Do not work here - Anonymous employee MIR Employee Review

1.0
15 Oct 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You are well compensated and your coworkers are interesting, likable and very knowledgeable.

Cons

The root of the problem at MIR is the management. They do not respect, value or support their employees. They treat their employees as if anyone is replaceable and will never give positive feedback even if you do a fabulous job. The workload is unevenly distributed at MIR. The company was recently restructured so that the manager's work was given to their supporting employees and the managers only role now is to police their underlings and micromanage them. The part that is most disheartening is that there is no room for upward mobility. You will stay at the role you are hired at indefinitely, albeit with pay increases. There is also no attempt to educate employees, to foster their growth or develop their skills. The work/life balance at MIR is also lacking. They demand that you be in the office from 8:30-5:30 every day with no exceptions. You should be sitting at your desk, silently working for that entire time period without breaks or socialization. They are not sympathetic to difficult life situations like parenting, sickness or even bereavement. Not only is the schedule very inflexible, but the workplace itself is sub par. The office has been infested with rats, which the management tried to ignore for quite some time. There is also mold and very little heat or air regulation as the building is from the early 1900s.

Explore other reviews about MIR

5.0
10 Sept 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I was laid off at MIR due to the COVID pandemic. There isn't a day that's gone by that I haven't thought about MIR, my colleagues, and my work. I miss them all. MIR was an outstanding place to work for those like me who love Eurasia, Russia, and Central Asia, and who love helping travelers discover these amazing places through MIR's tour offerings, marketing, videos, and stories. It's my hope that when this pandemic finally ends and people can travel again, that they will seek out MIR to fulfill their travel dreams in this utterly fascinating, hidden part of the world. I may no longer be there, but a dedicated, resilient MIR staff will be...

Cons

The physical location of MIR is in Seattle's historic district -- a transitional area where you need to be careful outside 24/7. MIR's top management was very understanding of this situation, and allowed me to start work early and leave early while it was still light. Much appreciated.

4.0
5 Dec 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Smart, funny, enjoyable co-workers. An international, well-educated group. Good, competitive salary. I’ve appreciated the opportunity to learn a huge amount about the part of the world that MIR travels to. Since I began work here, I’ve been on eight one-to-three-week international trips, all expenses paid, including salary. MIR has sent me to Poland, Lithuania, Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Western Russia and Siberia, and Iran. Since a rash of employee resignations in 2015 and early 2016, the MIR management has spent a lot of time and effort reaching out to employees for suggestions about what needs to change and what would help them retain the talent that has been coming and going here. We each received an extra week of vacation, as well as a day off on our birthdays. The management is much more willing to listen to concerns and address them. The owners can be intimidating, but they have made a real commitment to listen to and consider the employees’ concerns, and the work atmosphere has improved, in my opinion. It’s not easy to let go of micromanaging when you’ve grown a company from a tiny firm with a few employees to a flourishing global enterprise with more than 20.

Cons

One problem that we’ve had during this travel season is that we’re understaffed, and some employees are overloaded with responsibilities and stressed out. The management has been actively searching for and interviewing prospective employees, but sometimes job seekers come to Glass Door, read last year’s reviews, and are discouraged from applying or accepting a position.

3
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All