brand made a positive impression. We understand that transformation work can feel complex, especially in a fast-moving environment, and we’re continuously working to improve clarity, communication, and how we support all team members, including our contractor community. We appreciate your perspective and wish you the best in your next chapter. With care, – IPSY People Team
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All