What a ride - Anonymous employee PayPal Employee Review

5.0
Jan 22, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

The company ordinarily compensates their employees well (including granting a 4 week sabbatical after 5 years of service), and the vast majority of people I worked with were awesome! There are periodic social events (though there are fewer outside of the San Jose, California location), free drinks (soft drinks, coffee, tea, etc.), sponsorship of community events (like World Usability Day), and community involvement is encouraged. There's also a significant degree of diversity in the lower echelons and more than a few career opportunities (if you're in San Jose).

Cons

Work/life balance can get seriously out of whack - there were weeks I worked 80 hours to get a project done and the only reward for going above and beyond was a "thanks" from my direct supervisor. You also have to constantly watch everything you say and do - even the things you think are innocent, like telling people other companies are hiring - there are people who will calmly throw you under the bus if it benefits them (but this is true everywhere). Diversity isn't nearly as pronounced at higher levels and career opportunities outside of San Jose are pretty minimal. Also, there is a significant loss of knowledge capital after people have taken their sabbatical.

Explore other reviews about PayPal

5.0
May 15, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Good company to work for, good work life balance

Cons

They should have more developers than other titles.

2.0
Apr 13, 2026
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

PayPal has a lot of potential. It has two very strong brands in PayPal and Venmo with significant awareness and user bases that other companies envy. There are pockets of teams that are really pushing the envelop to reimagine what PayPal and Venmo could be—especially the Venmo team—and to move with speed given the company must stay focused and not waste time with Apple Pay, Shop Pay, and so many other competitors nipping at PayPal's heels and aggressively taking market share.

Cons

While some teams are pushing to self-disrupt and are moving fast, too many teams—and I'd argue the majority of the company–are living off of PayPal's laurels from the late 2010s through the pandemic. The culture and mindset have to change for the company to remain competitive. Otherwise, they are the Titanic and they're sinking slowly. The former CEO who only last 2 years tried diversifying the company's revenue, planning for the future. But the board and its former chairman (now new CEO) felt he wasn't moving fast enough to stabilize and marketshare. Instead, the board hired the former chairman who made computers and printers at HP—another sinking ship—to lead the oldest fintech company. The loss of confidence in the leadership team and the strategy are only accelerating.

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