Pros
The people are the best resource they have
Cons
It’s been a year since I left deskbird, so I’ve taken enough time to reflect before writing this review. I want to share honest feedback without any anger, just with the hope that it contributes to improving the employee experience for others. I already brought most of this up during offboarding, so I hope this comes as a continuation of that, not a surprise. I spent two years at deskbird, and on a personal level, it gave me a lot. I met great people and believed deeply in the product. But from a professional growth standpoint, I felt stuck. There was very little guidance or mentorship, and unfortunately, leadership in my team didn’t come with the experience or mindset to support employee development — especially in a function as critical as customer-facing roles. Startups thrive or collapse based on how they treat their people, and while deskbird has a good product and passionate employees, there’s a huge gap when it comes to leadership maturity. Decisions in my team were made based on unclear or inaccurate performance data, and feedback from us was never taken into consideration. The way performance issues were handled felt unstructured, and it left me — and others — questioning how decisions were actually made. What was particularly disappointing was the process around my exit. Rather than having an honest conversation or offering support, I was placed on a performance plan based on vague and incorrect feedback (they later admitted to). It felt more like a way to push me out than to help me improve. Unfortunately, it seems to be a pattern others have experienced too before and after I was gone. The last thing I was told was “We don’t have a vision for you”, which I found lacked empathy. That experience affected me deeply. I left feeling like I wasn’t good enough, which stuck with me for months. But thankfully, I’ve now found a new role at a larger company where I’m thriving. I love the role, crashing all the targets. I’m the 2nd best performer in all European offices and working in an environment where coaching, leadership, and development are taken seriously. I genuinely do not mean to brag, just to show the difference the right environment and management can make. And the potential deskbird tends to lose when basing decisions on friendship rather than actual work experience.
