Category: Automattic

Obviously this site exists because people have had negative experiences at Automattic. But many people have also had very positive experiences at the company. Could it be that the distributed nature of Automattic allows for such varying experiences?

It does seem like the distributed nature makes it harder for colleagues to compare notes and experiences. You work alone most of the year, and when you do meet up, you’re too exhausted by the work, activities and parties to have any serious discussions.

One thing which annoys the hell out of me is that incompetent employees are rarely dealt with. There are some HEs that *every* HE knows is just bad, awful at the job, yet, they are given a pass. They do the bare minimum; they pass the buck; they use every method at their disposal to just send out their shitty replies and hit their target number for the day, and then they check out. Good for them for having a well-paying job that requires a minimum of effort from them, but this behavior hurts every other HE in their team and division.

I’ve seen the same thing happen in other roles as well: people who are clearly incompetent, who don’t meet any goals, who shift blame, who are basically dead weight, yet they stay in place for years and years.

I’m not saying that a8c should ruthlessly fire anyone the moment their productivity drops, no. But, when the slackers are allowed to stay, year after year, it kills the morale of everyone around them.