Big company aspirations, small company mindset - Manager Sage Employee Review

2.0
Mar 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Some really great co-workers Competitive benefits

Cons

Some really terrible leadership Regressive return to office practices (seemingly not applied to Snr Leaders) Huge bet on the AI hype train & all the productivity gain pressure & expectations Regular redundancies Very little progression opportunities Nearly 5 years in, as an acquisition, rather than a hire, I feel Sage is getting worse. It's quite cult-like with no real upwards feedback loops & an intolerance of independent thinking. A lot of politics and cliques to navigate, that make progress slow for the majority (there's a few "special" teams of course). Recently it's become clear that there's only 2 centres of gravity in the UK, London & Newcastle, so bad luck if you're working in another office. Also, a huge crack down on attending the office, with increasingly draconian policies on lack of attendance. Depending on your manager, you could be in for a hard time (no pay rise, no bonus, dismissal) if you don't comply.

avatar
Sage Response
2mo
Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed and candid review. We appreciate the honesty of your feedback, and your comments have been noted and will be shared internally for thoughtful and thorough review. Fairness, transparency, and consistency underpin our recruitment and progression practices at Sage. Progression is based on merit, and while building a strong professional network can support visibility of skills and experience, internal moves must be earned through capability, performance, and alignment with role requirements. We’re also committed to providing a consistent experience across our office locations. Your feedback regarding differences between hubs is important, and we’d encourage you to share any specific concerns with our Places team so they can be reviewed and addressed appropriately. Decisions around restructuring are never taken lightly. We recognise the impact these changes can have on colleagues, but they are made to ensure we remain aligned with our strategic priorities and continue to meet our commitments to customers, colleagues, and other stakeholders. Regarding AI, our intention is for it to be a supportive tool—one that enhances productivity, accelerates outcomes, and enables innovation, rather than replacing meaningful work. We understand that change can feel challenging, particularly when it happens at pace, and we’re committed to supporting colleagues through periods of transition with transparency and care. We also recognise the importance of open feedback loops and psychological safety, especially during transformation. If you’d like to discuss any of the points you’ve raised in more depth, we encourage you to reach out to our Colleague Relations team for a confidential conversation. Thank you again for speaking openly. Feedback like this plays an important role in helping us reflect, learn, and continue to improve.

Explore other reviews about Sage

5.0
Jun 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They will work with you and teach you everything you need to know and help you as long as you help yourself and meet kpi but they help you meet it

Cons

No cons to add at this time

2.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

was hired as remote and get to have that honored, but have been openly told no career progression because of remote status. decent pay

Cons

Leadership instability: Seven manager changes during my relatively short tenure. Unrealistic targets: A sales quota set at 1,100% growth (not a typo). Slow product development: Getting anything actioned on the product side takes far too long. Product management turnover: Three product manager changes, resulting in no meaningful deliverables in over three years. Misaligned hiring priorities: Greater emphasis on DEI optics than on hiring people positioned to drive growth. Internal vs. customer focus: More energy spent on internal events than on product enhancements. Lack of accountability (the biggest issue): No one takes ownership. Responsibility gets passed around constantly — for example, client cancellations going unprocessed because they impact someone's numbers. Managers have openly encouraged pushing the work onto someone else rather than handling it.

avatar
Sage Response
23h
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about the challenges you’ve described around leadership continuity, targets, growth, and ways of working. We recognise the impact that stability, clear accountability, and achievable goals can have on the day-to-day experience of our colleagues, particularly within sales and customer-facing roles. We shall share your feedback with leaders for their visibility as we continue to evolve how we support our teams to truly thrive at work. If you have any additional insights to share, please leave us more feedback via our internal Always Listening forum or through your manager. Thank you again for sharing your perspective.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All