Turn Reviews

Pros

Great technology and great team before acquisition.

Cons

Lots of changes after acquisition

Pros

Turn was a place where some of the brightest minds in the Bay Area made some truly amazing ad-tech technology. During 2009-2013, we were *well ahead* of all competition when it comes to technical innovation and amazing reach and infrastructure. Some of the best engineering in silicon valley was being done at our HQ in Redwood City. The perks were great for a startup, we worked long hours, but we truly enjoyed the work. Over those four years, the company grew 10x in size, no matter if you measure headcount, transactions, revenue.. It was a place where you could really learn a lot and make meaningful contributions, up till about the 2012 or early 2013 timeframe.. exactly the time that the company should have IPO'ed.

Cons

With a hypergrowth startup comes a transformation, and risk. The management needs to have a vision and give strong guidance. Instead, our management shifted with the wind, didn't have the seasoned steady hand to guide the helm, and created a distracted, shifting energy that made us lose steam. Rather than focus on our strengths and sell the Turn story, we were always watching what others were doing, afraid of our own shadow, and trying to become a "SaaS" company, for whatever reason. After our second CFO was fired within a year, it was obvious that a clean exit wasn't going to happen.

Pros

Smart people, strong leadership team, and a vision to take on the world. When I joined several years ago I did so for these exact reasons. None of these facts have changed to date. What has changed is that Turn has grown tremendously, through thick and thin, despite the occasional naysayer who didn't believe, and is still here today proving that if you fight the good fight, you will prevail. For those considering joining, the reality is there's no shortage of interesting projects to work on and you will get exposure to the latest technologies. It is part of the culture roots of Turn. The growth opportunities have been and, I believe, will continue to be great.

Cons

As with any company trying to grow quickly, it inevitably burns a few people in the process. It's the nature of startups and ad tech in particular due to the pace of the industry. Former employees who didn't have tolerance for it left their mark with a negative vibe which, unfortunately, had a cascading effect. Turn does have it's problems but they are minor, on a relative scale, and fixable and it's pretty clear steps are being taken to address them.

Pros

Despite recent attrition problems, there's still a solid core of engineering talent and a competitive product in the market. The scale is massive and the platform is complex. This means that it is an ideal place for someone looking to gain valuable experience playing with cutting edge technology and making a serious impact. Opportunities abound. Co-workers are pleasant and managers are down-to-earth. Salary and bonus program is competitive. They also offer a good amount of stock options.

Cons

The aforementioned attribution problem, paired with some senior leadership changes over the past year (including a new CEO), means the organization has not been stable and morale is fragile. It can be tough emotionally if you've never experienced workplace turmoil before (especially for the impressionable young engineers). Some of the more experienced engineers have left for the likes of Facebook, which in a way validates the level of engineering talent. Being a private company in adtech, it is hard to attach a value to the stock options if you are looking for a short-term pay-off.

Pros

Most people are nice, smart and hardworking. It really changes depending on what office you're in, but most have a good dynamic.

Cons

When I started the company was in much better shape financially and we had great perks (quarterly massages, good swag, office wide workouts, etc) and by the time I left, all of that faded away and Turn penny pinches even the happy hours. I know those small things aren't a reason not to work somewhere but they are indicative of an overall cultural shift and the lack of "employee first" mentality. Turn is now an "investors first" company ... Which is ironic because if the employees were happy, the company would be more profitable!

Pros

Overall great product, smart team and technology. Free lunch, snacks and drinks in all offices.

Cons

Culture: Needs work and has changed drastically since the earlier days. The US team seems to be much more motivated/excited compared to London. Sometimes when I walk into the office, it is drop dead silent... Work/Life balance: Very difficult. There is too much work for each person to get done, at least successfully. Growth opportunities/career progression: No matter how hard you work or what you have achieved for the company, this seems to boil down to if you are liked by your manager. Senior management does not accept "creative" or "out of the box" ideas to better the culture or increase efficiencies as a whole...if they do not agree with you. This could go against your future at Turn so watch what you say even if you think it will help the company! Work ethic: The different teams here do not seem to really work together but quite independently. I have seen people take credit for other people's work which is unfair...does not seem some of the team members respect each other.

Pros

A lot of smart & talented managers and team leaders, whom have been in the industry for a long time. Professional, down to earth, and nice co-workers & team culture.

Cons

Currently under new leaderships (ex-Googlers) and undergoing a lot changes and re-org as the company pivot towards a flat and nimbler structure. Not necessarily a bad thing, but there's high attrition rate, a sense of instability, feeling of uneasiness about future success, and low moral. Recently implemented a flat functional structure, so, not a lot of room for advancement. A shift towards a culture of individual contributors & scrappiness... Not a lot of support for mid-management, or an environment where individuals or teams are properly setup for success. You'll need to be scrappy and able to navigate through a lot of changes and ambiguity in order to be successful. Have a tendency to value and celebrate mediocre team members to prop up the lack of moral due to instability and changes.

Pros

I haven't done a review on glassdoor in the past, because it seemed like people just went here when they were not doing a good job or are in general bitter people. So, here is that way that i look at it: - insanely smart people. - people who care about their job and their colleagues - you get to build/work on tech that is changing advertising - super cool clients and accounts. it's fun to hear how they love to use Turn - tons of growth opportunity for your career. if you want to research a totally new career path you get to hang out with the new department. - managers who care about your success both at Turn and after

Cons

There have been changes, but as far as i can tell, they were the right ones to make. Since we chose to be at a company that is defining a new part of the advertising industry i think we should expect change. the competition has increased, the complexity of "what" we do has increased. So i don't mind the change, I'm just glad that it was done and that there was transparency about it.

Pros

I felt compelled to write this review in light of recent reviews. I've been with Turn for over a year, and I can confidently say this is a great place to work. The industry is growing, the company is growing, and we have a great future ahead of us. Line-managerss take care of their employees, my peers are mostly very smart, engaged, and satisfied with their work, and we have great benefits ( pto, gym, phone, food). The company has gone through a bit of a rough patch in the past year, but now seems to be back on track. We continue to be a leader in the ad-tech space, and have some great successes to show for it.

Cons

The challenging part about working at Turn is listening to people complain about working at Turn. We work at a great company, in a great industry, with unlimited potential for growth. Do your job, and show up ready to play every single day.

Pros

The people are smart and work hard. Some of the best innovative thinking in the industry.

Cons

Struggling with being a larger company. Not all layers of management are experienced enough to go through this transition. Cowardly trolls who post anonymous garbage on this site and try and bring our reputation down with their terrible remarks that have no basis in fact.