Good team - Questionable management - Recensione dipendente - Engineer presso SunDrive

The company gives a strong first impression, especially because of the exciting technology and innovation it is working on. Initially, the environment felt positive, energetic, and full of potential. There are some genuinely lovely, intelligent, and talented people across the business. Many employees are highly motivated, hardworking, and passionate about the company’s mission. Working with those people was one of the better parts of the experience. The technology itself is interesting, and the company has the potential to do something meaningful if it can build the right culture, structure, and leadership around it.

The company has strong technology and talented people, but the internal structure and management approach need significant improvement. There appears to be a lack of clear direction, planning, and communication from leadership, which can make the work environment feel confusing and reactive at times. Priorities often seem to shift, and employees may not always have the clarity or support needed to do their best work. Employee retention also seems to be an ongoing challenge. The company would benefit from a stronger focus on listening to staff, supporting professional growth, and building a more respectful and stable workplace culture. There also seems to be limited accountability when concerns are raised. Staff feedback should be handled more constructively and transparently, rather than creating fear or uncertainty. The workplace can feel stressful due to sudden changes, inconsistent decision-making, and a lack of job security. For a company with such promising technology and public visibility, stronger governance, better leadership maturity, and a more people-focused culture would make a significant difference.

A group of talented engineers from diverse disciplines and technical environment is exciting and intellectually stimulating. We felt accepted and valued among colleagues (But not with the senior management). Work itself is challenging and exciting, typical of a fast-moving startup. Teams have good equipment and resources for engineering work.

Concerns about neutrality in disciplinary processes: From my experience, HR and legal functions appeared to operate primarily in the company’s interest rather than acting as a balanced facilitator between the organisation and employees. I was particularly concerned that the Head of Legal and Head of HR roles were combined into one position. In my view, this concentrates a significant amount of authority in a single role and can raise questions about independence and fairness during disciplinary or sensitive processes. Limited transparency in decision making In my experience, disciplinary or governance outcomes did not always fully reflect the broader context or mitigating actions involved. This left me feeling that my perspective was not completely represented in the final documentation. Head of HR/Legal has issued multiple warnings to several staff members, while presenting a very different image publicly. It is difficult to understand how someone initially hired in a legal role has since accumulated numerous titles and authority, despite what appears to be widespread disagreement among employees. Communication gaps during sensitive processes Expectations, policies, and potential consequences were not always clearly communicated in advance. In a fast moving startup environment where governance processes are still evolving, this can make it difficult for employees to clearly understand boundaries and procedures. Inconsistent application of governance policies As the company scales rapidly, I observed that policy enforcement can sometimes feel reactive or uneven. This can create uncertainty around how governance rules are applied in different situations. Employee support perception Risk management and organisational protection appear to be the number one priority. When it comes to employee wellbeing, the standard response is often simply: “Please remember SunDrive’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Uprise is available should you wish to access confidential support.” Limited conflict-resolution channels Outside of formal disciplinary processes, I did not feel there were many neutral avenues available to raise concerns or seek mediation. Greater separation between HR, legal, and governance oversight could potentially help strengthen trust in internal processes.