Entire Place is a Joke! - Anonymous employee Gaiam Employee Review

1.0
Oct 15, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good food in the cafe, free yoga classes (if you can attend without feeling guilty), massage/acupuncture/chiro covered by insurance

Cons

This place is an absolute soul suck. The bill of goods they sell in the interview does NOT align with the job(s) you end up doing. No clear direction for 30/60/90 day goals, very high employee turnover, no clear processes/policies/procedures in place for anything. Employees hired for their skills are not trusted to do their jobs, and upper management ends up blocking workflow because they want to approve every tiny little thing instead of delegating. There are employees who cry on their way into work, get reprimanded if they only work 8 hours per day, etc. Apparently leaving work on time is now an act of courage. Free yoga classes are great, but it's hard to attend with so much work piled on everyone's desk. Gaiam TV operates in the exact opposite way of what it is they are trying to sell - what an oxymoron! Company doesn't know who or what they are, so what do they do? Re-brand and launch a whole new product this fall! Too many miscommunications or zero communications, and then deadlines are moved up willy nilly with no regard to current priorities. The Gaiam side of things is supposedly equally as bad. HR also has been told to stay out of everything, so there are zero allies in the office. They refuse to hire more staff, and when they do it's contract only for a measly hourly rate. Yet there is plenty of cash around to remodel the office and get new desks? What a slap in the face to your employees. Also shady are the happy hours after work that turn into late nights at the boss' house where people show up hungover the next day; very blurred lines between business and pleasure where those who attend achieve "pal" or "bro" status that bleeds into the office environment.

Explore other reviews about Gaiam

5.0
Oct 20, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Very casual and great culture.

Cons

It would have been nice to have work from home flexibility.

2.0
Jul 3, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, cafeteria on site, gym on site.

Cons

Among many of the issues within Gaiam, the most obvious is how all of VP's are friends of the CEO and/or founder. The people making crucial business decisions are from the Catalog era during a time when Gaiam is trying to move into becoming a true e-commerce business. As a result, I don't see Gaiam making the necessary strides to compete with Lululemon, Prana, Athleta and the like. These people are outdated and out of touch, however they will remain in their powerful and high paying positions until a new CEO takes place and nepotism ceases to exist. The other major issue with Gaiam is the lack of internal communication. The company has almost no communication within its various divisions and therefore fosters an environment of "me first, company second" attitude. There are 2-3 major layoffs per year which occur like clockwork. These layoffs causes people to become more concerned about their personal performance rather than the overall performance of the company. Lastly, I would say that there is almost no "career" opportunities within Gaiam. This is once again due to the nepotism within upper level management. Certain people/positions will never be vacant as these people have personal relationships with the CEO while other positions have been a revolving door due to their lack of a personal relationship. I would not recommend Gaiam.

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