Toxic workplace with favoritism and poor culture - Sr. DevOps Engineer/Build & Release Engineer HiLabs Employee Review

[All good reviews are not fake :)] The company deserves a fair feedback - not one that is given by emotional individuals who were let go due their low performance and somehow think that they know how to run a company. Service Based Company- The productization is approaching other B2B firms - think Innovacer, Atlassian, Sevicenow (cannot compare to biggies like Microsoft). This is coming from someone who has worked for a B2B firm in the past. Off course there is techdebt, what do you expect from a mid sized startup. Try working for Musigma and TCS - you will know what services is. Bonuses and Appraisal- One of the few companies where the CEO actually mentions the reason for delay and when it will be disbursed. The priority of disbursement is given to the junior employees. (what does this tell about "the CEO favoring the inner circle" comment). Its a bloodbath in tech where its a blessing to just have a job (forget bonuses and all those fancy things), Its not 2021 era when companies were dependent on product, engineering or data science. Sinking Customer Base- Ignorant bashing - Check with your colleagues/seniors about the recent government contract, new products being implemented Long Term Vision- This is usually the funniest remark coming for someone who doesnt understand this term or dont know what to complain about. Go do some old school research where US healthcare is headed towards. Leadership Masterclass- Hired the Binny Bansal of healthcare. The dude is a veteran and is going to take this firm places (maybe IPO? who knows). Clear differentiator from other firms in the same space. If you have stocks hold tight, if you are a new joiner try to negotiate for some. Toxic Work- This is a mixed bag. Dont deny some hotspots of bad leadership (covered in Cons) but also the fact that low performers who are inefficient complain about working more.

Actual Cons- Leadership (Onshore) disconnected - Some hotpsots (in some products, work areas) due to missing middle management or bad leadership presence. There is a deeper reason for this problem- The company is a run by a solopreneur unlike typical US-India model of one business co founder in US and a tech co founder in India. The company has been slow in taking action on them. Good thing is that the eventually get uncovered (across functions). They are either let go or leave. Nepotism/Favorism (limited)- Suck it up and live with it because this is real world. Some of it is present everywhere. (you scratch my back I scratch yours?)

The "Anti-Pattern" Education: You will leave with a crystal-clear understanding of how not to run a company. It is a "paid education" in identifying red flags, setting professional boundaries, and understanding the value of true leadership. If you are looking for a "trial by fire" environment to learn what a toxic culture looks like, this is a masterclass in setting boundaries by having them constantly tested.

​The "Social" Requirement: There is an unprofessional emphasis on social activities and late-night drinking as a prerequisite for professional standing. Career longevity and favor seem to be determined by who participates in the CEO's after-hours office habits rather than actual product delivery or strategic output. If you don't participate in this specific social circle, your tenure is likely at risk. ​Management by Emotion: Decision-making is erratic and driven by the leadership's emotional state rather than data or business logic. This leads to constant "firefighting" and a complete lack of work-life balance. ​A "Service" Trap: While marketed as a product-based AI company, the reality is manual file processing and "brute-forcing" results to satisfy demanding clients. The tech stack is often secondary to manual labor. ​Retaliatory Environment: There is a palpable fear of dissent. Disagreeing with leadership—even on technical grounds—is frequently met with immediate termination or being pressured to resign.