Utile (10)
J'ai travaillé chez Bol.com à temps plein (Plus de 3 ans)
Avantages
- Used to be technically interesting company before it started to become chaotic (not-well managed growth) so still there are some traces of technically challenging work in some groups
Inconvénients
- From software engineering practices not as solid as advertised
- Low salaries and management is in denial of it. Comes up with their analysis which is, of course, does not reflect the realities of the market
- Friction (though became less by time) about the use of English in communication.
- Highly political environment (lots of gossip, exclusion in decision making). Basically talkers' heaven and hackers' hell...
- Indifference to the violation of work ethics (such as accusing people but not able to back it up) if it is done by Dutch colleagues. On the contrary putting a magnifying glass for minor reactions, the resistance of expats.
- In conflict situations, using "accept feedback" as a tool of harassment. E.g. if you think you are right and making it clear, what you hear will be "please reflect this situation on yourself and accept the feedback" translates as we do not hear you, please shut up and do what we say.
- Witnessed several situations where expats (particularly non-EU) harassed with "we will not extends your contract unless you do this and that" where mostly this and that are non-actionable vague comments
- There are groups in company which excludes everyone else from the decisions and go re-invent the wheel (writing message broker, poor wrappers around cloud tools etc etc) then force you to use them
- Finally poor location
Conseils à la direction
Please
- Reconsider paying engineers more
- Minimize politics and bring some meritocracy
- Respect all of your employees but particularly your expat employees. Nice that you are trying to hire people from all around the world but you have to remember that you are bringing a lot of people from different cultures and backgrounds. However, you can not expect them to behave as you wish, get paid relatively less and be very talented at the same time.
bol.com needs a major update...
Utile (17)
Candidature
J'ai postulé via une recommandation d'un employé. Le processus a pris +2 mois. J'ai passé un entretien à Bol.com (Utrecht (Pays-Bas)) en juin 2015.
Entretien
Codility test before 'screening' interview with a manager. Technical assignment before technical interview with another manager and a developer. 3 IQ/comprehension tests. Background checks before signing a contract. Required certificate of good conduct from the Justice Department.
Questions d'entretien d'embauche
Raison du refus
I was offered 'medior' instead of senior position and corresponding reduced salary. Only 1 year contract with a 1 month trial period. Insanely strict employee handbook with rules for everything. Unpleasant and archaic recruitment process that reduces humans to numbers.
