IAC Reviews in Oakland, CA

Pros

Challenging issues and working with smart dedicated employees who strive to help one another. Good colloboration even under duress and heavy workloads. Fast paced and always something new to learn. Fun work environment includes regular socializing and team building. Welcoming environment for new employees.

Cons

Lots of management turnover make for a new strategy every year. Frequent New York and California culture clash results in poor communication.

Advice to Senior Management

Be consistent in expectations.

Pros

Stable job, decent pay and benefits, fellow employees

Cons

Incompetent management. Constant site redesigns and shifts in strategy. Employees stretched too thin which impacts the quality of the product. You won't survive here if you're not a Yes man who strives to be part of the inner circle. Morale is low.

Advice to Senior Management

Focus on a few strategically sound initiatives. Keep a long term view instead of looking for quick fixes to drive revenue. Set realistic timing and goals for initiatives while providing appropriate resources.
A poor economy does not provide an excuse to push employees to the breaking point.

Pros

Honestly, I can't think of any for working at Ask.com. I kinda like the employee perks from IAC Connect which offers cell phone plan discounts. If one's interested in the Indian culture, there are plenty of opportunity to learn about it from your outsourced Cognizant contractor.

Cons

Shortsightedness, lack of communication, no regards for employee's opinion. Professional development is a joke. Epitomizes corporate culture -- you're expendable.

Advice to Senior Management

Resign.

Pros

potential for moving into other businesses, or at least they say so, but I've never really seen it happen

Cons

no employee stock purchase plan, options that are always under water

Advice to Senior Management

stop trying to appease everyone. you will never keep everyone happy. make the tough product roadmap decisions that will bring the best products to our consumers, even if it puts you in hot water with certain groups in the company.

Pros

IAC companies are actually a large enterprise that still feels like a startup. There are few rules, few processes. It is nimble and fast. You feel like there is MUCH to be done and you may actually be requested to wear many hats. Your contributions will be noticeable and be released to the public in short time.

Cons

On the other hand, the lack of organization is also its own demise. Many team leaders do not follow standard procedures, they skip basic development processes, there is almost no quality assurance, the code is mostly a patch upon a hack, and developers are NOT top-notch. Everything seems a bit amateurish and there is no connection between any of the IAC companies. A lot of wasted effort goes into projects that go nowhere. Employee attrition is common.

Advice to Senior Management

Learn to listen to the actual employees. Make decissions more open, question CEO's mercurial no-holds-barred authority and investigate some of their behavior.

Pros

Good benefits, work-life balance, very entrepenurial

Cons

large company often causes a lot of delay and red tape

Advice to Senior Management

more communication

Pros

Pay and management ignoring issues so you don't have to deal with them

Cons

Very top heavy, could care less about work/life balance. The head of Ask is using a private jet and could care less about the staff, just a puppet.

Advice to Senior Management

Start thinking about innovative ideas, don't copy others.

Pros

established company. And if you get into the good books of a couple of people and are a gadget geek, chances are you will get promoted irrespective of how good you are.

Cons

No respect for other cultures and people from other countries and origin. I cannot say that about everyone at that place. The HR team and some of the old manangement folks were good.They have the classic case of imcompetents hiring and promoting the incompetent.

Advice to Senior Management

Hire the right management people. Stop Nepotism. understand what the people really do bfore promoting them. agreeing with you on everything does not warrant promotion. See if poeple are really qualified

Pros

ability to impact change and see the results of your efforts

Cons

overall strategy is still evolving

Advice to Senior Management

need for more frequent communication on strategies and progress to date to all levels

Pros

Best work/life balance, great products and innovation

Cons

Communication from up top is sometimes sketchy.

Advice to Senior Management

Commit to one direction and go for it.