On paper, Connected looks and sounds like a dream to work for. Good bonuses, good pay (for Canada), and a good working team.
In reality, Connected is like a well dressed doll that's actually hollow inside.
When you first join the company, it's drilled into you that you're in a 3 month probation period, during which you're being evaluated for company fit and client/project fit. Every company out there has some sort of 3 month probation period, but I've never seen it be taken as seriously as in Connected. Where most other tech companies will give you access to bonuses immediately, Connected waits out the 3 month period. Where other tech companies treat the 3 month probation period as a formality that doesn't impact your actual work and work-life, Connected literally makes you feel like you're under a magnifying glass, and they'll tell you this in HR onboardings, and even 1-on-1 manager meetings.
On daily working life, I've only had one manager so far, but from what I observe against myself, and on team chats, they LOVE to micromanage. I've never worked with a manager who checks on commits and tasks DAILY until being at Connected. You're also encouraged "core hours" of 9-5, and meetings are scheduled as such. Whereas many other tech companies today have embraced flexibility in working hours, Connected doesn't. When taking sick days or time off, you're made to feel like you're going out of the norm. You really lose the feeling of autonomy here.
"Pair programming" is something Connected likes to boast about. Here, "pairing" is synonymous with "forced work". It's a way to ensure everybody is doing something and getting things done as fast as possible. No breaks. In a remote work environment, that can feel maddening: you can't work at your own pace, pairing sessions aren't bound by time and you feel like you can't take breathers, and you're expected to be online all day (forget going out for a quick run, or stepping out for a break). Management likes to say pairing is "up to the team", but it's the kind of thing that's implied you should do, even if it's "optional".
This next one is very anecdotal, but I've never worked with the most rude and unprofessional team members until joining this company. As you might already know, Connected is like a consultancy. I've witnessed team members constantly berate and talk down about our clients behind their backs, in internal channels. Does the client have a process they prefer to maintain? Team members will mock it in our internal Slack. Does the client have a piece of code that's one semi-colon short of perfect? Team members will use it as a laughing stock. Does the client diligently ask a lot of questions when fleshing out requirements? Team members will treat them as difficult and complain about them in internal channels.
Not all team members are like this, and there are also many genuinely kind and patient people here, but there's an obvious subculture where some people are encouraged to act like those high school bullies who like to point everything they don't like out with a tough-guy and condescending attitude. Unfortunately, it's them who talk the loudest and end up driving most discussions that way.
Overall, I'd stay away from this company. In Canada, there are loads more who bring much more to the table on the work side. If you can afford to take a bit of a salary hit to join a company with a more friendly workplace, it'll help your mental state a lot. But there are also plenty of other companies who can compete in salary against Connected, and it's very likely that they bring more to the table than Connected in terms of workplace vibes.
