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!
