- if you've been hired externally, you're not allowed to settle into the company or learn how their processes work. Kayak has its own software and internal programs, it is expected of you to know the ins and outs of the company ideally from your second day onwards. After 3 months you should be best buddy with everyone and have acquired the expertise of someone who's done the job for 6+ years
- Colleagues are fake and will throw you under the bus at any given opportunity. Unfortunately, most don't understand the concept of trust and can't communicate effectively. e.g. if there's a problem they will lie straight into your face that everything is ok, but they will ambush and bad mouth you to your manager. On the one hand, they want you all to be best friends and a "family" (I don't need another one, I already have a family!) but as soon as you think you're building meaningful relationships, you're backstabbed.
- Kayak doesn't like change hence why only a handful of selected core employees are allowed to stay. The rest is Hire and Fire
- a lot of very young inexperienced people with big job titles and no actual manager responsibilities
- Hire and Fire. Kayak is well known for this shady and highly questionable practice, a lot of talented people out there avoid Kayak and Recruiters don't want to work with the company anymore
- No one is safe. You can do an amazing job, receive outstanding praise and the next thing you know you get fired for no reason (or the most pettiest reason). Redundancy is unfortunate, but at least be fair and give people honest feedback and a chance in the form of an improvement plan.
- Once fired they will treat you like a criminal including post shaming at its finest. Not sure if this is how you want to treat former employees as word spreads fast in the industry and I can see clients being put off by this.
- American Company with zero understanding of European culture. US Employment at will (fire at any given moment without reason) does not exist in Europe
- Very aggressive towards introverted employees and no drink shaming. Extroverted employees who binge drink and come to work drunk after a Social are celebrated as heroes
- ALL work Socials are binge drinking sessions
- a lot of boring, pointless and unnecessary meetings in which 50% of the time is wasted on repeated conversations what has already been said over and over discussing aspects but not moving forward. Kayak people love to hear themselves talk, even if agenda of the meeting was clear and fully understood they insist you "say something" and repeat back like a 5-year-old that everything was understood. Doesn't matter what you say even if it's not relevant or productive
- Managers don't practice what they preach, hence why mega fake and pretentious. Lead as an example!
- No team structure. Manager is "too busy" to do their actual managing responsibilities, team is too junior and if there is a senior member they are most likely stacked with too much work so you're constantly left by yourself figuring things out (esp dangerous in the onboarding stage)
- Employees are played against each other by senior management. Threats to not receive promotions, pressure and intrigues
- the workload is insane for the little pay they offer
- Employees who chat all day are favoured to those who work and want to remain professional
- extreme interference in your personal life and lifestyle
- You don't even get an exit interview
- the company is not interested in keeping positive relations to former employees, they rather waste money for further recruiting and new hires which will be fired after 3 months
- career opportunities only to those who've worked there for two years and win a competition, so if you're not backstabbing, binge drinking or prepared for other controversial practices you have no future at this company
