Pros
The majority of workers are awesome, there are some really talented people working on cool and exciting projects. If you want to work cutting edge technology or make a massive impact, this is a place to do it. Reputation wise, I know military in different states who have heard of Saronic and the contracts being negotiated so reputation and recognition is growing fast; it could potentially be a place to make your name career wise. Saronic provides snacks and lunches and spends significant money on perks and events if those things are important to you. Compensation is fair for most positions assuming you have a decent job title. Startups notoriously overpromote and Saronic is one of them, so if you stay on the right side of office politics you can promote into new areas and grow your career as they may put you into a role where you have no credentials or experience. If you’re willing to work hard and are looking for a place to stack your resume with achievements, Saronic is a great place to do it.
Cons
There is very low morale as pressure to meet deadlines is very high, and office politics is out of control. Saronic is growing fast, too fast and it’s chaotic. Under 150 people the company and culture were fantastic, with minimal office politics. Now they are hiring 20 people a month and firing 2-3 a week (half). Worse than that it started to become cliquey with strong rumors and gossip mills and all the office politics that come with too many non-performers hanging around the company couches or taking walks to the local coffee spot. Two of the main gossip spreaders are executive assistants to the founders so there are almost no secrets in the company. Within an hour of someone being fired, people outside the company already know about it as gossip travels fast. Unethical pro tip 1, if you want someone fired at Saronic, complain to the CEO directly, he is “very passionate” and has a hair trigger. The CEO has fired people off complaints at least 3 times I know of and once his eyes are on you, you’re gone. As a result of this, Saronic is currently under investigation with the EEOC and a possible lawsuit for discrimination against protected classes and wrongful termination. Unethical pro tip 2 (which might disappear after this review) they don’t do background checks on hires so a lot of the wrong people are slipping through and it shows in their performance. I’ve seen several instances of the failure to do background checks including the fallout it can cause. When it is brought up to management with proof of application fraud, they double down on protecting their mistakes; someone usually gets fired but at the 6-9 month mark and at great cost to employee morale. The hiring team is a nightmare, not only are they hiring too fast, they’re hiring the wrong people and not even bothering to interview internal referrals from some of the most respected performers in the company. I estimate about 25% of the company simply isn’t at the caliber that Saronic needs to honor its commitments being made in government contract negotiations. Some people would estimate that number much higher as Saronic has some strong talent carrying the whole company; one key person leaving can disrupt operations with a 5 month slowdown if not indefinitely.
