Pros
Since being laid off in October, I have been sitting on what to write. I did not want to write this at the height of being disgruntled (which I was and perhaps still am) or traumatized (which I still am). So, take this with a grain of salt - as people's experiences at Checkr are different; though my experience is not so different from many women and other minorities who have shuffled through. I will say that the mission is absolutely inspiring and I had the pleasure of working with some really good hearted and smart people. Learning from and working with formerly incarcerated people really opened my eyes more to the injustice of the prison system in this country and my own privileges- a really humbling experience. The pay was good; beautiful offices in San Francisco and Denver; great benefits; and the general allure of a tech start up with money in its pockets with a c - staff that likes to spend for the mirage of status and wealth.
Kontras
I have never been so traumatized by a workplace before. Ever. And that's saying a lot considering the other places I've worked. Because of Checkr, I had an anxiety ridden breakdown and had to take FMLA leave. After explaining to HR the lack of managerial support (6 managers / leaders in less than 2 years); no job description or clear career pathway; racist and sexist abuse by a VP; underpayment of ~ $12,000 / yr due to gross negligence; and a passive aggressive manager who absolutely threw me under the bus to save themself - I was told I was "failed and seen and heard", that changes would be made once I returned from leave. Oh, were changes made. A few weeks later, I was laid off (feeling very much like Craig on Friday by getting fired on my day off). I was told it was because of restructuring, which is fair because I never had a job description or a real focus. I was given left over work that, unfortunately, no one really wanted to deal with - most of which had to do with minority and formerly incarcerated communities within the company. A truly disorganized and brutally bureaucratic environment. Hopefully this will change as newer leaders come aboard.