Pros
Before the acquisition of Bankrate by Red Ventures, the company was on a path toward stability and solid growth. While there was some remaining organizational churn from the management shakeups of the prior three years, Ken Esterow and Scott Kim were doing a good job at building a well-integrated organization, with clear goals and a positive working environment. The sale to Red Ventures put an end to all of that. The new managers brought on by Red Ventures had little to no experience in managing the editorial end of the business, and the tech teams were led by arrogant, inexperienced managers. Massive layoffs led to very bad morale, and further employee turnover after the merger has extended the sense of malaise that has taken over the entire firm.
Cons
Red Ventures is a harsh master. The executives and managers put in place by RV are harsh, excessively competitive and out-of-touch. I was strongly warn against anyone considering a job at Bankrate managed by RV: All may sound well during the interview process, but do not be fooled. The company has become a very poor place to work, thanks to a toxic managerial environment.
