Smartcar Reviews

As the company scaled, though, challenges became more apparent. Internal tools and systems didn’t keep up with growth, expectations rose without added support, and feedback about workload or process issues was often acknowledged but rarely addressed. Communication lost transparency, and shifting priorities were rolled out with little context, making it hard to feel aligned or plan ahead. One of the most disappointing changes was in how HR operated. Early on, they were a strong advocate for employees and helped build trust. Over time, that shifted. HR began to feel more like a corporate mouthpiece and employee concerns were often dismissed or deprioritized. That change deteriorated trust and made it harder to feel supported, especially during periods of uncertainty.

Market pressures. Smartcar has had 2 major rounds of layoffs in the last ~7 months. This is to no fault of their own, but rather the market working against them. It will take them a while to bounce back, and what that means in the meantime is everybody carrying a high workload with expectations that keep on increasing until the employees are operating at consistent burn-out. I enjoyed my early tenure at Smartcar, but the last 8 months leading to my layoff have been a massive fall from grace.