Run away! - Engineer Porifera Employee Review

1.0
29 Oct 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexible working hours. Meeting times are optional (well at least for the people who call themselves management). Some of the people are nice.

Cons

Lack of focus on product (whip sawing between projects). Lack of direction and project management. Safety issues that are covered up (example: glycerol left on floor and CEO falling on it but not being reported as "lost time"). Lack of follow thru on commitments - If do decide to run a project, resources can be pulled away from you at moments notice due to whip sawing to the next hot project. Then when you don't meet objectives it is used as a reason to not give a raise. Lack of advancement and pay increases mainly due to the company not growing (Porifera has been around since 2009 and it's still call itself a "start up"). Lack of company growth - Always 1 to 2 years away from "hitting it big". Barely get 1 machine out the door a year. High turnover - Several of the key leaders (aka founders) have left in the last several months. Most people have been there two years or less. Worthless stock options.

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Porifera Response
4y
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts, we’re glad to share some objective data related to your note. As a small company, we are proud to maintain a flexible work schedule and value the agility that is required to manage multiple projects. Our workflow is professionally managed by our Engineering Project Manager who considerately balances our employee’s time and client needs in a dynamic environment. This high-caliber team has delivered several of our custom-engineered systems to customers (including Global Fortune 500 companies) across the globe over the past year. We follow OSHA guidelines and implement safety standards to minimize risk. However, accidents can and do still happen. While we were lucky that the incident you refer to did not result in an injury, it did result in our implementing enhanced requirements on footwear in the warehouse and spill containments. Porifera continues to be operated by its Co-founder. All of our former staff members who have served in leadership positions have determined their stock options worthy of purchase following their departures. We’re honored to have team members grow their career with us and proud of the growth and upward mobility that our employees have earned, whether or not that may be with us. Finally, we are glad to note that more than 75% of Porifera’s current employees have been working for the company for more than 2 years, with an average service length of 4.6 years. Approximately 20% of our staff have enjoyed over a decade of tenure with us.

Explore other reviews about Porifera

5.0
22 Dec 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexible schedule Good work-life balance Everybody gets an opportunity to voice their opinion to improve team performance

Cons

Long lead times for projects could be improved on.

1.0
21 Oct 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Come in and start whenever you want. Take 2 hour lunch breaks.

Cons

Where do I start... Low Pay (not competitive) Annuals reviews are not given on time Hostile work environment Everyone quits Unprofessional Employees are not valued Dangerous work environment - Water and high voltage - Injuries - Filthy shop - Safety rules not followed - Lots of hazardous chemicals The list goes on and on. They don't hire people of color. If they do, they're usually gone within the first 6 months. Hard to advance and senior leadership has no experience to take the company to the next level. There is also no sense of urgency and your opinion is not valued.

4
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Porifera Response
4y
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience at Porifera. Your review noted several items of serious concern which must be addressed. We are proud to provide autonomy and flexibility for our hard-working employees. Our team of self-starters responsibly manage their individual schedules in a professional manner, it sounds like maybe our leadership philosophy wasn’t a good fit for your work style (and that’s okay!). Safety is of paramount importance at Porifera, so it is crucial we set the record straight on that matter. As is commonplace in both the water and food and beverage industries, our shop does contain machinery operating at high voltages where water is present. These systems are overseen by our Facility Manager in a warehouse that is professionally cleaned to food safety standards. Our safety record of 1 lost work day in the past 3 years is significantly lower than the standard in either industry in which we operate. We have passed all city and state audits of our chemical handling processes and management and maintain in good standing with those regulatory agencies. Lastly, our CEO and Co-Founder is a female immigrant who greatly values the diverse backgrounds and experiences in her team. Our small staff is comprised of over 30% immigrants who speak more than a dozen different languages. The CEO has personally gone to great lengths to support her refugee employees and instituted charitable contributions and company giving programs to further those efforts. Porifera also has a long and proud history of hosting international students, including post-doctoral researchers and interns. Our diverse, founding staff of PhDs who developed our award-winning technology remain on the team after more than a decade of tenure. We appreciate the review, but facts are important!
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