It is not the same Shopify that we once loved. (Not let go, I willingly left)
Pros
- The benefits are good. I think you can get the same at other big tech companies, but it isn't bad - The amount of time off is a huge win. - The ability to work fully remotely is nice. (But D90 is a bit tough to get if you're not friends with your lead) - Great working conditions for devs, engineers and anyone technical. Everyone else... it is a bit of a free-for-all
Cons
- Once you're in the company, the opportunities to move up are difficult to find. You can move linearly (aka take the "jungle gym approach", but they give more senior positions to folks coming from other companies. - You can work remotely, but the folks closer in location to the higher-ups get better treatment because the higher-ups can see their work and they can meet up more often. - Hard work isn't respected. When you give 100% they ask for 110%. When you give 110% they ask for 120% etc. - Burnout is REAL here - Sr. Leadership is completely out of touch - The company spends more time re-orging in hopes of fixing problems instead of finding the root causes. There have been an obscene amount of re-orgs this year alone. - There is a blatant lack of respect towards employees that is masked by inclusivity. I received quite a bit of abuse from different members of Shopify and was only really heard when I spoke to a talent team member when I quit. When I spoke up to some of the more senior members of my team, they told me I should just move on. I couldn't go to anyone higher because all the folks higher than me were friends. It would have been impossible to keep anything anonymous. - Speaking up would have made my day-to-day more uncomfortable. - One of my leads said, "I like to find folks breaking points so we can move past them." No thank you. I loved the mission (and still do), and Shopify will always have a special place in my heart since I was there for so long. However, the Shopify I started at is NOT the Shopify I left. I am all for change and growth, but that doesn't mean that you have to lose the ability to respect your employees and make them feel appreciated. Fun fact: There WILL be more layoffs. Tobi's words, "there will not be another mass layoff", is a lie. They are just laying off small groups at a time to still be true to his word. The layoffs are also an excuse for getting rid of folks leads don't like or want on their team. It is becoming a popularity contest vs a judgment of who will best serve Shopify and its mission. If you don't overtly flaunt your work, they don't see it and assume you don't do a good enough job. Also, if you're introverted and quietly do your work in the background, that is more of a detriment than if you are extroverted. At this point, personalities are what are keeping folks on teams (on some of the teams at least - definitely in Marketing!) The "inclusive Culture" that Shopify promotes isn't as inclusive as you'd think. They are inclusive until it inconveniences them, then you're on your own.
