employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

Hallmark Labs

Part of Hallmark

Is this your company?

A worthy stepping stone to better things - Senior Software Engineer Hallmark Labs Employee Review

3.0
Aug 9, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Abundant opportunities to grow in your career.You will often be given the autonomy to enhance your skill set and gain vital experience in an environment that does push for innovation. New tech is also regularly embraced - for a company tied to a corporation such as Hallmark, the scope for forward thinking is impressive. There is also a great vein of collaboration throughout the office, particularly between the tech teams. A number of devs here are not only exceptionally talented, but are also both willing to divulge knowledge with others as well as learn in return. This is also a culture encouraged by key members within the tech department, from the Director of Programming downwards. These particular individuals are what make this shop a fun place to work at. Ample free food + drinks, generous vacation options and the prospect of salary increases are also big perks.

Cons

A core of strong personalities dominate the company culture. Management up and down the hierarchy tend not to favour 'quiet' types very well. Favoritism is endemic. Strong work ethic and actual talent are not enough to succeed here - you will also be expected to brown-nose and boot-lick a little to remind the higher-ups of how valuable you are. Management also possess the awful habit of insisting the company plans carefully, before going back on promises and sometimes even whole project roadmaps. Knee-jerk decisions that benefit nobody are commonplace. Communication from the top can also be lazy and poor, and you will be blamed (and made an example of) for your failure to follow the incoherent directions that trickle down. This is especially true if you haven't managed to follow the crucial guideline stated at the end of the previous paragraph. At times, it feels as though the company is performing well despite some of the people up top, rather than because of them. Finally, despite the company promoting a 'good work/life' balance as one of their key selling points, development death marches can and will happen, thanks to the regular mis-steps management make. All too often, the company is Agile in mantra alone.

Explore other reviews about Hallmark Labs

5.0
May 14, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Unlimited vacation, innovation competitions, community projects, great office culture, lots of employees who care about quality and each other

Cons

Corporate doesn't listen to their employees. While valuing their customers, they don't share the same concern for the employees; the constant approach is how do we get more from the employees for less. They don't value innovation or have a solid business plan other than to hope that non-core-consumers adapt to what they're offering their current consumers like. There's no evolution in adapting to today's consumer landscape.

5.0
Aug 17, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Opportunities are abundant at SpiritClips. Ambition, hard work, and ability to deliver are paramount for each individual. The office environment is bright, and it's come a long way in the past two years. There's always been a culture of individual growth, and it's becoming more and more refined. The company is evolving before my eyes! The people in this world that love to work hard and try new things will find this company fulfilling. Getting to know these people is the best part of working at SpiritClips. The ability to drive change is another great positive of this company. This doesn't mean the company will adopt all attempts to change, but most of the Senior Management are all ears of positive changes that can be made to better the products, organization, or themselves. The Senior Executives including the CEO will get to know your name, and talk to you during breaks about life. They greet you with smiles most of the time, and genuinely care about every employee of the company. Last but not least, the products that are managed by SpiritClips have a common theme "Making meaningful connections". In a world where "social" became staring at your phone, SpiritClips works tirelessly to make life more meaningful. There's still a long way to go, but I go to sleep every night knowing my day was spent trying to make a meaningful difference in people's lives.

Cons

Every positive can become a negative depending on perception. Everything I wrote in my "pros" can be spun to be a "con".

4
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All