It could be a lot more - Senior Software Engineer HelloFresh Employee Review

2.0
Oct 2, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Large variety in teams, plenty of good people around, interesting problems to solve if you join the right bits, some managers really are fantastic. It is possible to have a decent salary, but not easy.

Cons

- constant over-engineering - simple CRUD webapps take a year to complete - pretending to make data driven decisions when in fact the decision was made and the data is just found to make the decision look correct - leadership's internal propaganda department will never take the hard questions on slido and answer them publicly, instead cherry picking fluffy questions to smugly answer - crappy hybrid policy (they tell you which 3 days you should be in office) - departments spend 4 intense months every year planning the next year, then throw half of the plan out of the window - worst product owners I've worked with, the product org seems to think you throw the product over the fence when it's defined and it magically gets engineered with no further interaction - they don't own anything. - differing salaries for the same job in different parts of the company - childish politicking at the higher levels - union busting and constantly fighting the works council publicly - A explicit policy of making people work a job one level up while not paid for it ("squad lead in training") doesn't get paid squad lead money for (usually) at least a year - Rewarding the most senior people in the company for steering the ship in to an iceberg by granting them shares early (at rock bottom prices) - sends the message: tank the stock again and maybe you'll get more rock bottom prices. - amazon culture flooding in - if i wanted the amazon culture, i'd go work at amazon - culture of fear - barely anybody ever speaks up - Terrible promotion/salary increase policies (you're competing with your peers for a pool of money, if everybody does well then nobody does well). "Calibration" ensures that everybody becomes average - don't know how you expect great work. (tough times imply more people are average or below average, surprise!)

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HelloFresh Response
1y
Thank you for taking the time to write this review. We appreciate it and are sorry to hear we are currently not able to provide you with the kind of positive experience we want every employee to have at HelloFresh. There are always things we can do to improve and would like to hear more about your case. Please reach out to hf-feedback@hellofresh.com and we will try our best to address the issues you mentioned. Thank you & best regards, CT & Your HelloFresh HR Team

Explore other reviews about HelloFresh

5.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent team and support from managers, fast paced environment giving learning oppourtunities

Cons

No major cons- great culture which promotes food safety

1.0
Jun 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible hybrid environment. In-office requirement is 50% of the month, but there is significant autonomy in how those days are scheduled (eg. you can decide to condense your in-office days the first 2 weeks of the month, and work remotely for the next 2 weeks).

Cons

1- Compensation (particularly base salary) is significantly below market. Reliance on RSU as a major component of the compensation package is problematic, given the company’s stock has severely plummeted over the last 5 years (and continues to do so). 2- Professional development is virtually non-existent. Internal promotions are rare (even for top performers) and highly political. 3- Constant reorganizations and frequent layoffs. It is difficult to feel secure in your position when entire teams are being phased out every few months. 4- Toxic and fear-driven culture. There is a prevalent culture of backchannel feedback and a palpable, constant sense of fear regarding job security and retaliation. 5- Unsustainable business model, still. Service is overly reliant on discounting and promotions, which has negatively impacted brand perception and long-term customer value. Path to sustainable growth is unclear. Leadership also doesn't seem to know what to do, as they frequently pivot strategy, with new directions introduced every few months (if not every few weeks). This lack of consistency creates a sense of instability and leaves teams feeling as though the company lacks a cohesive, long-term vision. 6- Leadership tone. Leaders often lack respect for both employees and the customer base (it is common for them to make derogatory and insulting comments in business meetings about customers who cancel their service).

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HelloFresh Response
2w
Hello, thank you for bringing this to light. At HelloFresh, we prioritize creating a safe and supportive environment for all employees. Any behavior involving harassment or discrimination is thoroughly investigated under our zero-tolerance policy. Please consider contacting us directly at hf-feedback@hellofresh.com so we can address your concerns via the appropriate channels and process. Thank you & best regards, DS & Your HelloFresh HR Team
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