Hive Technologies reviews about "people"

As any startup, a bit chaotic. Communication can improve.

- A psychologically damaging culture: this is an environment with no psychological safety. Micromanagement is a problem across multiple teams and openly acknowledged as a leadership style. It's justified as necessary. When I raised the micromanagement problem, I was gaslit. If you try to state a boundary, good luck. It will be ignored and/or you'll be spoken of disparagingly. - Hive is a hustle culture: people work long hours without compensation. You're expected to 'grind' and do more, even working through your lunch break on a consistent basis. Meetings are regularly scheduled past 5-6pm. - Hire and fire environment: people live in fear of whether they'll pass probation. This goes across MULTIPLE teams, which means this is a company culture issue, not just specific departments. - Hive has had multiple rounds of layoffs since 2023 but won't tell you this when you join. Even if you've been there for years, you could be let go. - Leadership is a boys club. Multiple women in senior leadership have left quickly or been let go. Women leaders who join do not seem to last long. - Company strategy is unclear and keeps changing. This is an issue because it results in whiplash for people, unclarity about roles and has eventually led to layoffs. - Much of senior leadership do not have leadership experience outside of Hive, which shows in how they operate, handle problems and relate to employees with experience. - As other reviews have noted, over Black Friday and early December there is a vacation freeze. So you cannot book any holiday at all. Additionally, HQ employees are made to work two shifts in the warehouse (picking items, packing parcels etc) during this time, this is mandatory.

toxic people team with unmotivating lead

Management is unexperienced, the management team in the growth team is toxic

The company is always in a rush, chasing new deadlines, and people are super stressed.

The company’s market strategy is uniform across regions, which is problematic since different markets behave differently. This one-size-fits-all approach has contributed to missed sales targets and has resulted in the sales team being let go annually. The environment is not very meritocratic — decisions often seem based more on personal preferences than performance. If you’re not in favor with senior leadership, your position can be at risk regardless of results. If you’re looking for a fast track to burnout, this might be the place.

Toxic High-Performance Culture: Hive’s interpretation of “high performance” means working excessive hours under constant pressure. A standard day easily runs from 9 a.m. to 8 or 9 p.m., with expectations to be constantly available, and minimal regard for work-life balance. Burnout Normalized: Burnout is not just widespread, it’s silently accepted. Rather than solving structural issues, leadership rewards overwork and punishes anyone who slows down or speaks up. Many people stay only because they’re on visas and fear losing legal residency if they resign. Misuse of Performance Improvement Plans: PIPs are weaponized to push people out quickly rather than support their development. There is little to no guidance, and you are effectively told you’ll be terminated if you don’t “improve”,regardless of workload or context. Illegal Labor Practices: Employees are forced to work in the warehouse on Black Friday, regardless of their role, experience, or health condition. Refusing can lead to internal pressure or performance consequences. This goes far beyond flexibility, it’s coercion. Hostile to Workers’ Rights: When employees raised the legally protected right to form a Betriebsrat (workers’ council), the CEO himself stated this would “slow us down” and be bad for performance. This is not just legally questionable, it’s a clear signal of an anti-employee stance. Opaque Career Paths & Favoritism: Promotions are not based on merit, experience, or results. Instead, advancement is largely dependent on personal alignment with senior managers (the so called L4s) and being part of inner social circles, cooking get togethers and just be one of the cool kids at Hive. Leadership Turnover and Instability: Even VPs and senior leaders who are brought in to professionalize the organization leave within weeks after realizing the internal dysfunction. This has created ongoing chaos and lack of long-term vision. Disrespect Toward Experience: The leadership is predominantly made up of people in their mid-to-late 20s with limited management background. Many rely on flashy consulting resumes but lack the depth or maturity to lead sustainably or inclusively. No Protection for International Employees: Nearly 40% of the staff are non-EU nationals who stay because they have no alternative. This dynamic is often abused, with many international colleagues stuck in roles where they’re overworked and under-supported—because leaving means losing their legal status. Poor Exit Practices: Former employees report receiving poor or even unfair references, salaries not fully paid out and people talking to their network damaging their future job prospects. Those who try to leave the “Hive cult” are often punished heavily. Culture of Fear and Isolation: Speaking up is discouraged, and dissent is treated as disloyalty or you are put on a PiP with the phrase: if you dont pass you're fired. Many employees isolate socially or mentally check out. Others simply count the days until they can safely exit,if they’re lucky enough to have that option.

loyalty awarded over experience and knowledge. WH lead was quite useless. just a puppet of the management, no decision making skills or initiative. WH workers are all scared of Mgmnt.