Pros
Top-notch facility, hot meals and snacks available on-site, impressive benefits, some of the BEST coworkers
Kontras
Not long after I started, I said to a coworker, “Clickstop is seriously the best job I’ve ever had”—from the wealth of encouragement and professionalism from others, to impressive benefits. Being new herself, she echoed my statement. Then we pondered briefly: Were we missing something? Or was this, indeed, for real? Less than two years later, neither of us would work there anymore. Among Clickstop’s numerous self-nominated awards, the company has—for several years running—been recognized as one of the Coolest Places to Work in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area. Most recently, it landed at the top of the large category list, compiled by the Corridor Business Journal. That status couldn’t be more wrong. Clickstop continues to ride a reputation established long ago. Clickstop’s “award-winning culture” is touted all over its website. But don’t bother watching the YEARS OLD videos via the “Culture” tab. What may have once been a unique, somewhat effortless cultural evolution has become a showy obsession and is forced down employees’ throats. Just listen to many of the newer videos posted on Facebook and you’ll quickly notice the canned comments. Certain words and phrases are fed daily to employees—so much so that people begin to sound robotic in their responses about why they love their jobs and the company. I would like to hear more explanations of HOW Clickstop teaches you to be successful in both your personal and business lives, HOW the company cares about you, HOW you’re motivated to work hard every day, HOW the environment is fun, challenging, and exciting, or HOW Clickstop provides opportunities for advancement and growth? And what exactly does it mean to be an ENGAGED employee at Clickstop? As other reviews here have alluded, drink the Kool-Aid or you’re out. Leaders at that place should be absolutely embarrassed by their latest business practices. I have not been shy in spreading the word about what goes on behind those seemingly welcome doors. I’ve even considered removing any reference to Clickstop on my resume, but the noticeable employment gap might be a red flag to future hiring managers. Clickstop’s facility is awesome, as are many of the people. But you really have to watch your back. Accountability is preached, but some people are held to higher standards than others. The environment screams high school at times—there are bullies, “teacher’s” (owner’s) pets, exclusive groups and gatherings (hence our running joke: “Cliquestop”), and downright lazy people who are MIA or goofing off for a good chunk of every day. “Anonymous” employee surveys and supposedly “safe” environments where managers are encouraged to offer honest feedback? Not by far. Expect negative comments to be investigated, and possibly result in a personal confrontation or termination. Clickstop’s response to the review titled “Lots of Layoffs” (Sept. 25) is misleading. “Layoffs” was the wrong word choice. Employees are constantly being FIRED for vague reasons, and the turnover rate for a company that size has to be ridiculous at this point. My hiring process took three months. THREE months. And that was not uncommon for any candidate applying at the time. Managers were EXTREMELY thorough during interviews and on-site visits to ensure potential employees were also a good cultural fit; I even had to wow the owner. And after I accepted an offer, my email inbox was flooded with welcoming notes from folks who knew my name and start date. Such a cool personal touch that left me already feeling part of the Clickstop family. What company does that?! Then suddenly, everything changed. People started getting hired quickly—many being brought in on referrals from existing employees—and were fired just the same, before they had a chance to settle in or prove themselves. Amidst all of that, you would think there’d be a formal termination process in place to ensure employees are well-informed in advance about whatever expectations they aren’t meeting. Not as of a few months ago. To be left scratching your head as to why you no longer have a job should NEVER be the case, in my opinion, especially for a company that claims to appreciate and value every employee. That scenario has been happening far too often there and is extremely frustrating, upsetting, and disrespectful to the employee and his/her family. While I understand that all businesses endure growing pains, and nothing can ever stay “the way things were,” I truly hope Clickstop starts to reflect on its roots and makes changes needed to tame the monster its become. Until then, do not be fooled by fun Facebook posts, awards, and whatever else. Clickstop is currently not all smiles and rainbows.