Toxic management and US colonialist mindset - Anonymous employee KAYAK Employee Review

2.0
Mar 19, 2021
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great office, good work-life balance, good bonuses, and classic startup perks like free snacks to make you forget that you're being exploited for the benefit of C-level executives and shareholders.

Cons

Middle managers tend to be absolutely clueless because they're promoted depending on how well they hit it off with their superiors rather than based on skill or knowledge. Having carried out several mass layoffs without a warning, the culture is one of fear, uncertainty, and never knowing if your whole team is going to be fired the next day. They pay lip service to "diversity" and "inclusivity", but for them that only means "Americans of different skin shades". Employees from other cultures are forced to adapt to American standards or face disciplinary action, and they have absolutely no qualms getting rid of marginalized or vulnerable minority employees such as disabled folk. In short, only recommended if you're a straight Anglo dude who can shout his way to the top.

Explore other reviews about KAYAK

5.0
Jan 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great people and interesting industry to be in

Cons

Sometimes too focused on the data and not the human experience.

4.0
Nov 24, 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits: Healthcare had great coverage and affordable monthly payments. I also really appreciated the work-from-wherever policy as well as all the office snacks. Fantastic people: I genuinely loved the people I worked with—they made me feel like I belonged and was appreciated. My manager worked to build me up, something that can't be said for a lot of places. Travel perks: The ability to travel for work made this experience incredibly rewarding.

Cons

Slow mobility: Trying to get promoted felt like a moving goalpost—the expectations changed every six months and made it nearly impossible to get to the next step. Even then, the business was stingy about who gets promoted, which was incredibly discouraging after years of trying to prove myself.

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