Pros
I'm writing this note in response to a few of the recent negative reviews over the past couple of months. To make it abundantly clear, HR no anyone else has asked me to write this review, I'd just like to share my perspective. I've been in tech for quite some time and an early employee at a few unicorn startups and I can say, without doubt, that Handshake is a special and generational company with a serious potential to be one of the most successful startups of our time. In short, Handshake is founded on the premise of helping students get jobs, how can't you get behind that? Aside from the mission, the best part of this company are its people. Period. Handshake has done an incredible job hiring kind, empathetic, hardworking people of all types, backgrounds, experiences, and cultures to walk the walk. Everyone is friendly with one another and while there are office politics, they are peanuts compared to other companies. There's really an opportunity to contribute something special, no matter what team you're on. Team leaders are open to feedback, fresh ideas, and encourage their direct reports to think outside of the box. The prevailing point I want to make here is: this job is hard. Startups are hard. Tech companies are hard. You are often asked to do more with the same, or even less. Managers can be overwhelmed. Resources might be thin. You may be asked to take on different responsibilities. You may be frustrated with your job. What drives success is how you react and persevere through these hardships. If you want easy, go work at a legacy tech company abundant with resources and support. Remember, people join startups because they a) care about its mission - and b) want a challenge. Handshake is that. It's not perfect, it has its shortcomings, but your mindset and how you approach your role here is what will drive success.
Cons
Much has been said of the CEO. Yes he's a young white male from Michigan, yes he's been prone to outbursts, and yes, some have felt their experience here hasn't been great. I empathize with all of them - even the CEO - whom I personally have had conflicts with in the past. But I will say, he's taken these reviews and the feedback extremely seriously and has publicly resolved to better himself. Not excusing previous things... but this is his first ever job. He's had to not only learn a lot about himself, but how to evolve and adapt with the growth of the business. He is not perfect and he's rough around the edges, but he's been consistently improving in the 2+ years I've been here. Fundamentally changing yourself doesn't happen overnight. - So I guess the con here is: he can be difficult to work with at times, but keep in mind that he's working on it. - Resources can be thin so you're expected to truly look at your job as your own business - this can be difficult for some and a bit overwhelming - There isn't a great path to promotion right now but that's due to the fact that at *this stage* of the company, bringing experienced leaders is vital to the continued growth. That's not to say there *wont be* promotion opportunities, but until there are larger teams, teams within teams, and a more clear management path, the company will likely look to bring in experienced outside personnel. Don't be discouraged by this, take it as an opportunity to learn from an expert in the field - Some teams are more resource constrained than others and some may have a culture of higher expectations than others.. but that's literally at every single company