Used to be amazing — now it's a cautionary tale after the Telus acquisition - Senior Software Engineer WillowTree Employee Review

1.0
Apr 11, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Talented coworkers who genuinely care about doing great work.

Cons

Lack of transparency: Since the Telus International acquisition, communication has dramatically worsened. Leadership no longer feels accessible or honest. Loss of culture: WillowTree used to be known as the "next Silicon Valley" — innovative, people-focused, and mission-driven. That spirit disappeared almost overnight once Telus took over. Declining leadership care: Leadership, especially Tobias, no longer seems invested in the well-being of employees. The sense of community has eroded. Recent layoffs: Incredibly talented and dedicated people were recently laid off without clear justification. Morale is at an all-time low, and many remaining employees are fearful and demoralized. Toxic expectations: You're expected to bill 40 hours to clients and complete all company responsibilities (admin, interviewing, meetings, performance reviews, etc.) on top of that — effectively pushing many to work well beyond 40 hours a week. Burnout is real: With unrealistic expectations, low job security, and no clear direction from leadership, burnout is becoming more common — and it's rarely addressed or acknowledged.

Explore other reviews about WillowTree

5.0
May 29, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great opportunity, take hirevue seriously

Cons

No cons, love this internship

3.0
May 29, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of really nice, and smart people who are very collaborative and excited to share their knowledge. This is not a prestigious place to work, so I was a bit surprised by just how smart and competent people are at WillowTree or TELUS Digital, whatever our name is. The offices are great and the office culture is ridiculously good. Huge shoutout to the employees (it's def not upper management) who go out of their way to make the office culture great. Depending on what project you're on, it can be a pretty chill place to work. If you're early in your career and need experience, the variety of projects makes this a genuinely good opportunity.

Cons

The biggest con is the compensation. It's so terrible, and far below the industry standard that I don't really see how anyone could stay here long term. They don't give raises, no one is getting promotions. There's also quite a lot of restructuring going on, and very poor communication about it. Which is par for the course in the tech industry at this point, but worth noting. It feels relatively stable for now, but I really have trouble seeing how their tech services division is going to survive as AI decreases the cost to build software. Plus, tech services as part of TELUS Digital doesn't really make any sense long term. It's a contact center business with a bunch of people that randomly make expensive mobile apps? It seems to be making enough money for now to keep going, but I feel like that could change any moment.

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