HqO Reviews

1.8

16% would recommend to a friend

(104 total reviews)
avatar

Chase Garbarino

19% approve of CEO

16% positive business outlook

HqO has an employee rating of 1.8 out of 5 stars, based on 104 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a poor working experience there. The HqO employee rating is 52% below average for employers within the Real estate industry (3.8 stars).

Reviews by job title

104 reviews
1.0
25 Aug 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Travel Opportunities: The company offers travel opportunities that many employees find enriching. Supportive Colleagues: Friendly and supportive atmosphere among team members.

Cons

Lack of Strategic Direction: Firstly, it is evident that HqO currently lacks a coherent strategy or direction at both a macro and micro level. This absence of planning has resulted in a chaotic work environment where employees are often unsure of their priorities or objectives, causing inefficiencies and missed opportunities. Unqualified Leadership in the UK: The leadership of the UK branch, to put it mildly, is not up to the task. The head of the division not only lacks the qualifications necessary for the role but has also shown poor judgement and decision-making skills. This has significantly eroded the trust of the team and has contributed to declining performance. Sales Department in Disarray: The Sales department is another glaring example of a lack of strategy. Targets appear to be arbitrary, and there is no clear plan to achieve them. This not only demotivates the sales team but also contributes to the volatility of the revenue stream, making it difficult to plan for the future. Operational Inefficiency: From an internal operations standpoint, the inefficiencies are staggering. You will experience constant bottlenecks in the workflows and a lack of accountability across departments. This makes even the most basic tasks arduous and time-consuming. Employee Morale: Given all of the above, it is not surprising that employee morale is at an all-time low. The lack of direction and leadership has created a toxic work environment where people are increasingly disengaged and lack enthusiasm for their work. Financial Instability: The repercussions of these internal issues are now also affecting the bottom line. The lack of focus and direction is resulting in financial instability, making it difficult to secure further investment or even to plan for the next fiscal quarter. Reputation Risk: The internal chaos is not going unnoticed by our clients and partners, and there is an increasing risk of damage to their reputation in the market. In an era where a company's reputation is one of its most valuable assets, this is a concern that cannot be overlooked. Poor Office Environment: One more issue that adds to the list of concerns is the physical workspace itself. The UK office environment is far from conducive to productivity and well-being. The spaces are small, cramped, and not particularly inviting. The lack of proper equipment, coupled with the layout, hampers workflow and contributes to the general sense of dissatisfaction among employees. It seems as if the physical office set-up is yet another reflection of the lack of strategy and investment in the human resources. This also raises questions about the commitment to employee well-being and productivity, both of which are critical for long-term success.

avatar
HqO Response
2y
Thank you for providing this feedback. One of the areas to acknowledge is that we are proud to share that we've made significant investments in our People organization. We've tripled the size of our people team, and their primary focus is on nurturing our company culture, enhancing the workplace experience, and ensuring that individuals have the tools and support they need to excel in their roles at HqO. We believe that a strong, supportive foundation is essential for personal and professional growth, and this investment underscores our commitment to our team members' success.
1.0
11 May 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Competitive salary range initially. Nothing else,

Cons

Restructuring to cut costs - Four redundancies within less than two years. Poor management, with a US-centric focus, neglecting EMEA Lack of emphasis on professional development for employees Increased pressure on existing employees to do more with fewer resources. The ongoing restructuring process created a toxic work environment characterised by uncertainty, fear, and mistrust among employees.

avatar
HqO Response
1y
Thanks for the feedback here. Particularly around US-centricity in terms of our management, we are working at getting better here and have made some changes that hopefully will address these growing pains. Re: four redundancies in less than two years. This is false. We've done two in the whole history of the company. Often times people don't like hearing that we do performance cuts consistently and for those reading this you should be aware that we are working really hard to develop a performance based culture. Re: professional development - this is also good feedback. As a company that went from <$3M in revenue at start of 2020 to $30M+ in 4 years, things have moved fast and changed a lot. We've tried different aspects of professional development and what we've learned about our culture is that we're a good fit for people who are self-starters and infinite learners that need resources and freedom to grow. In terms of very structured programs for development, we're not in a position to deliver this to people right now and I'm not sure that style will necessarily be a fit for us later but growth and development is something I'm personally quite passionate about and am always open to direct feedback on. Re: increased pressure to do more with fewer resources. Yep, this is true. Welcome to knoweldge work in 2024! Thanks for the work you put in and best of luck on what's next. Chase, co-founder + CEO
1.0
11 May 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- nice people - free lunches

Cons

That was hands down the worst professional experience I've ever had. Believe the negative reviews. The few positive ones are either from senior management themselves or HR telling folks what to say. This place is a total mess. Senior management is clueless and lack in any skill how to run or scale a business. They switch strategy every quarter, leaving everyone confused and nothing gets done. Instead of listening to sales or client feedback, why the product is not selling, they take the easy way out and start cutting jobs left and right. I've seen people come back from vacation only to find themselves jobless. HqO keeps losing clients to competitors, and they can't figure out why. Bullying is part of the daily routine here. Some folks can do no wrong, but if you're not one of the favorites, it's game over. They'll bully you until your confidence hits rock bottom, and next thing is you're out the door. Sure, startup culture can be hectic and fast pace at times, but with the CEO and HR in the All Hands saying "If you can't handle it, there is door.", this just sums up this mess of a 'company.' It's heartbreaking to see how they treat people here—it really messes with your mental health. Just remember, it's not you, it's them.

avatar
HqO Response
1y
Thanks for the feedback here and I complete agree on your Pros that we have nice people! Re: only positive reviews being from management - just mathematically this isn't accurate unless some of our senior folks have been able to hack GD, but seeing how they spend their time I don't think this is likely. Re: HR telling people what to say, we've got high integrity HR people (always have) so I can't imagine they would do this either. I've written in other responses that we would love to be a bit more steady, but the office market has been disrupted and we're not playing for an average outcome. It can be really uncomfortable but we're trying to remake an asset class in chaos which requires constant iteration. Your feedback that I am clueless may be right! But what we as a group know for sure is that it take constant iteration to rewire and industry like commercial real estate. I can say confidently I have never said "If you can't handle it, there is the door." I'm just simply not a dick like that. I have many flaws, that is not one. What I have absolutely said time and time again is that startup culture is not for everyone. In fact, my exact line that I use is "Startup culture is really really stressful. Some people like the uncertainty and want to work tirelessly for an outsized outcome that has a high probability of failure. Some people don't want that and want a more structured and stable job that is more predictable. This isn't a right or wrong thing. Some of my best friends in the world - in fact most - have chosen the latter and wouldn't be a fit for HqO. We care very much about being honest about that." But you are absolutely right about mental health - if startup culture is going to hurt your mental health you should avoid it! And it absolutely doesn't make you a bad person or lesser worker or anything like that. In fact, you may just be a more stable and sane person! :) Best of luck on your next gig! Chase, co-founder + CEO
Viewing 1 - 3 of 104 Reviews

Glassdoor has 116 HqO reviews submitted anonymously by HqO employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if HqO is right for you.