Pros
Productivity software and developing systems to increase efficiency has always been a huge passion of mine. I remember reading David Allen’s Getting Things Done book and hearing about his brain dumping/inbox strategy and thought to myself, it would be really cool to find platforms that can flex to this mindset. It would be even cooler to work at the company and feel like I’m making a difference in the lives of others. I’ve used Trello, Asana, Monday, Basecamp, and am a huge fan of Omnifocus, but when I came across ClickUp, I knew the product that was being developed and its future potential, could one day break barriers. It’s important to be intentional about who you surround yourself with, not only in your day to day but at work. Luckily, ClickUp makes this incredibly easy because everyone I have come across has been absolutely stellar. Our recruiting team puts in a tremendous effort on hiring incredibly intelligent, kind, ambitious individuals. I will forever be grateful to ClickUp for their philosophy on hiring for culture fit and potential rather than relying on past experiences and qualifications. Don’t get me wrong, those elements matter but as someone who shifted industries, it can often be intimidating and challenging to find a company who’s willing to take a chance on you. My managers on the Solutions team and our Head of Enterprise Solutions are extraordinary individuals. It is apparent that the servant leadership mindset is top of mind for them. They help remove blockers when needed and provide constructive feedback to help foster growth. They’re everything I look for in a manager and what I hope to emulate. I appreciate how articulate they are, how invested they are in my growth, and the generosity that’s always on display. They recognize the talent, hard work, and potential in others, especially for those new to the field, and makes an intentional effort to make sure I knew that how I’m contributing is creating an impact. This leads to more buy-in from me as an employee and more willingness to further ClickUp’s cause. There are other departments within the company who have managers that share very similar characteristics as well. I know it. Growth potential is massive. You have to be willing to put yourself out there, voice where you see yourself going to your managers, and create an action plan to make that happen. Don’t be afraid. There are a lot of opportunities in different areas of the company for you to demonstrate your potential. I have found employees and managers so willing to network with you and chat about your vision for your future, as long as you take that initial leap. Benefits are pretty great. I especially love the Karma reward system and the ability to get some great gadgets from it. Health insurance is spectacular at the company and there is a generous PTO policy. I feel supported when I need to take a few days off and we have a lot of resources to help our employees out!
Cons
Before going into the “cons” I think it’s important to put ClickUp in context and meet the company where they are at. We are an incredibly fast growing company that has scaled from 200 when I first started to roughly 800 in a matter of months. It is inevitable that as a company we would experience pains which could result in frustration from different stakeholders. I like to frame the cons as “areas of focus” that I think ClickUp should address (and WILL!) as they continue to scale the company. Area of Focus 1 - Develop a more intentional strategy around DEI. Don’t shy away. I’d love for our leadership to be more direct about this topic. Our current core value is that everyone is welcomed at ClickUp, regardless of your beliefs, background, identity, and more. BE YOU. I have always felt like I belonged but I think this could be an area where we can and should grow and as a result, be more attractive to diverse candidates. Where I hope to see ourselves is that we are taking a more proactive direction as opposed to us facing issues because we chose a more reactionary one. Area of Focus 2 - More conversations around merit increases and what that looks like from an operational standpoint. I’d love to know, as an employee, if I work hard and contribute to the company on the regular, how would that translate for me in terms of benefits and what would the timeline look like. This would provide more clarity and things to “look forward to” when evaluation period comes around. It’s also a very sensitive subject especially for those who are paid on the lower end of the pay scale and would put all of our growing talents at ease. Area of Focus 3 - Be mindful of employee burnout and find ways to promote psychological safety in the workplace. I think the company as a whole does a great job at emphasizing work/life balance and making us feel that should we need PTO, that we should take it. Mental health days are incredibly vital and supported. We have incredible benefits that provides resources to help employees get to a place where they can operate and be their best selves. But I do recognize that some departments and employees still have challenges in this area. I think one way that can help is to promote transparent conversations. We as a company should always strive for optimism but we have to recognize that there are moments when it’s okay to be frustrated and recognize when things aren’t working as well as it should. Or that we made a mistake. If my managers or leadership told me they were facing a challenging situation or running into obstacles or things aren’t working as it should, it creates psychological safety for me as a direct report, to know that it’s okay to talk freely and professionally about things and therefore, reduces any burden I may be feeling. As a company, we’re making great progress and I think with time, a lot of these areas will be addressed!
