JetBrains Reviews

JetBrains really doesn't want to be seen as a Russian company. However, over 90% of the company is Russian. In a place as diverse as Berlin, when you see internal new hires posts, most of the new hires, if not all, are Russian. In the office, no matter where you go, people are speaking Russian. As a non Russian speaker, the feelings of isolation and exclusion are strong. And the frustration of the company not doing anything about it, even though the topic is literally brought up every townhall. HR response once was: We don't discriminate, but we can't help if the best candidates happen to be Russian... If you're part of the LGBT community, that's even worse. Pride? Who's that? The company doesn't make any stance on this. If you are part of the community you might need to hide that part of yourself in work. Onboarding is non existent, and so are coaching and feedback loops. You only move up if you happen to be friends with whoever is in charge. Your performance is not tracked at all. People who have been in the company for 10+ years get promoted and moved around to new leadership roles, and very few are brought from the outside to offer a new perspective, and if they do, they are also Russian. No procedures, and if you try to bring that up, they tell you that don't expect any changes, because that is not how things work at JetBrains. Maybe things will change with the new CEO.

Location Policy is total mess. There is a noticeable disparity in how employees are treated based on their geographical location. Staff in Amsterdam and Munich appear to enjoy significantly better working conditions compared to their colleagues in Serbia, Berlin, Cyprus, Armenia. It kinda feels like where you're based determines how well you're treated. It's like there's an invisible line dividing the cool kids from the rest. Yuck! HR Feels Like a Myth. Interaction with HR seems to be confined mostly to managerial levels, with a lack of direct engagement with mid-level employees. Trying to get a straight answer from HR is like going on a treasure hunt, but without the map. They seem to have their favorites, and if you're not a lead, good luck getting their attention. And if you got, it would be 90% lies and manipulation. Onboarding Process. The absence of a structured onboarding program can be challenging for new hires, requiring them to navigate their roles and responsibilities without formal guidance. It's more like being thrown into the deep end and told to swim. Work a lot without any appreciation. There is an expectation for employees to work beyond their regular hours. But if you like you profession and enjoy to do it in all of your time, don't hold your breath for a pat on the back, a bonus in your paycheck or even just “thank you” words. It's expected that you'll enjoy working at JetBrains every waking moment for your own pleasure, without extra compensation. One-on-One Meetings? No, haven’t heard. Regular one-on-one meetings tend to feel like formal reports to management rather than opportunities for genuine feedback and professional development. They're less "How can we help you grow?" and more "Here's what you've been doing wrong." Tech Geniuses ≠ Great Leaders. Being a coding superstar doesn't automatically translate to being a team leader. We've got people leading the charge who can tackle any tech challenge but struggle just be polite with people and other basic people skills. This mismatch can create some uncomfortable moments, from feeling undervalued to dealing with some pretty elementary attempts at wielding power. It's like they're more into the power trip and playing mind games than actually leading. And if your JetBrains’ team leader seems a bit too full of themselves, talks down to people, or acts like they're the center of the universe, well, you shouldn't be too surprised.