Productive Edge Reviews | Glassdoor
Productive Edge Reviews
Companies
  • Jobs
  • Companies
  • Salaries
  • Interviews

    Productive Edge Reviews

    Updated March 28, 2019
    51 reviews

    Filter

    Filter

    4.3
    StarStarStarStarStar
    Rating TrendsRating Trends
    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
    (no image)
    Joel Livet
    37 Ratings

    Employee Reviews

    Sort: PopularRatingDate
    Pros

    • "Work from home option,cab facility one side you can use any time" (in 4 reviews)

    • "Work & Life balance is awesome with" (in 4 reviews)

    Cons

    • "Do not expect any kind of work/life balance here" (in 3 reviews)

    • "No functional sales organization means that the company is totally dependent on existing clients for new work" (in 2 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons
    1. Featured Review

      "A Caring and Collaborative Environment"

      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 Productive Edge full-time

      Pros

      People work hard for a common goal. Leadership is transparent. And the benefits are really good. Productive Edge is a great place to learn new skills and grow your career

      Cons

      Things are very fast paced and there are a lot of changes. Part of this is due to the industries served. You have to be on your toes and ready to adapt.

      Advice to Management

      Keep up the good work. Bring in the best and keep fostering an atmosphere of creativity and teamwork.

    2. "Caring people, great culture!"

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

      I have been working at Productive Edge full-time

      Pros

      Great atmosphere with no drama... people are genuinely here to grow in their profession and become stronger players in the tech world. Dynamic social and PE Cares initiatives, at least once a week there is a way to get out of the normal work setting and have some fun or to help out a cause with a group of coworkers. Management is also sincere about taking employee feedback seriously and making improvements where needed. Also doesn't hurt to have a rotation of the best Chicago craft brews on tap ready to go in the kitchen!

      Cons

      Not many cons, management does a good job listening to employee feedback and making adjustments when improvements are needed.

      Advice to Management

      Keep supporting the Social Team outings and PE Cares activities!

      3. Join the Productive Edge team
      See Our Latest Jobs

    3. "Excellent Work Environment"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Consultant in Chicago, IL
      Current Employee - Consultant in Chicago, IL
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Productive Edge full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Great culture and work environment. Open loft-style office surrounded by smart minds that allows for frequent knowledge and idea sharing. PE expects consultants to quickly take ownership of their projects upon joining, allowing for rapid integration into the company and work.

      Many opportunities to socialize with team members through happy hours, weekly social activities and volunteer events.

      Cons

      With PE's rapid growth, hoping to seeing more enthusiasm from leadership in investing in existing employees and promoting from within along with the push for recruiting outside talent.

    4. "Cutting edge projects and great culture!"

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

      I have been working at Productive Edge full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      Company is super talented. Great culture with a lot of fun people and always social events going on. Management is genuinely concerned with their employees and have moved them internally to keep them happy. Projects are very interesting and always on cutting edge.

      Cons

      Consulting field means you have to get used to change. Cutting edge software means some projects have unique challenges.

      Advice to Management

      Company is outgrowing the current office and need a new one soon. Keep doing the PE Cares events to help the community.

    5. "Down to earth, hardworking coworkers"

      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 Productive Edge full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      Flat hierarchy, engaged employees, casual company culture, hard-working and smart employees,

      Cons

      Lots of growth, and change, but that isn't necessarily a negative

    6. Helpful (4)

      "No Clear Plan, Lack of Company-Wide Leadership"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Senior Software Developer in Chicago, IL
      Former Employee - Senior Software Developer in Chicago, IL
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at Productive Edge full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      - In-office snacks, beer on tap
      - Regular semi-annual events
      - Very talented people working below leadership level

      Cons

      - No functional sales organization means that the company is totally dependent on existing clients for new work
           - This leads to dramatic swings in benefits, staffing levels, and overall mood (based on whether a large existing client is asking for more work, or not)
           - Leadership is reactionary and uncommunicative, so unless you are in a leadership meeting you do not know what things will look like more than a month out

      - Compensation is below-average compared to similar roles at related companies
           - Merit-based raises and promotions are very rare
           - Bonus plans are subject to change on short notice if the leadership feels they are going to be too expensive (even less than 2 months before they are due to be handed out)

      - Leadership is not interested in making investments either in new business or employees
           - If you want to learn new skills, attend an industry conference, or build something to contribute to the larger community, expect to do it without any support from the company (but they will ask you to wear the company logo while you do it)
           - Internal promotions to leadership are incredibly rare, most new or open positions above the junior level are filled with new hires, (do not expect to grow your resume here)

      Advice to Management

      Develop a long-term plan, communicate it out to employees, and try to stick to it.
      Invest in employees, and don't treat them like a commodity (replacing merit-based bonuses with a beer tap doesn't count).
      Ask employees to contribute to the long-term health of the company, not just the short-term. You have lots of talented people who could help solve your systemic issues, but you have to ask for help first.

      Productive Edge Response

      Jan 25, 2019

      Thank you for the feedback and for recognizing the many talented people who work at Productive Edge. We’re extremely proud of our team and we strive to create a workplace that enables people to grow... More

    7. Helpful (5)

      "A Technology Sweat Shop"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Technical Architect in Chicago, IL
      Former Employee - Technical Architect in Chicago, IL
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at Productive Edge full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      The ability to (occasionally) work from home.

      Cons

      Leadership within the company is inexperienced, and at times unethical. The company is constantly understaffed, and relies heavily on outsourced employees to handle much of the heavy technical lifting.

      The benefits are abysmal to say the least. Compensation is sub-par, awful health insurance options, and no 401K match is offered.

      Advice to Management

      Hire more experienced, ethical, and hardworking leaders.

    8. "Great place to work!"

      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 Productive Edge full-time

      Pros

      Comfortable work environment and atmosphere, healthy culture, smart colleagues, and strong leadership!

      Cons

      None that I can think of

    9. Helpful (1)

      "On the edge of something great"

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

      I have been working at Productive Edge full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      I've worked here nearly a year, and I have nothing bad to say. For me, what makes a quality workplace is threefold, a place that: 1) has quality people of both heart and mind, 2) encourages people to flourish in their craft, and 3) hires people who are down to Earth. Productive Edge excels in all of those qualities, and I've truly enjoyed my time here thus far. I'm looking forward to many more in the future.

      Cons

      I'll keep this short since there's not too much bad to focus on. The coffee could better. I love good coffee. The office is stocked with not-bad coffee, but it could use an upgrade.

      Advice to Management

      Splurge on quality coffee.

    10. Helpful (1)

      "Great Team Environment!"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Technical Recruiter in Chicago, IL
      Current Employee - Technical Recruiter in Chicago, IL
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Productive Edge full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      Emerging technologies, interesting projects with AR/VR, AI/ML, IoT, automation, etc., great clients and ability to dive in to many different industries, no travel for most positions, cross team collaboration on projects with the chance to gain exposure with a variety of different technologies. The culture is humble, laid back, and have really smart people running projects. Many opportunities for career advancement and learning opportunities. Company is growing fast.

      Cons

      On occasion, people work over 40 hours on certain projects (not frequently), but the for the most part management puts emphasis on work/life balance and focus on culture and providing interesting and meaningful work.

      Advice to Management

      As the company continues to grow, try to keep the same great culture.

      Productive Edge Response

      Dec 11, 2018 – Director of Recruiting

      Thank you for the review, and we are really making an effort to continue making Productive Edge one of Chicago's top places to work.