A workplace in decline—poor management, lack of transparency, and worsening culture - Anonymous employee PortSwigger Employee Review

Leadership positions are occupied by individuals who, in many cases, lack the professional and life experience necessary for their roles. Decision-making is inconsistent, and employees struggle to trust leadership’s direction. The company often states that it “doesn’t follow the herd,” yet there are books strewn around the office about what other companies have done, which we then implement with a "twist" which is much more inefficient and demoralizing. The new quarterly review system is one of the most demoralizing changes introduced. It is opaque, highly political, and prioritizes visibility over actual performance. Decisions are made by individuals who should not be involved, and team leads are not allowed to explain the reasoning behind outcomes—most likely because they had little say in them. This system has already caused significant stress, with at least one person taking sick leave due to the pressure. Concerns raised about this process are ignored, and trust in management continues to decline. Senior management openly say that the performance reviews went well, even with all of this. Management frequently emphasizes emotional intelligence, yet their actions consistently demonstrate the opposite. At the start of 2024, after a difficult end to 2023, the CEO made a statement suggesting AI would replace employees. When concerns were raised, they later claimed that was not the intended message—but the fact that it was interpreted that way speaks volumes about a lack of awareness. There have been many more similar incidences. Job security is uncertain. Employees are frequently let go without clear explanations, only being told that their “goals and values are unaligned.” It is an open secret that some departing employees are pressured into signing NDAs. Leadership refers to the firing process as “the immune system,” implying that employees who do not fit are viruses. Pay reviews are infrequent, and there is no transparency in how compensation decisions are made, due to the flat non-hierarchichal hierarchy (make it make sense). Despite claiming to have a “default to open” culture, transparency is severely lacking. Teams are constantly reshuffled. Developers are moved between teams with little or no notice. Additional responsibilities are thrown on to teams that are already thinly spread with minimal thought and support, other than the fact that "we should all own the problem" i.e. management wash their hands of it and blame the employees when it goes wrong. Major decisions are made privately, and employees often learn about changes only at the last minute. The company’s own messaging states that “nothing can’t be talked about,” yet in reality, very little is openly discussed. Culture surveys are not anonymous. Employees are required to complete them, and the consistently positive results do not reflect the concerns widely shared internally. A fully independent third-party review is necessary. Leadership needs to engage directly with teams to understand the reality of working here, rather than relying on flawed internal surveys. However, when concerns are raised—whether about job security, the performance review process, or overall direction—employees are often dismissed as “misunderstanding” the situation and told they need additional “training” or “education.” This approach prevents meaningful feedback from being acknowledged or acted upon. A lot of people at PortSwigger, across business functions, long tenured or short tenured, graduates or experienced, have the same opinions and concerns, but are never listened to. Instead, everyone who does complain are told they are in an echo chamber and dismissed as above. It is also well-known internally that employees who post negative reviews about the company are sometimes pressured into removing them, and ex-employees who found that their goals and values are no longer aligned are forced into signing NDAs, so they can't publish what they think. The lack of work-from-home flexibility is severely limiting hiring efforts. The company has exhausted its talent pool in the North West and is now opening a London office, yet even that has not significantly improved recruitment. These ongoing issues are creating a workplace where employees feel undervalued, unheard, and uncertain about their future. Prospective employees should be aware of these challenges before considering a role here. Leadership needs to acknowledge and address these problems before more high-performing individuals leave.