Yelp is a company that connects people with local businesses.
Some of the businesses that Yelp works with range from restaurants to other services, such as contractors, electricians, car dealers, dry cleaning, and more.
If you have a need, Yelp can help you find a business to suit that need.
There are good things and bad things about working with any business, and that includes Yelp.
Here, we will talk about some of the pros and cons that employees have about working for Yelp.
Table of Contents
Pros of Working for Yelp
Below are some of the pros that employees have of working for Yelp.
1. Good benefits
A good majority of employees have stated that Yelp has lots of good benefits.
You have unlimited paid time off and your health benefits are fully covered.
You don’t even have to wait a certain amount of time before those benefits become available to you.
As a lot of employees have said, the amazing benefits kick in on the first day that you start working.
With that said some employees say that the only reason they contemplate staying and working for Yelp is the good benefits.
Unfortunately, many employees have admitted that they would leave sooner if it weren’t for the great benefits that Yelp provides for them.
2. Lots of training available
The training period lasts anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on the location and whether you are working in the office or remotely.
Employees learn almost everything they need to know to do their job effectively.
Although most employees say that they learned everything they needed to know, some employees have felt that the training was not enough, and they were left feeling like they could have learned more.
Whether the training provided to Yelp employees is enough or not seems to depend on the location and the job title.
3. Remote work
Yelp offers options for employees to work from their homes remotely.
This can bring added flexibility to plan your life and your work for added work/life balance.
There are pros and cons to working for Yelp remotely versus in the office.
The cons that can come with remote work will be addressed in the cons section.
While remote work isn’t for everyone, some people can benefit from it if they have other commitments in their lives.
Unfortunately, some people say that working for Yelp remotely is more stressful than working in the office.
This depends on the person, location, and a variety of other factors.
4. Opportunity for growth
There are many opportunities for employees to grow and move up when working at Yelp.
While many employees agree that the starting pay needs some improvement, there are opportunities for promotions and raises.
Businesses that do not have many growth opportunities have a harder time keeping employees.
With that said, having good growth opportunities is not the only thing that can keep employees interested in working.
You can start at the lowest pay and quickly rise to the higher paying positions as long as you put the work into it.
However, some employees have mentioned that promotions and pay raises are only given to people that upper management favors.
That seems to be location-related rather than the company as a whole, though.
5. Good work/life balance
Many employees view Yelp as having a good balance between work and other life commitments.
It is important to have a good work/life balance so that you don’t get burnt out and end up with physical and mental health issues.
When you work too much or too hard, it is easy to neglect the other things in your life, and you can affect your health and relationships.
Yelp gives many opportunities for flexibility and paid time off, which means that you can take the time off that you need without worrying about losing your job.
You can use that time off to take care of your other commitments, such as doctor’s appointments, spending time with your family, self-care, etc.
6. Nice people to work with
Although there are some complaints about management in some locations, many employees say that most of their coworkers are nice to work with.
However, management can be a pain at times, creating a stressful work environment.
When you work with good people who make the work environment better, it increases productivity and the quality of work.
If the workplace has a negative employee, the overall work environment can be affected negatively.
Fortunately, Yelp employees say that the majority of their coworkers are fun to work with and make the workday go better.
7. Decent company for starting
Yelp employees say that Yelp is a good company for people starting in this field of business.
Although it is a good starter company, many employees say that the pay is better in other companies of the same type.
Despite the pay being a factor, you can get a good amount of experience working with Yelp.
This experience can be valuable in a few different ways.
You can use it to beef up your resume, or you can gain the experience needed to further your career and get a better-paying job.
Cons of Working for Yelp
Here are some of the cons that employees have had about working for Yelp.
1. Lots of micromanaging
There have been many complaints about how things have turned out since Yelp went to remote jobs during the 2020 pandemic.
While the option to work remotely is a positive thing, many employees have complained about micromanaging.
Unfortunately, management has shown that they don’t trust their employees when it comes to working outside of the office.
Supervisors have been known to micromanage their remote employees to the point of nagging and writing them up for next to no reason, even if they are reaching the milestones needed for the day.
2. Poor management
This goes hand in hand with the micromanaging issue mentioned above.
Many employees have stated that management does not care about their employees, especially the ones working remotely.
Management doesn’t trust that their employees can do the job effectively, and are constantly breathing down their necks to get the job done.
Unfortunately, management has also been known to write their employees up even after they have met the quota for the day.
They expect employees to reach way higher than what the quota is stated to be.
3. Low starting pay
While Yelp seems to be a good starter job for this field of work, pay is recorded as being very low compared to other companies of the same type.
With that said, there are amazing benefits and employees have the chance to move up to higher-paying job titles.
Unfortunately, many employees have said that they have a hard time making ends meet due to the lower pay.
4. Stressful work environment
Although many employees have commented on working with nice people, some locations have created a stressful work environment.
Many factors make the work environment stressful for Yelp employees, including poor management, micromanaging, harassment, manipulation, and low pay for the amount of work.
However, the stressful work environment is dependent on location.
Fortunately, some locations do not seem to be as stressful to work in.
5. High turnover rate
With the other cons mentioned above, it is no surprise that Yelp has a high turnover rate.
A high turnover rate is a negative for both employees and companies alike.
If future employees know that there is a high turnover rate, it decreases their likelihood of applying for the job, meaning that there are fewer candidates for the company to hire.
A high turnover rate also increases the cost for the company.
Yelp has to spend more money on advertising and training to have enough employees to run the business.
6. Always yelled at by other businesses
One of the biggest complaints that employees have about working for Yelp is that they are constantly getting yelled at over the phone by angry and frustrated business owners.
The people they call get sick of hearing from Yelp and lash out at the employees that are only doing their job so they don’t lose their job.
Unfortunately, this adds to a stressful work environment and a high turnover rate.
The employees are forced to use manipulation tactics to land a sale so that they can keep playing the unfortunate numbers game.
7. Harassment and manipulation
Another complaint that employees have had about working for Yelp was the pressure, harassment, and manipulation that they went through with management and supervisors.
The overall company is a numbers game.
They view your worth in the number of phone calls you make and the number of sales you get.
If you don’t reach well over the minimum quota, you get written up or you lose your job, even if you reach the minimum.
14 Pros and Cons of Working for Yelp – Summary Table
Pros of Working for Yelp | Cons of Working for Yelp |
---|---|
Good benefits | Lots of micromanaging |
Lots of training available | Poor management |
Remote work | Low starting pay |
Opportunity for growth | Stressful work environment |
Good work/life balance | High turnover rate |
Nice people to work with | Always yelled at by other businesses |
Decent company for starting | Harassment and manipulation |
Should You Work for Yelp?
If you enjoy working under pressure and don’t mind constantly getting yelled at and having low pay, then you should do just fine working for Yelp.
However, if you are looking for somewhere to just start, Yelp will be okay, but it is a good idea to move to a different company once you get the experience needed.
If you do not do well with the constant pressure and manipulation, then do not work for Yelp.