Archiact Interactive Reviews

The company has a muddled vision and absolutely zero focus. There’s no less than six divisions at Archiact, each siloed into their own individual budgets and goals. This makes interdepartmental collaboration a nightmare because nobody understands or cares what other departments do. As a company, it feels as though they are throwing mud at the wall and seeing what sticks. This makes it very confusing and unsettling for employees. Communication from senior management has gone from an open forum every two weeks to almost non-existent. Layoffs have been commonplace this past year, with little to no legitimate explanation for most. The company will go through hiring sprees, then undergo cost-cutting exercises and hiring freezes. Combined with no career advancement plan, it becomes evident that employees are not valued. You’re just a number to advance the bottom line for shareholders, and nothing else.

Archiact is a prime example of a company that grew too quickly in terms of headcount, while not accounting for the growth in terms of internal functions and streamlined processes. Evidence of this includes new hires starting with no equipment ready for them, having no HR staff for almost 6 months in a company of 70+ people, and having no performance evaluation systems in place. Aside from this, Archiact is lacking in the following fields: professional development, benefits and compensation, inter-team communication, and lack of transparency in upper-management decision making. In terms of professional development, the company does not invest in the professional growth of individuals. The demographic of the company is quite young, which means that junior employees are often working without the guidance or supervision of mentors/experienced professionals. As a result, most team leads or managers are promoted from outside of the company, and there does not seem to be a path or planning for internal promotions. Compensation is a bit below industry average, and there are no annual bonuses (this has apparently been in talks for years). Benefits do not cover MSP, there is no health and wellness spending, but basic health + dental are covered. Teams within the office typically do not communicate with each other. This leads to an office environment that works in silos - research and resources are not shared, and employees learn about what other staff are working on AFTER the fact. Lastly, there is no transparency in terms of upper-management decision making, and very poor communication. People in the company are unsure of the company's strategic direction or vision. Decisions are made that impact teams directly, but teams are often not told the reasons behind the decisions. As a result, rumours circulate the office, and a general distrust has formed regarding upper management.