Hit-or-Miss - Implementation Manager Kazoo Employee Review

3.0
Jul 27, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Most of the people who work at Kazoo are absolutely wonderful. The unlimited PTO was a plus (when you could take it,) and I always appreciated not being micromanaged.

Cons

Low pay + overworked employees = high turnover. If you’re in CS, you’re essentially chopped liver. ELT makes a half-a$$ed effort to pretend they’re listening to the concerns of the organization, but ultimately decides to do what they want regardless of employee/customer input. No one really seems to care that the product barely functions 90% of the time, there’s a list of bug tickets a mile long, and the customer support team is essentially being run by 2 people while the other employees could care less. Upward growth is stunted, as is internal movement; if you’re an SME in your department, the opportunities you’ll have to transfer departments or take on leadership roles will be 0. ELT and HR will do nothing to help you in this situation. HR needs new leadership all around, and people who actually know how to handle complaints, take action, and can be trusted to keep your feedback confidential. Kazoo hired a new DE&I leader, but she’s so focused on perfection (and herself) that no changes are even being made. All in all, a wonderful company to get your feet wet in the tech world, but unless serious improvements are made Kazoo is going nowhere fast.

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Kazoo Response
3y
We’re sorry to hear that your experience at Kazoo + WorkTango wasn’t great - we value your feedback, and appreciate that you still recommend us as a workplace. Thank you for highlighting what makes Kazoo great - our people. As you note, they are wonderful, and we strive to create an environment where people are challenged, developed and supported along the way. Our recent employee survey noted that 95% of employees understand and are aligned with our company goals which is an incredible statistic, no matter the company. Because I have the privilege of overseeing the IM team, I am very aware of the challenges that you and your colleagues faced in Q2. Please know that the executive team did hear your concerns - and we did act upon them. When we realized that some newly-released product functionality required further testing, our new CPO and CTO pivoted significant development efforts to address the concerns. We made incredible strides across the quarter as evidenced by our product and engineering quality metrics. The ELT and our product team leaned into customer calls to better understand concerns and make key changes. Employees will hear more about the changes we’re making in upcoming All Hands meetings. Our Support team has been stretched thin, and we’re taking action to address this, as well. Our new Senior Director of Services is leaning in to drive significant improvements, and our multi-step plan on how we are addressing this was shared two weeks ago with employees - including bringing on partner resources to help address high-volume support inquiries As it relates to growth opportunities at Kazoo + WorkTango, our data shows that we promote and advance employees at rates higher than other companies. On the IM team specifically this year, we promoted 44% of the team, while 33% moved to new roles in other parts of the company. More broadly, in 2022, Kazoo + WorkTango advanced 24% of our eligible employees into new roles, including 20% of managers being promoted from within the company. This is a key part of our strategy to make the employee experience at Kazoo + WorkTango great by providing exceptional professional development opportunities to those who demonstrate potential and commitment to our mission. Our new HR programs leader has done incredible work with our new Job Competencies matrix to ensure our colleagues know the skills required for success in both current and future roles. And while everyone wants more compensation (we’re human at the end of the day), our benchmarks demonstrate that we are on par with other organizations of our size, and our average merit increase in 2022 was significantly higher than industry averages. Our HR team is led and staffed by committed, talented professionals who focus on maximizing our employees’ experiences every day. Our work on our company values and culture, and specifically DEI, requires thoughtful, intentional work as we reinforce an environment where all can bring their best selves to work, diverse voices are heard, and team members are valued for their contributionsIt’s disappointing that you left prior to seeing the results from our recent DEI survey and revised strategy. It is being shared next week. No high-growth organization is perfect, and it is unrealistic to expect that every employee will agree with or fully understand every decision. What is important – and where the executive and management teams are very focused – is creating a high-performing, inclusive organization based upon mutual respect of others. Because, when we can bring our authentic selves to work, we do incredible work together. -Monique McDonough (COO)

Explore other reviews about Kazoo

5.0
Mar 2, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I Get free lunch every shift, Like EVERY SHIFT!

Cons

My boss Is haviing an affairwith there kids babysitter, Janett Willson!

5.0
May 12, 2020
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

So much opportunity for growth - everyone wears so many different hats and there's no walls between departments. If you're interested in learning about something new or exploring career opportunities outside of your department you have the freedom to do so. The benefits - Our own product and the perks from that. Good medical, dental, and vision coverage. Flexible PTO still amazes me to this day. Flexibility for remote work or working from home some of the days of the week. Stocked break room with a BEVI for unlimited sparkling water. Fun office events and office wide celebrations. The PEOPLE! - My gosh, never have I met a more committed and genuine group of people in my life. All of my coworkers are a delight and such hard workers! Never have I felt more excited about tackling intense projects or going to after hour happy hours.

Cons

Lots of change - If you don't like change, this is not the place for you. While we have been around since 2013, we still have the startup mentality. If I look back to when I first started (over a year and a half ago) to now it feels like a different company... but again, the people and product are who really make it great and an amazing place to be. Open office Environment - I personally don't HATE it, but wouldn't mind nicer desks with more privacy.

4
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Kazoo Response
6y
We appreciate your feedback! Our culture here at Kazoo is one we are very proud of and we are glad to read the benefits, growth opportunities, and community we continue to develop are ‘Pro’s’ for you. They’re ‘Pro’s’ for us too! We also know we are not perfect so your advice to management is something we welcome. The pace of change is pretty quick around here and we’re excited about the future of the company and the changes being made. And we’re grateful to have wonderful employees like yourself as part of this journey. Thank you for being a part of the #kazoocrew!
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