North Reviews

3.3

49% would recommend to a friend

(61 total reviews)

Stephen Lake

61% approve of CEO

36% positive business outlook

North has an employee rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on 61 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The North employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Manufacturing industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

61 reviews
2.0
3 May 2018

Fanatical devotion

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Most people there are friendly

Cons

- Almost cult-like attitude inside the company. The founders see their trivial gadgets as inherently life-improving and socially progressive. Their thinking is similar to "smartphones will end human suffering and create social togetherness". - They brag a lot about how their tech - such as the Myo - has medical applications, but have patented the technology and kept it locked. In reality what they have done is block medical applications by hoarding the technology. - To work there, you must drink the kool-aid. - Salaries not very competitive - Noisy open-concept office - Long, frequent meetings which usually involve explaining technology to the project managers.

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North Response
8y
Thanks for taking the time to write this out. Culture is hugely important to us at Thalmic. From flexible work hours, to benefits and compensation, to how we treat each other - it all matters, and we’re proud of the workplace we’ve built here. That said, our culture isn’t necessarily a fit for everyone. Our co-founders have a strong vision for the future, and leadership and employees alike are working incredibly hard to make it a reality.
2.0
25 Feb 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You can sharpen your technical skills very quickly. Fairly competitive salary.

Cons

There was a very strong disconnect and communication between teams. The fast growth and hiring strategy was partially to blame. Frequent lack of focus and planning in projects lead to hours of wasted developer time, and unnecessary stress. The ridiculously long hiring process makes you feel like you have "earned" your way into something exclusive. You will quickly face the realization that you can find far better culture and respect elsewhere at a much less stressful interview cost. Don't be fooled by this shallow hiring tactic. Far too many senior, overly-opinionated developers made for an argumentative development culture. I too frequently felt like a robot rather than a human working here, and felt an enormous disconnect from my colleagues. The culture needs more technical diversity (junior and intermediate software engineers) to catalyze a healthy work environment. Your opinions will quickly be squashed by those around you, so it is easier to just say nothing and collect your paycheque.

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North Response
7y
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We pride ourselves in our thoughtful interview process, designed to reflect our guiding principles. We’ll continue to push for diversity in thought and promote openness in communications.
2.0
10 Mar 2019

Lots of talk, little to show for it

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great colleagues, Flexible vacation, Catered meals

Cons

Non-competitive compensation All talk, no follow-through on initiatives and “transparency” Unrealistic deadlines for projects, forcing people to work an incredible amount of (unpaid) overtime Leadership makes proclamations on projects, plans, and deadlines, without any understanding of the man hours needed to complete tasks

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North Response
7y
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. Gender balance is part of our commitment to diversity, which remains a priority as we move forward. More than just the numbers, we believe in a culture of inclusiveness. At North, everyone has the same access to opportunities to develop their career. As a startup, tight deadlines are often unavoidable and the pace of work is not always a fit for everyone. We acknowledge that this is not an easy path and that there is a lot of work ahead if we are to achieve our goals.
Viewing 1 - 3 of 61 Reviews

Glassdoor has 76 North reviews submitted anonymously by North employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if North is right for you.