WillowTree Reviews

Pros

The continuous learning culture of WillowTree is evident in everything from day-to-day project decisions all the way up to C-level management decisions, and the result is a company that listens to it's employees and is unafraid of experimenting in order to grow and get better. This culture attracts some amazing people, passionate about their craft and laser focused on delivering amazing software products.

Cons

As the company continues to rapidly grow there are some organizational challenges (a recent example being RTO, which was addressed by creating a new "Work From Anywhere" model to pair alongside the normal "Work From Near" model already in place) and working through these challenges can lead to a little bit of discomfort in the growth/experimentation period. That said, as long as WillowTree continues to be open to trying new things and listening to feedback I know that any challenges that appear will be quickly resolved.

Pros

Great people all around, very wide company instead of a tall company with a focus on its people. rapid growth right now, and just generally a great company. High quality of work, working with some big names.

Cons

So far, I've had very few cons in my year working here. I've moved around a lot between tasks which has been rough, but I think it's been reasonable and partly pushed by me and partly by business needs.

Pros

WillowTree is a phenomenal company, populated by brilliant and creative individuals who are the absolute top of their game. Whether you’re thinking about applying for a job here or are a prospective client, I can attest that WillowTree is really second to none in the work that they do. I’ve been here three years, and I don’t see myself leaving anytime soon. A big part of that is how proud I am of what we do and what we create, and how positively I feel toward this company that has worked so hard to create such a unique workplace. I worked at companies with some very recognizable brand names, but where people were not invested in the work they performed or where the work atmosphere overall was dysfunctional. WillowTree is a very different experience. People here are such strategic, innovative, and creative thinkers with incredibly deep knowledge of the industry and their craft. I’m routinely struck by just how talented my colleagues truly are. And I really appreciate that everyone here is genuinely invested in the work they’re doing, and in making products better for clients and for users. A few differentiators: - Having been on the client side in a previous job, I can see that the approach and delivery here is far superior to what you’ll find at many other companies. - You expect to see a high rate of burnout or turnover in agency life, but not at WillowTree. The turnover rate is low and people stay for long periods of time. People are happy here, the company cares about work life balance, and employees can grow here. - Clear career paths and trajectories for growth and advancement. It's amazing to work for a company that you know wants to see you thrive and advance. - Cross-functional teams and lots of collaboration. You won't be working in a silo - you'll be working with engineers, data scientists, product designers, content designers, researchers, strategists, SEO and analytics architects, and more. So much expertise and such a breadth of knowledge on a project makes for high-performing teams that are exciting to be a part of. - I really appreciate how invested the company is in its employees. So much thought goes into making our experience here as positive as it can be. And our HR and office teams are so knowledgable, helpful, and always available to talk through anything you need. - WillowTree leadership is thoughtful and transparent in their decision making. They're also very accessible. Have some thoughts or questions you want to share directly with the CEO? No problem - he has open office hours and leadership is always available to talk with and connect. - Multiple learning opportunities, ways to grow your skills, and opportunities to learn about other disciplines across the digital product universe. - Supportive colleagues who are invested in you and your success. - Flexibility; stunning offices, the ability to work from home, and the ability to work remotely are all available. Overall, WillowTree is someplace where you can feel proud of the work you do and of the company that you're part of.

Cons

As with any agency you have little control over the types of projects you work on, though leadership certainly does try to take your preferences into account! I've found a lot of value in all of the projects I've worked on here, however.

Pros

Great people, enjoyable work, good benefits. Basically everything you would want at a job you can find here!

Cons

Only con is that if you're a very talented/driven/competitive engineer, you can probably find other companies that have better pay (Amazon, Netflix, Large Financial firms, etc.).

Pros

Great workplace culture, transparent leadership, fun team environments, great physical office space

Cons

Salary could be a bit higher

Pros

Company culture, Internal company tech

Cons

Embedded client projects, pay compared to the industry, options are pretty worthless

Pros

The idea that I could bring my authentic self to the company is what I was told - and I felt that, until about 2 months in. The sleek and relaxing offices were an added bonus. Great place for recent undergrads to learn. Tobias and Mike have a lot of experience to share!

Cons

I really struggled during my time there. I wrote an earlier review and lazily sugar coated things. However, after a recent conversation from another ex-Tree, I’ve decided to be honest and more direct with why I felt miserable there. I’m to blame for some of my issues. But the culture while there was not supportive towards a healthy environment for me and the diversity I thought they wanted. I was told WT was a place where I could be myself but events like the below made me realize staying would cause deep, deep emotional harm. Please note, some teams are great. Others need an overhaul. 1. Anyone with a VP or above should look into leadership training. Scenario: I brought up a few concerns re: my team. To my boss. I asked him to provide feedback or corrections I could make. I was pretty much verbally hugged and was told I was doing fine. However, two days later another employee approached me and provided his unsolicited feedback on the concerns I shared with my mentor - verbatim. I asked where he got my concerns from and he made up some story about seeing me struggle - which was odd, we weren’t on the same pod, sat at other sides of the office and I really had to make an effort to see him... The next day he confessed to lying and informed me my mentor told him about my concerns. I should note: your 1:1 convos are private to encourage psychological safety- a core value. 2. I cannot tell you how many times people on and around my team would either lie straight to my face during 1:1s and then complain and tell the opposite sentiment to a VP about an issue; or would second guess my work when they were not even a part of that department. even after I’d proven I was right or knew what I was talking about. Giving an exact example will call out people so let’s go with this example: Engg would question the delivery dates I’d read verbatim from the SOW. Heard a lot of “hmmm I don’t think that’s right” even AFTER I’d screengrab and slack the SOW. Or (true example) I was discussing a past employer and the app I built for them. Halfway through my 3rd sentence about a crazy bug we encountered on a build, a teammate interrupted and replied “I don’t think you could have built that app…” what a crappy way to form with your new teammate. I assumed positive intent and thought perhaps I misspoke or said something incorrect. But I didn’t. It’s nonsense that someone would think it’s professional to loudly question someone’s past work based on three sentences. But again, WT is great for those new to the professional world. 3. Due to side conversations heard around the office via certain culturally ignorant Leadership, recently promoted EMs , UXRs, and etc, I always felt like I had to provide three times the work to prove to them I deserved to be there. That didn’t sit well with me. When when I decided to leave, was emotionally exhausted. 4. When I was there, it felt like we had quotas to provide kudos. Good and or bad. After a while, it felt like if we didn’t provide, we were bad teammates. IMO this led to a culture of (oftentimes) incorrectly critical feedback. It was also emotionally taxing providing publicly positive kudos to those who may not deserve it, just so you don’t seem negative. *I only tried to provide constructive feedback in a 1:1. 5. When I realized WT was not the agency for me, and because I did not trust my boss, I asked HR for help. Perhaps I could move to a new project or something. I was just so very unhappy. HR told me if I considered leaving before my first year was up, then that meant I was a “bad hire.” I was honestly scared to hear that and in an effort to not be deemed a “bad hire” or someone who lied to get in (that’s where I took the comment), I sucked up ALL my issues and for an additional 18 months 5. I was put on a project where I was told I’d have more agency. When I expressed concerns to leadership about stakeholder management and that I wanted help with agency/autonomy, he claimed to be shocked I wanted to “own” the project. Someone had to, it was an internal project that needed a DRI to move it forward. At that time, I was told no one was responsible for it which is why it was stalled. After my “shocking” request, I was moved off the project. #x. About 3 months before I departed, I started to feel the stress of COVID and racial issues in America, and asked my boss/mentor for help (shame on me, because of point #1), but I felt really lost there and thought WT could support career counseling. (They do have a CC, but for some reason I forgot until I left). Anywhoo. I asked my boss for support and he immediately sent me the LinkedIn profile of a random woman. I asked if she was a potential new client. She wasn’t. Per my boss, he thought this random woman he once worked with 10 years ago could “help me with my problems” because I guess he was over me? The only connection this random LinkedIn woman and I had, outside from knowing my Supervisor, was that we’re both women of color. The next day I told my boss his act was incredibly off-putting. #xx. A bunch of other things relating to a few company culture issues:. E.g. a teammate rolling their eyes at clients whenever I spoke. Once I said something directly to them offline, they stopped. But why is that something you have to be told not to do?