|
private:covergenius
|
https://www.glassdoor.com?employer_id=1399354
|
Jan 13th, 2021 12:00AM
|
Open
|
Open
|
Cover Genius
|
|
Sydney
|
|
two out of five stars...
|
|
- 15 days extra time off
- Tech sessions weekly
- Health Benefit and paid parental leave
- Colleagues can be good to work with
|
Firstly, all of these “five star” reviews are written by upper management/staff on huge salaries. So ignore those.
This is not a "startup" anymore, they are in a patch and fix maintenance phase using old tech.
credit isn't given where credit is due.
if you don't drink the kool-aid this can make you a target.
Some pet peeves with working here
* favoritism.
* bullying.
* credit theft is rife.
* ideas put forward are usually poached.
* high staff turnover.
* micromanagement.
* toxic workplace environment.
* virtue signalling.
* pay rises or bonuses are off the cards.
* highly bureaucratic and political.
* not a meritocracy.
* very hierarchical.
* miles behind technology trends.
They are good at spinning things into positives,
i.e. big noting how they give extra time off after cutting pay drastically.
Equity from the EOP given is only reserved for the people in the boysclub and can take upto 2 and a half years to get. most are pushed out before then.
They are more focused on increasing headcount to give the appearance of growth.
Most of the staff are bored and have a hard time finding things to work on.
It can be very cliquey.
|
-1.0
|
NEGATIVE
|
-1.0
|
NEGATIVE
|
-1.0
|
DISAPPROVE
|
2.0
|
2.0
|
1.0
|
1.0
|
1.0
|
2.0
|
1.0
|
|
1399354
|
Open
|
nothing much to say, you can't change a toxic workplace, especially one that is in denial.
|
0.0
|
[{"countHelpful": 0, "languageId": "eng", "userJobTitle": null, "__typename": "EmployerResponse", "originalLanguageId": null, "id": 2960970, "responseDateTime": "2021-01-21T06:44:17.583", "translationMethod": null, "response": "Whilst we appreciate feedback so we can continue to grow and improve, we are disappointed to hear the concerns you have with the business.\nWe have a variety of feedback channels which include manager 1:1s, an open forum, our leadership team, regular surveys and specific times available to speak directly to the Founders of Cover Genius. \n\nMany of the points you have raised are subjective and you are entitled to your thoughts and opinions, however some are factually incorrect and they do not accurately reflect a technology business that is making great strides in improving the end customer's experience, in an industry which has neglected the customer for far too long.\n\nWe want all our people to be proud of where they work and what they represent and above all of that we want them to be happy, therefore we encourage you to relay your thoughts and feedback through the channels mentioned.\n\nThanks,\nTeam CG", "responseOriginal": null, "countNotHelpful": 0}]
|
REGULAR
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
2.0
|
|
|
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Cover Genius
|
|
|
|
private:covergenius
|
https://www.glassdoor.com?employer_id=1399354
|
Oct 27th, 2020 12:00AM
|
Open
|
Open
|
Cover Genius
|
Senior Software Engineer
|
Sydney
|
|
5-star company to work for
|
|
I don't know what the (few) negative reviews on transparency is all about. This is the most transparent company I've ever worked for. The execs are super approachable and have put multiple transparency initiatives in place. For example weekly company feedback with a mechanism for submitting anonymous questions to the executives on anything in the company, which they answer on the spot. Another example is regular opportunities for anybody to book a one-on-one slot with one of the execs to discuss any topic you'd like or to give feedback. I don't know of other execs who would put themselves on the spot like this.
Other pros include:
* The company has a great business case and is set for future financial success (this is important for job stability, career growth, funding for growth projects, etc.)
* The leadership is responsive and strategy is well thought out and discussed.
* Flexible work from home arrangements
* Generous paternity/maternity arrangements
* Ability to move between teams/roles occasionally
* Market related renumeration
* Stock options allow a shot at shared ownership
* Really diverse set of people from all over the world
* Weekly company-sponsored team lunches to catch up during COVID
* Performance reviews happens twice a year (shorter feedback cycles)
|
* Bonuses and rewards tend to be very long-term focused (think employee stock options with a vesting period). This can be good if you're still around by the time the options vest and if you wanted to put your bonus away for your retirement, but not great if you wanted to use it for a house deposit.
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
APPROVE
|
0.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
4.0
|
4.0
|
5.0
|
|
1399354
|
Open
|
Keep up the great work! You're building a great company with good values.
|
0.0
|
[]
|
REGULAR
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
2.0
|
|
|
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Cover Genius
|
|
|
|
private:covergenius
|
https://www.glassdoor.com?employer_id=1399354
|
Oct 13th, 2020 12:00AM
|
Open
|
Open
|
Cover Genius
|
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
|
Sydney
|
|
Fast paced global tech company
|
|
We use modern tech stacks - Python, React, PHP & Vue and are cloud native on AWS & GCP. There are lots of opportunities for learning new technologies with conferences, training and weekly tech talks.
The Cover Genius team is made up of a diverse group of smart, friendly and talented people who are a pleasure to work with. Teams take ownership of their own code bases, systems and infrastructure, and are given the support needed to be self sufficient. Engineers care about code quality & good engineering practices.
We have a global customer base which means we get to solve interesting technical challenges given our wide network of partners. We work with these global tech companies to integrate our APIs within their ecosystem - from Wayfair, eBay, Tile, Despegar to Booking.com. We focus on building scalable solutions while improving reliability and delivering business value. Being a fast growing company with a relatively small engineering team means you get to have a big impact.
We strive for transparency with weekly company all-hands that gives everyone full visibility into business metrics, new deals and what is happening across the business. The founders Chris & Gus have put a lot of effort into the people strategy and are active philanthropists.
Since I joined a couple of years ago I’ve seen many other new initiatives designed to make Cover Genius an “open book” so the team doesn't feel left in the dark about things. Chris and Gus have Office Hours every month or so and they genuinely enjoy the opportunity to get to know everyone on a personal level. If I can speak on their behalf, as an exec team member it's made very clear that they don’t believe in founder-exceptionalism and they definitely aren't perfect. They have clear goals, high expectations, are performance-oriented without being unrealistic or aggressive and consequently there’s high expectations in return.
We provide staff with opportunities for formal training and we provide and encourage feedback through ongoing 1 on 1s, wellness checkins and career checkins, all of which aim to improve work outcomes for our teams and set them up for success in life.
Some other initiatives include regular pulse surveys, AMAs, bi-annual performance reviews, tech talks, TGIFs, health/fitness benefits, founder awards and more. During the stressful period at the start of the pandemic we also introduced Wellness Days which grants 15 extra days of paid leave. Based on feedback from the team we've recently formed a Leadership Team that includes ~20 of the company’s future leaders so that they can help shape our future people strategy and initiatives.
|
Lots of partner growth (Ebay, Wayfair, Shopee, Tile, SkyScanner, etc) has meant stretched teams over the last few months with early/late meetings to connect across time zones. Hiring across regions is in progress to resolve this.
It's a fast paced growing startup which isn't for everyone. Sometimes you have to go beyond the formal scope of your role to help out the team.
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
APPROVE
|
2.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
|
1399354
|
Open
|
|
0.0
|
[]
|
REGULAR
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
2.0
|
|
|
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Cover Genius
|
|
|
|
private:covergenius
|
https://www.glassdoor.com?employer_id=1399354
|
Jun 11th, 2020 12:00AM
|
Open
|
Open
|
Cover Genius
|
|
Australia
|
AUS
|
Learning & development opportunities, exciting projects to scale a rapidly growing business/vertical, great mentorship
|
|
Fun opportunities to work on a broad spectrum of projects which push you outside of your comfort zone, allowing you to learn and thrive with the support of a talented, smart, and switched on team.
Despite being here for less than a year, I have seen lots of internal staff get rewarded and promoted for their dedication and hard work. I have also seen staff have the option to relocate to or various global offices, which is great to see that the company supports employees gaining international experience.
The managers and leaders have taken the time and effort to provide 1:1 mentorship and constructive feedback, which has contributed greatly to my development so far.
Flexible working, with the option to work from home. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the business has supported us employees tremendously, ensuring we have the right equipment set up in our home offices, making sure we get our flu shots, as well as an extra 3 weeks of annual leave dubbed as "Wellness Days" to take the time to look after ourselves!
The company also cares deeply for social causes, as shown through the CG Gives initiatives. We have worked on projects to help the Australians affected by the January 2020 bushfires, COVID-19 relief for at-risk countries across Latin America, Africa and South East Asia, as well as education programs for women globally. It is great to be part of a company that values the duty to give back to the community.
|
As is typical to startup life, the work is dynamic and priorities are fast changing, which can be overwhelming for some. The team works to tight deadlines which extends beyond the 9-5 hours, but we all ensure we help each other out.
There isn't a JD to abide by, so be prepared to work on projects out of your remit.
At times it is difficult to discern what the proper processes are to follow / where to find this information - it would be great to have a central location for this and a clear context on when it is appropriate to follow these processes.
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
APPROVE
|
1.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
4.0
|
4.0
|
4.0
|
|
1399354
|
Open
|
Continue to motivate employees with structured development plans and goals, for a quarterly/half-yearly and annual basis (to accomplish both short term and long term goals). It doesn't always have to be pay raises (though they are still nice!!!), it can also be setting up time and a schedule to study accredited courses, outlining a plan for a promotion on what tangible/intangible skills to develop, or how to the help employee gain international experience.
|
0.0
|
[]
|
REGULAR
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
1.0
|
|
|
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Cover Genius
|
|
|
|
private:covergenius
|
https://www.glassdoor.com?employer_id=1399354
|
Jun 10th, 2020 12:00AM
|
Open
|
Open
|
Cover Genius
|
Manager
|
Sydney
|
|
Fast growing company with legitimate vision and purpose.
|
|
Lots of opportunity to learn, challenge yourself and have your work make a tangible impact on the future of the company
The company has a real vision and purpose that you can see in everything they do which is really unique. They don’t just fake it for the press like a lot of other companies.
Excellent product suite and tech stack that has real substance and delivers on its promises.
The founders and exec team are extremely transparent, more so than any other company I have worked in, which has been really important in the current environment.
Truly collaborative global team who all work closely across regions, projects and functions. You really feel like it’s one team who are there to back you up when you need help.
The founders and exec team have done an incredible job navigating the impacts of covid 19 and have put the company in a great position to grow and succeed over the next few years.
Great benefits that help us stay fit and healthy, take days off to relax and recharge, support causes and charities that we care about via the CG Gives program and an extremely generous options program.
|
It’s fast paced and dynamic so be prepared to hustle and take on new projects quickly
The company has ambitious goals so be ready to work hard and deliver on what you’ve been hired to do
Global team so there are late and early calls with the US, Asia and Europe. The company encourages flexible working conditions though so it’s manageable
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
APPROVE
|
2.0
|
4.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
4.0
|
5.0
|
4.0
|
|
1399354
|
Open
|
Keep celebrating the wins! It’s great to see the company show genuine gratitude for the hard work the team puts in and get excited for every milestone and achievement
Maintain the high level of transparency
Invest in more variety of training and professional development programs
|
0.0
|
[]
|
REGULAR
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
2.0
|
|
|
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Cover Genius
|
|
|
|
private:covergenius
|
https://www.glassdoor.com?employer_id=1399354
|
Jun 9th, 2020 12:00AM
|
Open
|
Open
|
Cover Genius
|
Manager
|
Sydney
|
|
Huge Vision, Smart Strategy, Long Term Winner
|
|
-Generous, high powered stock options that, IMO, will one day help me pay for a down payment on a house 🏡
-Encouraged to work from global offices - NYC, London, Singapore, ect. This is especially beneficial for many of our staff who are not from Sydney.
-Well respected FinTech brand.
-Lots and lots of responsibility and impact at every level. Your work matters!
-Casual atmosphere - In the Summer you can wear shorts, sandals, ect.
-WFH flexibility
-In the sweet spot of the startup lifecycle: already established profitable business model and scaling globally. The Founders have the vision and the business model, now it’s all about executing.
-Super generous “Wellness Days” policy. As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and to help protect employee wellbeing, they gave everyone in the company an extra 15 days to use this year at our discretion. This is on top of Annual Leave and we can use these days anyway we wish.
-Transparent. There are a few comments on here about transparency, which is way off the mark to me. Weekly AMAs, monthly meetings with the CEO/CIO/CFO, basically an open door policy with the Founders, KPI dashboards that are shared widely, weekly performance reports for each team.
-Long Term Mindset - The team is in it to win it and build a sustainable, long term company.
-People/Learning - Learn from colleagues on the top of their game.
Most of the Pros and Cons will be pretty similar to companies who have worked in similar types of companies:
Pros-
Most people
|
-Not a con, but be aware excellence is the standard. You don’t get brownie points for just hitting or even beating your KPIs. Be ready to work hard. This place is NOT for you if you are looking for a 9-5.
-Like any startup/scaleup, you have to be comfortable with lots of ambiguity and change.
-International teams in New York, London, Singapore, and many other offices, so you have to be ready to take early and late-night calls.
-Like any VC backed startup, growth is the lifeblood of the company. Be prepared to be agile, and when new opportunities present themselves, management will pivot quickly. Projects you love might be dumped or put on hold because the ROI is better somewhere else.
-Lots of complexity selling financial products into 60+ countries, so be prepared to deal with it.
-People can get a bit stressed, especially when there is a lot going on with tight deadlines.
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
APPROVE
|
1.0
|
5.0
|
4.0
|
5.0
|
4.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
|
1399354
|
Open
|
-Wellness days are awesome, it would be cool to have a smaller / modified version of this benefit going forward
-Make sure the internal team has clear career opportunities / paths for progression within the company.
|
0.0
|
[]
|
REGULAR
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
2.0
|
|
|
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Cover Genius
|
|
|
|
private:covergenius
|
https://www.glassdoor.com?employer_id=1399354
|
Jun 8th, 2020 12:00AM
|
Open
|
Open
|
Cover Genius
|
Part of the US Team
|
New York, NY
|
|
Great place to work
|
|
Lots of flexibility with work hours, where you work from, how you get your job done. You can really have ownership of the things that you do, suggest projects and make the case for them and get approval to run them. You will have all the backup and support to succeed in your role
|
Cover Genius is really a global company with offices in New York, San Francisco, Sydney, London, Tokyo, Singapore and many more. That means that communications with your team may also take place across a few time zones - early in the AM or late into the night to get alignment on projects with all teams. Just requires flexibility and boundaries.
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
APPROVE
|
1.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
|
1399354
|
Open
|
keep up the good work!
|
0.0
|
[]
|
REGULAR
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
2.0
|
|
|
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Cover Genius
|
|
|
|
private:covergenius
|
https://www.glassdoor.com?employer_id=1399354
|
Jan 9th, 2020 12:00AM
|
Open
|
Open
|
Cover Genius
|
Claims Team Leader
|
London, England
|
|
Fun atmosphere with a flexible working environment
|
|
Exposure to all departments within the business
|
Late/early calls as main office is in Sydney
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
APPROVE
|
0.0
|
5.0
|
4.0
|
4.0
|
5.0
|
4.0
|
3.0
|
|
1399354
|
Open
|
|
0.0
|
[]
|
REGULAR
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
2.0
|
|
|
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Cover Genius
|
|
|
|
private:covergenius
|
https://www.glassdoor.com?employer_id=1399354
|
Oct 17th, 2019 12:00AM
|
Open
|
Open
|
Cover Genius
|
Software Engineer
|
Sydney
|
|
Great company, awesome people and lots of fun
|
|
Really fun to work with a supportive team and brilliant people.
Always exploring new ideas and pushing to be better each day.
Good engineers and a good vibe.
Good coaching and great mentors.
Flexible working hours and health benefits.
|
Shifting priorities at times but does not really matter too much. We want more partnerships over time and want to be #1 in the insure tech space. We will get there.
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
POSITIVE
|
1.0
|
APPROVE
|
2.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
|
1399354
|
Open
|
We all try everyday to be #1, You are trying the same from your side.
|
0.0
|
[]
|
REGULAR
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
4.0
|
|
|
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Cover Genius
|
|
|
|
private:covergenius
|
https://www.glassdoor.com?employer_id=1399354
|
Sep 30th, 2019 12:00AM
|
Open
|
Open
|
Cover Genius
|
|
Australia
|
AUS
|
Fast growing but with many teething issues
|
|
Really fun people on the floor, great teamwork and support from some colleagues.
|
Transactional leadership from certain leaders. Newer managers cannot manage upwards and are quite reactive to HIPPOs. The customer's voice is lost in translation, it's more about the Gross Written Premium and scaling the business based on an old business model, with many inherited leadership issues. Good talent has left because of the lack of transparency and autonomy.
|
-1.0
|
NEGATIVE
|
0.0
|
NEUTRAL
|
0.0
|
NO_OPINION
|
7.0
|
2.0
|
1.0
|
1.0
|
2.0
|
2.0
|
1.0
|
|
1399354
|
Open
|
None.
|
0.0
|
[{"countHelpful": 0, "languageId": "eng", "userJobTitle": "Co-Founder + Chief Innovation Officer", "__typename": "EmployerResponse", "originalLanguageId": null, "id": 2355331, "responseDateTime": "2019-10-07T08:27:26.37", "translationMethod": null, "response": "Thanks for your review, feedback is always a gift! You made a great contribution and brought a lot of rigour to our content processes. It wasn't an easy undertaking and you excelled, hence you were recognized with a Founders Award, only the third team to receive the honour and 10th individual. The Award was given for the outcome of two significant redesigns of external customer services that led to an NPS of +65, which is the highest in the world for any insurance company. Given that turnaround I can't really agree with your statement about the customer's voice, although we accept that improvement is a continuum!\n\nYours was the first \"surprise\" departure from the team in 1.5 years. We think that's a positive achievement given the team now exceeds 110; you may beg to differ but the good talent has indeed persevered. As I've said many times on Glassdoor and in our weekly AMA's, things never will be perfect, especially when being bootstrapped, but the best we can hope for is to be transparent about our imperfections and ambitions and hope that our org structure supports the growth of every team member by making their development a key part of every managerial conversation. We've evidently failed this test in your eyes and I take full responsibility for that, especially given I have executive oversight of your function. When I've sat on your side of the fence I've developed a lot of technical skills and business knowledge when reporting to Founders, but there's a downside, namely that Founders tend to have a vision for what they want and insufficient time to articulate it, and relatedly, insufficient time with individual team members. \n\nThe outcome might look like we all react to HIPPOS (and I'm the ultimate HIPPO!) but its truer to say that the team is relatively inexperienced and the HIPPOS arent actually HIPPOS, they're just the more experienced team members who have done integrations in the past. The key thing is that experience knowing the CG Way is super important, and so is adaptability. Hence we have recent graduates running teams of up to 40+ people, they're hardly HIPPOS! \n\nWe do focus on CG experience because almost every partner integration that we've done in the last 5 years has been a world first, either because of the scale of the integrations (e.g. launching 3 policies in 30 languages and 30 countries in 3 months in 2017) or because the product is unique (e.g. unbundling travel insurance into single risk items and serving dynamic product and price recommendations for each individual) or because we're working with some of the world's largest online companies (e.g. the world's largest shipping tech company, the world's largest travel company, Europe's largest flight aggregator etc). As Founder I'm really proud of our ability to attract, retain and develop the next generation of CG leaders as we continue to \"create magic\".\n\nLastly, yes, we do focus on GWP. For that I can't apologise, something's gotta pay the bills :)\n\nChris Bayley, Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer", "responseOriginal": null, "countNotHelpful": 0}]
|
|
No
|
No
|
|
0.0
|
|
|
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Jan 21st, 2021 08:57PM
|
Cover Genius
|
|
|