Free lunches and snacks, but poor pay and culture - Graphic Designer Datadog Employee Review

1.0
Mar 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Free lunch three times a week, though there have been occasional food poisoning issues. - Fully stocked kitchen with a wide variety of snacks and beverages. - Great coworkers

Cons

- Compensation for graphic designers is below market compared to similar roles in tech, which makes retention challenging. - The “unlimited PTO” policy is misleading in practice, with an unspoken cap of around 20–25 days. - Brand & Creative leadership lacks strong design expertise, which is reflected in inconsistent design direction and decision-making. - Although transparency and collaboration are emphasized, there is a noticeable gap between messaging and reality—employees who raise concerns or push for improvements are not always supported and may face backlash, creating a culture of fear that discourages open dialogue and favors obedience over thoughtful contribution. - Overall, design does not appear to be a priority, and designers’ expertise is often overlooked. The environment tends to favor aligning with executive preferences over thoughtful design decisions, making it difficult to grow or produce high-quality work.

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Datadog Response
2mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re glad to hear you value your coworkers and aspects of the in-office experience. We’re sorry other aspects have been frustrating and recognize the importance of feeling supported, recognized, and heard. We encourage you to share these concerns with your People Business Partner so they can be reviewed through the appropriate channels.

Explore other reviews about Datadog

5.0
Jun 9, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

People first culture, endless opportunities to grow, learn new things beyond your role’s scope and get promoted

Cons

Compensation on a lower end

1.0
May 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Stock options and gym reimbursement

Cons

Datadog is a very toxic place especially if you’re in a non-tech role where you are deprioritized and uncared for. Talent acquisition has terrible, selfish leaders who only care about themselves and pushing their teams past their limits. Your colleagues will backstab you again and again to gain preferential treatment. The leaders encourage this type of behavior and get excited and make jokes about it. Additionally,I It is an environment riddled with sexism and racism — is it not 2026? NYC at that? The lack of resources and support compared to engineering is astounding. I would never recommend this place to anyone. Many of the good reviews are fake or are by people who perpetuate the toxic culture. The only good thing is the stock options. Stay far away from this place!

3
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