Pros
Good work/life balance, the technology stack is generally interesting, and there are many talented engineers.
Cons
Where to begin? Firstly, if you want to feel any sense of value as an employee, then THG is certainly not the place to be. Employees are treated less as people and more as resources to be utilised, while receiving little recognition, support, or respect in return. The salaries are poor, pay reviews are infrequent, and perks are virtually non-existent. Furthermore, the company enforces a strict office-first policy, which is a particularly baffling stance given that the office is located in one of the least-accessible areas imaginable. I could write several paragraphs detailing the shortcomings of senior leadership, but it is easier to summarise by saying that they lack a coherent direction, have no discernible long-term strategy, and suffer from a severe case of AI psychosis. Perhaps that condition will subside now that they have discovered AI initiatives, contrary to popular belief, are not free... Some of my favourite moments in my time at THG include: 1) The CEO pushing past several employees to skip the queue for a fairground ride at a Christmas party. A small moment in the grand scheme of things perhaps, but a surprisingly accurate metaphor for the company's attitude towards its employees. 2) The CEO proudly boasting in a company-wide presentation about replacing thousands of employees with robots, as though it were an achievement worthy of applause. 3) Performance-based pay rises were abruptly put on hold days before they were due to take effect because of a company-wide restructure. That restructure ultimately revealed itself to be a cost-cutting exercise centred on replacing existing employees with cheaper hires in India. 4) Nothing captures the company's tone-deaf culture quite like sending an emailed titled "celebrating our wins" mere hours after informing 100+ employees that they were likely to lose their jobs.
