Unstrategic, Inefficient Mess with Endless Unmet Potential - Anonymous employee OpenTable Employee Review

2.0
Mar 28, 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

OpenTable has such amazing potential to become a truly bigger part of dining out. There are endless ways to grow the business & opportunities to chase. There's never a shortage of ideas here or things to work on. MOST people are kind & work/life balance is great. Location is convenient to public transport & food options. There's also lots of flowing booze & costumes if you're into that.

Cons

Unstrategic, unfocused, & inefficient - Absolutely the worst place I've ever worked on these attributes. We're desperately trying to prove our worth post-acquisition, doing too many things & doing all of them poorly. Unfocused strategy along with general inefficiency across the board = a bunch of chickens running around with their heads cut-off. Highly political, where who you knows & who you suck up to is rewarded. "Yes" people are favored over those that question. Directors & above only focus on managing upwards vs. inspiring & leading teams below. People subtly fight for more power, people, & budget, by spinning stories with data to meet their needs & self-interests, instead of putting the interests of others & the business first. Lots of churn of great people leaving frustrated with the environment.

Explore other reviews about OpenTable

5.0
Mar 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great place to work - really good work life balance and culture.

Cons

Not much to say, everything is good

1.0
Jun 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* It's a great brand * Great partners * Decent product with strong distribution

Cons

* Management style was heavily top-down, with decision-making concentrated among a small group of senior leaders. * This was the same when they were all working at KAYAK under the same group * I observed what I felt was preferential treatment of certain employees (notably of a certain ethnicity - IYKYK), which negatively impacted perceptions of fairness and inclusivity within the organisation. * The workplace environment could be highly stressful, and concerns raised by employees were not always addressed effectively. * Staff wellbeing, retention, and morale appeared to be ongoing challenges during my time with the company.

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