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    Motley Fool Reviews

    Updated February 12, 2019
    150 reviews

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    4.1
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    Rating TrendsRating Trends
    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
    Motley Fool CEO Tom Gardner
    Tom Gardner
    104 Ratings

    Employee Reviews

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    Pros

    • "There is a great work/life balance" (in 13 reviews)

    • "Fools are collaborative, fun, creative, caring, and dedicated to our mission of helping the world invest better" (in 12 reviews)

    Cons

    • "The Fool uses one of those open floor plan office lay outs, which means that no one has any personal space or privacy, and the entire office gets LOUD" (in 6 reviews)

    • "Too much reliance on contract writers" (in 6 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. Helpful (2)

      "Great place, but not perfect"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Motley Fool full-time (More than 10 years)

      Pros

      Employees have a voice. Leadership cares and is accessible. Relatively common for people to "change careers" without leaving the company. Company is constantly exploring new opportunities and ideas. Great benefits.

      Cons

      It's all the cons that are the flip side of the pro's: Can be frustrating to express your strong views and not have them embraced (try pleasing hundreds of people at once). There are more "guidelines" than rules, and that flexibility can create confusion at times. Would be a difficult place for someone who prefers a lot of structure, direction and clear advancement path. The great benefits and overall environment can lead to a sense of entitlement among more tenured employees. Turnover is really, really low, which means company growth carries a larger burden for creating advancement opportunities.

      Advice to Management

      The Fool is a great place TO WORK. Please continue to reinforce to employees that TMF is (and has to be) A BUSINESS first. You have great and engaged founders, and please continue to reinforce that a great work environment and a great business go hand-in-hand, and that a growing business is what pays the bills for the amazing culture AND creates job growth. Now... I have to get back to reading my latest book from the free Bookie Monster program.

    2. "Good employer for beginners."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee

      I worked at Motley Fool full-time

      Pros

      Lots of attention given to staff activities.

      Cons

      Limited upward mobility for staff.

      3. Join the Motley Fool team
      See Our Latest Jobs

    3. Helpful (7)

      "Best Place I've Ever Worked"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Software Engineer in Alexandria, VA
      Current Employee - Software Engineer in Alexandria, VA
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Motley Fool full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      You hear people all the time who say it's their dream to work at the Motley Fool. Everything you hear about progressive companies -- unlimited PTO, flexible work hours, trust in their employees, great culture, autonomy, great people, etc. -- happens at the Fool. Over the past 7 years, I've worked at 3 other companies before coming to the Fool. I am being honest when I say that the Motley Fool is the best place I have ever worked for, or could even imagine working for. In the DC area, I knew the hip, flexible startup culture with flat management where employees are given free reign was hard to come by. I always thought I would end up in a corporate, soul-sucking govt. job. After looking into the Fool and seeing why they won Glassdoor's "Best Company to Work For" in 2014 and 2015, I knew I was onto something. When I received an offer from Motley, I had 4 other offers on the table, however the choice of Motley over the others was a no-brainer.

      I love what I do. I am basically making apps that help people around the world invest better. I mean how much more of an impact could I have? There's no real supervision or micromanagement, the Fool just trusts you. There's no clocking in, or boss ensuring you're being productive. If you need a nap, go take a nap in the nap room. Sometimes I even crack the laptop open at night or during odd hours to voluntarily finish an idea I had earlier in the day. This is how a job should be -- trust the employees, give them freedom and flexibility, and they will do so much more because the *want to work* and believe in your mission. It sounds counterintuitive, especially around DC, but it works and it's how you attract the best and brightest talent.

      Cons

      The only con I have heard of, and I have not been here long enough to experience it myself, is that the trajectory at the Motley Fool tends to plateau after many years (I'm talking about 7-10 years). The reason people have left is because they felt that their careers have stagnated, despite the perks, freedom, etc., and the wanted to try something different -- i.e. they get the 7-year itch.

      Another con is that the hiring process also takes long, and it's hard to get into the Fool. It took 2 months between when I first applied to when I received a phone call for an interview. I had to turn down another offer while waiting for the Fool to get back to me. If you are good at what you do, however, then don't fret. I think it's worth the wait. If you're a developer, make sure you can make a web app.

      Advice to Management

      Continue to provide an enriching, challenging, autonomous, and lighthearted experience for your employees. The Fool's motto is to "Educate, Amuse, and Enrich". I think this applies to all aspects, including hiring and culture. If you keep cultivating good people and building trust, you'll keep the buoyant culture and having people (like myself) excited and who can't wait to come to work everyday.

    4. Helpful (4)

      "Another self-reported "fun" place that oversells its benefits"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at Motley Fool full-time (More than 8 years)

      Pros

      Casual, both in dress and general manner. They also splurge on office chairs.

      Cons

      The entire company relies only on its marketing, and so marketing is all that matters. Despite our obnoxious, predatory ads that are just barely legal in the ways words and promises are twisted, the managers still tout our company's "Golden Rule" of fairness and transparency.

      The offices are located in one of the most expensive cities in the US to live, and yet you aren't paid a wage that allows you to actually live in or near the place we work.

      All of this while top execs have multiple homes in DC/NYC and other cities, who are so monumentally wealthy it's immoral.

      The Fool uses one of those open floor plan office lay outs, which means that no one has any personal space or privacy, and the entire office gets LOUD.

      You're better off paying out of pocket than trying to deal with the insurance plan they offer, also. It's cheap for a reason.

      If a company doesn't even invest in the well being of its own employees and customers, then they're obviously only concerned with their bottom line.

      Advice to Management

      Invest in your MEMBERS. Spend time paying attention to complaints from paying members and the people who talk to them on a daily basis.

      Motley Fool Response

      Oct 1, 2018 – Human Resources

      While we're proud of how we've served all of our stakeholders this year due to the hard work of all of our employees, we are always striving to be better. Thanks, Fool, for your feedback and thank... More

    5. Helpful (1)

      "I LOVE THIS PLACE"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - UI Designer in Alexandria, VA
      Current Employee - UI Designer in Alexandria, VA
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Motley Fool full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      There is a great work/life balance. The co-workers are smart and nice and professional.

      Cons

      There are no cons. I am really glad I work here.

      Motley Fool Response

      Jun 13, 2018

      Thanks for a great review! We’re glad to hear you’re satisfied with the work/life balance, plus we think our fellow Fools are pretty awesome, too. Cheers to your time at The Fool only getting better!

    6. "great place to work there"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Approves of CEO

      Pros

      loved my time there - awesome

      Cons

      get a job there - the best

    7. Helpful (2)

      "Great company to work for"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Developer
      Current Employee - Developer
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Motley Fool full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      This company is an out of the box thinker where people can learn new things, work in new roles, and really excel.

      Cons

      If you're not a starter/doer and neither is your manager, you might find it difficult to find enough to keep busy.

      Advice to Management

      Keep doing what you're doing. Keep chasing down wild possibilities and keep thinking outside of the box.

      Motley Fool Response

      May 18, 2018

      Thanks for your review! Yep, we definitely look for Fools who are ready and willing to seek out and drive opportunities for growth and innovation. We also have lots of coaching resources for Fools to... More

    8. Helpful (3)

      "Great place to work, really cares about employees"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Motley Fool full-time

      Pros

      This place has a lot of perks and really cares about employees. We have a team that reaches out to do a lot of random fun things. Unlimited vacation and Fools errand. Every month, someone gets a free 2 week vacation. Member services team sincerely cares about subscribers and a phone call can last hours.

      Cons

      I’ve noticed some things from several years of a pretty otherwise satisfied experience. People who are here for the perks really outnumber the ones who want to do good work. If you actually do want to get to the next level in your career, it’s hard to find support here. Some critical departments don’t seem to have senior leadership, and it shows through. It seems like many of the people who have been here awhile don’t seem to keep up with what’s going on outside the company.

      Advice to Management

      Keep asking for feedback, but spend more time on the things that aren’t going well than repeating the things that are going well. We know this is a great company, but sometimes what’s broken can’t be fixed by adding more perks.

      Motley Fool Response

      May 18, 2018

      Thanks for taking time to share your experiences with our culture and Member Services team – we love those Fools, too!

      The Motley Fool’s Core Culture team is dedicated to helping employees... More

    9. Helpful (4)

      "Not what they used to be"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook

      Pros

      Solid pay and a fun energized atmosphere. Friendly co-workers.

      Cons

      Bombastic, sensationalized titles and fake expertise. It is amazing how many stocks are "incredible buys" "ridiculously cheap", "no-brainers", etc. but at the disclosure part, the author very seldom actually owns the stock. Also amazing how many writers have CAP scores below 50, insinuating most of their readers have better investing ideas than the authors.

      Advice to Management

      Focus more on investing and less on creative writing.

      Motley Fool Response

      Apr 19, 2018

      Thank you for your feedback – constructive criticism makes us all better. We believe in transparency, which is why writers disclose their holdings and play CAPS to show which stocks they’re most... More

    10. Helpful (12)

      "Send in the Grown-Ups!!"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Marketing in Alexandria, VA
      Current Employee - Marketing in Alexandria, VA
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at Motley Fool full-time (More than 8 years)

      Pros

      Nice people, laid-back culture, free snacks, can dress any way you want.

      Cons

      Not a good place if you are hoping for long-term rewards. The company's stock price (set by an outside third party) has barely budged even as the market has boomed. The CEO is a nice guy but lacks the discipline to run a growing company.

      Advice to Management

      If you want to tell others how to grow their businesses - and stock price - figure out how to do it for your own company. Free snacks are nice, but people are depending on the company's financial success.

      Motley Fool Response

      Feb 16, 2018

      Thanks for your feedback! We're so sorry to hear you don't feel completely fulfilled by your Foolish experience.

      Because the Fool is privately held, we don't publicly comment on our internal... More