QuinStreet Reviews

Pros

Distributed decision-making process. Alternative corporate structure without obvious kingdoms. Relaxed working environment with free food and soda. Personal responsibility stressed. High ethical standards as a goal.

Cons

Young, bright staff but continuity suffers as it seems to be a training opportunity before workers leave for better paying jobs in Silicon Valley. Down side of distributed decision-making scheme is lack of organizational structure, although that is good and bad.

Advice to Senior Management

Some important, but older essential tools need to be augmented with modern equivalents, many of which can be bolted on to existing infrastucture.

Pros

Great place to learn the ropes. Great place to leave.

Cons

Management talks a great inclusive game but the company is run top down. I've seen some questionable promotions through the ranks. Some promotions I totally get, hard workers, smart people achieving good results and then there are some advancements I find baffling. I've seen people laid off then rehired as contractors days later. So the whole myth of mediocre employees being let go is just that a myth, something that those left tell ourselves to make us feel special. I've seen some very good people let go. Anyone with any kind of career goals usually leaves after 2 or 3 years.

Advice to Senior Management

Management is smart. I'm going to assume that this is the type of company they want and this is how they want to do things. I don't see anything changing culturally.

Pros

Perceived as a strong company with choice employees so one can make most of that when searching to leave. Lots of smart people with nuggets of good information when they aren't feeling threatened.

Cons

So much strict BS for the sake of having strict BS! Lack of direction with people fearing for their jobs and potential client loss. Just nerve-wracking because it is so unstable. Not the place it used to be!!!

Advice to Senior Management

Too late for that and they only pretend to hear.....and that's still only sometimes.

Pros

The flexibility is great. Getting things done while out of the office is made incredibly easy.
The support for our office is fantastic. The upper echelon will support your efforts. Terrific health benefits are offered. The people in our office are generally easy to work with. All the people I had to work with were willing to take time to explain certain things that are not obvious to someone not directly involved. Everyone's part is important, no matter how minor it may seem.

Cons

You must be flexible to travel when necessary and sometimes on very little notice. This may cause a bit of frustration if you have responsibilities at home.
Be prepared to prove yourself before you're considered for a raise. Once you have proven what you are capable of accomplishing, also be prepared to wait a while before it is reflected in your compensation.
There is a slight "cliquey" atmosphere overall.

Pros

QuinStreet offers a good work/life balance. Hours are flexible and PTO is generous. QuinStreet's office is centrally located in Foster City, making it possible to commute from the city, south bay and east bay.

Cons

QuinStreet is know for having a pretty nasty culture. The culture propagates from the top down. Everyone knows there's a problem, but no one wants to be the messenger that get's shot. Mediocre employees are laid off on a monthly basis and the good employees are leaving in droves. Those who are left, not many, are wondering how everything could have gone so wrong.

Pros

Fast paced, challenging, innovative, fun co-workers, intelligent people

Cons

it is only a long-term opportunity for some

Advice to Senior Management

think more long-term

Pros

Its a good place for a fresher to learn new stuff. Depends on an individual for long term stay.

Cons

Not much importance given to professional & career development in some areas.
No proper practices followed in some cases.

Advice to Senior Management

Try to interact more with the employees to know if they are satisfied in their job

Pros

Laid back atmosphere, food in the kitchen free for all, free access to the internet while "working", freindly people.

Cons

While people are freindly to speak with in person, emails from management are pretty abrasive. The training is okay, but much training isn't needed or before you're on the phones. Management wants input from employees but rarely gives time to do so. I guess we are expected to do it inbetween calls which on a slow day will be MAYBE 15 seconds, and doing it on breaks and lunchs seem unethical. How about getting orgainized and scheduling a time for people to give input rather than take up employees free time to do so. Add to the fact that most/all are contracted via a staffing agency so, vacation time, even working on holidays is a chore. If you want to have memorial day off expect to come into work the following saturday. Even that emergency bathroom break needs to be taken out of your total breaktime for the day. Actually hiring people for the company would be a great plus! Having reasonable benefits, paid time off in a call center atmosphere should be MANDATORY!

Advice to Senior Management

Get more organized! Hiring employees would make more people happier to work for you. Make correspondence to people a little more upbeat! Cross training always seems smart too.

Pros

- Tons of opportunity to take initiative and to switch roles/departments/teams.
- Many things are tried. Once it becomes apparent what works, resources are quickly aligned accordingly. This seems a very efficient way to behave in an environment as dynamic as internet marketing.
- Senior management clearly is working on building a large and world class company that will last. The IPO was merely a milestone along the way. Internal policies and priorities are set accordingly.
- The up or out policy clears out non-performers.
- Great employee training programs and off sites.

Cons

- Pressure is always on, but... ...that is life in Silicon Valley with a company going places.
- CEO is ex Navy and has a saying "loose lips sink ships". The benefit is that QuinStreet keeps its leadership position. There are some downsides: Employees lower down don't always know the latest thinking and sometimes can feel left out. Rumors (both positive and negative) occasionally start which management isn't always aware of and/or doesn't address. This can be tiresome.
- Company doesn't always seem to be the smartest at deciding which projects to start/back. Senior leadership rather than the market or more knowledgeable people lower down seem to drive the projects candidates. Too often projects need to have near term revenue/profit capability. From time to time this seems to result in suboptimal long term resource allocation. Some projects cannot easily be justified with a spreadsheet. A gutfeel and monitoring of industry/technology trends should be enough. For projects originating from senior management that seems to be OK, for projects coming from the ranks, less so. That is a shame. Having said this, luckily management makes no bones about taking corrective actions quickly. Having a profitable company also gives scope for making some mistakes.

Advice to Senior Management

In a company with lots of strong people and characters, softer spoken words of wisdom can be drowned out. Take care to seek out and listen to those people. Otherwise: Keep at it!

Pros

People are very nice. You can achieve a work life balance. If you work hard you will be recognized. It's a "tech' company culture but large enough to have its formalities.

Cons

The work is not intellectually rigorous and most folks are essentially in sales. You're either managing clients, publishers, or campaigns which require good people and strategic thinking skills. Its hard to stay challenged and excited when life becomes mundane.

Advice to Senior Management

Invest more in your employees. Be fair about comp structure. Many people are underpaid and are not looking for a better brand of cereal in the kitchen area.