Compare LinkedIn vs Trendzer BETA

Pros

The teams were small, quite a lot of younger people, and we've gotten pretty close. My direct manager was very pragmatic but overall a nice person. I was able to develop my skills a lot. It was nice... to work for a small company with international relations. Working for Trendzer has been a learning experience in both a good and a bad way.

Cons

Oh man, where do I start? Many decisions regarding the platform and customer care were made by senior management staff in the UK, hardly using input from people that actually work on the platform... and speak to the customers. There was little flexibility regarding working hours and workplaces. UK policies were also used for Dutch employees, even though some policies did not fit Dutch work culture at all. The line "This is normal in the UK" was used a lot as an excuse, but seeing as half of the team isn't in the UK, it doesn't count. All in all, we were told many flat out lies and whenever we spoke up, they either ignored the situation or replied in a derogatory manner. The office itself was very basic and uninspired. Whenever something was broken, it wouldn’t be fixed. The coffee was bad and often out of stock. We initially didn’t have warm water. The instalment of a simple kitchen was hailed as some sort of miracle, when it's honestly just a basic need. Asking for office supplies, such as proper equipment and storage space, was a huge struggle. Sometimes there was no toilet paper, so we brought our own just in case. The salaries were quite bad. If they managed to pay you by the end of the month, that is. Getting a reimbursement for travel expenses is normal in the Netherlands, but Trendzer initially refused to provide this. Holiday money was incorporated in the gross salary to hide the fact that the salary was absurdly low. There was no Christmas/end of the year bonus or a pension scheme. There is a company bonus scheme, but nobody has ever seen a dime of that. Trendzer has gone bankrupt twice, and the companies that Trendzer arose from have dealt with bankruptcy too. The owner actually works in Sales and not as CEO; however, he still has a lot of influence, even though he seems to have no clue about how to run a business and doesn't care if employees are being paid. Yet somehow after each bankruptcy, he’s got enough money to set up a new business, while his employees still have several months' worth of salaries to receive.

Advice to Management

Be honest and transparent, and treat your employees, customers and business partners better. Do not start a new company unless you change all policies.