a start up who became a corporate - Squad Lead HelloFresh Employee Review

2.0
Sep 17, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

+ generous employee discount on the product + multiple employee growth opportunities, either horizontal or vertical + trainings + good leadership and communication trainings, especially for first-time managers e.g. 1:1 sessions with a coach + unified performance review process with clear expectations + HR are doing an amazing job at training managers, listening to employees and supporting every one with their day-to-day. For example they have open hours to help non-German speaking employees with their administrative papers. + company parties twice a year + international company with many diverse nationalities represented + nice area in Prenzlauer Berg with plenty to eat + scholarships for female university students in an attempt to increase diversity + good kitchens in the office everywhere + Friday Beers + Geek Fridays where there's 1 hour presentation on various topics

Cons

- not enough diversity based on age and gender (almost no old people, and departments are clearly genred e.g. Marketing with mostly females and Tech with mostly males, top managers are mostly white males). No real effort is made to change that and there is no transparency on the promotion rates between genres - many directors and senior directors (sometimes even VPs) have been hired or promoted without respecting the performance criteria, leading to having incompetent people in place (mostly white european men). As a result, the VP or C-level don't trust them and micro-manage all the teams. Therefore there is no ownership nor freedom for the squad leads and the directors to lead their teams. The squad lead becomes an executor with no possibility to innovate and needing 4 hierarchy approvals before starting a project - the culture is unfriendly and overcontrolling: employees have to log their working time on Slack at all time, even when they are 5 minutes away. People don't say hi to each other even when they work together. Employees are 'gently reminded' to put their agenda public so that their manager can check what they do at all times and private chats are strongly discouraged. There is no solidarity and top managers are taking credit for what others do without rewarding their own teams. It's also very common to encounter aggressive emails/meetings where people are blamed and/or continuously interrupted. Many people are fired on the last day of their probation time without any heads-up, they are simply ask to pack their stuff at lunch time when every one is out. - overcommunication is one of the core values, so you can expect hundreds of emails in your inbox with little to no relevant information for you. - the office is a huge open space with 200 people. There is a lot of light and a lot of noise. Not enough meeting rooms and no privacy.

Explore other reviews about HelloFresh

5.0
Apr 12, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good job great benefits can be

Cons

Fast paced environment can be

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HelloFresh Response
1mo
Hi there, we’re thrilled to know that the benefits are a part of what makes your experience here so fulfilling. Your hard work and enthusiasm are critical to our continued progress, and we are so thankful to have you with us. Here’s to achieving even more together in the future! Thank you & best regards, DS & Your HelloFresh HR Team
1.0
Nov 24, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are some genuinely nice people here but that is the only real positive. Even they are slowly leaving because the culture has become too toxic to stay in.

Cons

Highly political culture with no real promotions. Leadership is insecure, ego driven, and more focused on protecting themselves than supporting employees. Micromanagement is constant, communication is poor, and priorities shift without explanation. Quiet layoffs happen with no transparency and usually protect the same small group. The new US marketing lead has made the culture even worse. He was difficult to work with before and has only become more problematic in a higher role. There is constant questioning, no clear vision, and nonstop steering that sends teams in circles. It is hard to understand how he keeps moving up the ladder despite repeated negative scores and consistent employee feedback. Independent analysis, including the Grizzly Research report, highlights similar issues such as unstable leadership, lack of direction, and a business that feels like it is declining. What the report describes matches what employees experience inside the company. Even if the CEO or HR choose to ignore these problems, they remain the reality employees deal with every day.

11
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HelloFresh Response
6mo
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your experience and take comments like this very seriously. At HelloFresh, we strive to create an inclusive, respectful, and supportive environment for all employees. If exclusionary behavior or cliques were part of your experience, we would like to learn more so we can address them. Please feel free to reach out to us at hf-feedback@hellofresh.com. Thank you & best regards, DS & Your HelloFresh HR Team
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