BENlabs Reviews

2.8

34% would recommend to a friend

(179 total reviews)

Ted Sheffield

49% approve of CEO

23% positive business outlook

BENlabs has an employee rating of 2.8 out of 5 stars, based on 179 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The BENlabs employee rating is 27% below average for employers within the Information Technology industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

179 reviews
1.0
11 Mar 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Decent travel and a few good relationships.

Cons

I had the dubious honour of gracing the halls of this establishment for nearly two years. Initially, I was lured in by the charisma of a seemingly competent leader, who promptly made a swift exit to greener pastures – a wise move indeed. On the surface, the team I collaborated with abroad seemed composed of decent, capable individuals, and my immediate superior was someone with whom I still maintain contact to this day. However, it didn't take long for the glossy veneer to crack, revealing the festering cesspool of paranoia, prejudice, and toxicity masquerading as leadership. Management, or rather, the self-appointed overlords, lacked the wisdom and experience to lead a rowboat, let alone a company. They either clung desperately to their seats since the company's inception or eagerly abandoned any shred of integrity upon crossing the threshold, becoming complicit in fostering a culture of paranoia. Throughout my extensive tenure in the media industry, I've had the privilege of collaborating with esteemed organisations whose ethos embodies inclusivity, respect for diverse perspectives, and a commitment to professionalism. Alas, such noble values were lost on the leadership of Benlabs, where dialogue was akin to a one-way street, with mouths running amok and ears nowhere to be found. Don't even get me started on the Kafkaesque theatre of absurdity that passes for productivity. If you dare enter a meeting with the audacious intent of discussing actual work or engaging in meaningful discourse, prepare to be cast out. God forbid you prioritise a looming deadline over the latest culinary escapade or the theatrical exploits of a musical. It's all part of the grand spectacle at Benlabs – a ceaseless performance orchestrated by a CEO who fancies himself a tech titan but is little more than a deluded ego. The culture at Ben is as fractured as a cracked mirror, irreparable without a complete overhaul. It's governed by individuals who are as clueless about successful organisational dynamics as a fish is about mountaineering. Their prior lack of leadership or business acumen is glaringly evident, yet they remain ensconced in their manufactured bubble of self-importance. The spectacle of attempting to masquerade as an AI powerhouse is nothing short of comedic. The majority of the staff possess about as much tech expertise as a potted plant, yet they parade around as though they're pioneering the next great technological revolution. In reality, they're so far behind the curve that they're practically orbiting a different planet. Like a poorly scripted drama, the curtain will inevitably fall on this farce, and those who were treated with disdain and disrespect will have the last laugh. After all, in the grand theatre of life, this farcical company is destined for obscurity, a forgotten footnote in the annals of corporate mediocrity.

1.0
26 Oct 2023

Run, don’t walk. Away, that is.

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Free food, some nice people.

Cons

Lack of direction - turning a company with a clear entertainment alignment into a tech company with no real plan has shown leadership to look clueless. Rather than focusing on what the company does well, you’ve made it almost impossible to succeed while pivoting to a product that potential clients can’t even use. Acclaimed AI tool heralded as the company’s key feature doesn’t work, has never worked, and probably will never work properly. Severe clique problem, especially at senior leadership level. Failure to kiss butt means failure to succeed regardless of actual results. Unqualified management. Terrible HR team who don’t take complaints seriously. Extremely white male leadership.

1.0
21 Sept 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Gain experience working with influencers and talent agencies.

Cons

Bullying and harassment are normalised in the company where they had over 3 grievance cases with HR for discrimination (particularly gender discrimination) in the influencer team alone. HR do not support staff with such matters but instead offer to pay employees off, or brush over it with false PR on LinkedIn. Some influencers who worked with the agency during my time, also publicly criticised their experience working with BEN and accused the company of sexism. Senior leadership are an untrained boys club that mistreat staff with no consequences. Work life balance is almost non existent and no compensation or career progression is offered for the frequent 12 hour workdays that are required for global projects. Morally questionable campaigns - There were influencer campaigns executed by the company that spread fake news on social media. The company loves performative activism and engaging in identity politics rather than actively supporting employees in a relevant or professional manner. No consistency or stability. Prepare to change teams and management every quarter.

avatar
BENlabs Response
3y
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience at BEN. Bullying and harassment are very serious allegations, and the company works diligently to provide all employees with the training and resources needed to (1) be their best professional selves and (2) understand their rights and protections under both the law and the BEN Preventing Discrimination and Harassment Policy (which is stricter than the law). Formal grievance investigations are outsourced to impartial, third-party professionals to ensure unbiased results, and it is important to understand that the results of such investigations are confidential, and actions taken by the company to rectify unacceptable conduct may not be obvious to outside observers. Our goal is to make the offending conduct stop, create a safe and inclusive work environment, and ensure employees feel empowered to speak up. Employees reading this response are strongly encouraged to reach out to a member of the HR team with complaints, and if they feel they cannot go to HR, for whatever reason, they may contact a member of the Legal team or the CEO directly. You also allege that the company supports “morally questionable campaigns.” If it is possible, and if you feel comfortable doing so, please reach out to someone in HR, Legal, or senior management (or anyone you feel safe communicating with) to provide as much detail as possible so that we may properly investigate your good faith complaint. We all want to be proud of where we work, and we must root out actions which damage that pride. Whatever you can do to help is greatly appreciated.
Viewing 1 - 3 of 179 Reviews

Glassdoor has 187 BENlabs reviews submitted anonymously by BENlabs employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if BENlabs is right for you.