Reviews

Review #1- "A Creative Outlet Founded On Community"- July 24th, 2018 (5 Stars)
Current Employee - Production Assistant in Santa Clarita, CA


 * "I have been working at Hi5 Studios full-time for more than a year"

Pros


 * Work at your own pace
 * In charge of your own upward mobility
 * Great co-workers to work with
 * The people you work with WANT to be there

Cons


 * Paid vacations are a little light - No 401k

Review #2- "This is a place I plan on planting my feet in... Here’s why:"- 9 July 2018 (5 Stars)
Current Employee - Anonymous Employee


 * "I have been working at Hi5 Studios full-time for more than a year"

Pros


 * First off, I’ll say I have now been at Hi5 Studios a little over a year and I have already seen a night and day difference from the day I started to now. It has grown so much over the past year and I truly believe this company is a special place to be, surrounded by talented, passionate and driven people. I’m usually someone that likes to try new things and move around (jobs included), but this is a place that I plan on planting my feet in and here’s why:
 * -I have experienced an environment at Hi5 that is committed to creating and sustaining a unique culture that fervently lives out its core values. The people here do not just talk the talk. I’ve seen them actively live out what they say they’re about. No one is perfect, but upper management has always asked us how they can improve and what we believe would help make the working environment more pleasant, fun, productive and efficient and even how they improve personally.
 * -We have been given opportunities of frequent bonuses. They have even gone so far as to rearrange the schedule of bonus payouts to decrease the amount of fees and taxes taken from our bonuses so that we get the most out of them. They go out of their way to make it better for us (I have never seen or experienced a company that does this for their employees).
 * -They are also big on transparency. They’ve created an environment that seeks out honesty, open communication, access to company information (most companies would not do this!) to promote involvement, quality & growth, and constructive criticism (both ways, as I mentioned before).
 * -There is a strong sense of camaraderie, support, acknowledgement, mutual respect & understanding, community spirit, and a teamwork mentality. Management has always shown that they are willing to do the “dirty work” and help us succeed at our goals. They have been very aware of people’s strengths and weaknesses, helping us showcase our strengths and helping us work on our weaknesses in a positive and constructive way. They’ve also expressed they are committed to building a team that contributes to a healthy working environment, which I have experienced first hand is so so important to the long term success of a business. If a person can do the job but is toxic to the environment, it will crumble. Hi5 has always expressed they want people there who are happy to be there. They want the team to feel excited to go to work!
 * -Hi5 has also been super flexible and has a strong sense of innovation. I’ve been blessed to be a part of a team that truly cares for the well-being of its employees. I’ve been able to witness decisions being made with great thought, evaluation and care to the benefit of the employees. The last place I worked for showed no care for its employees’ well-being, only for the growth of the owners own wallet. Hi5 is the total opposite! They make decisions with everyone and every possible outcome in mind! They have a strong sense of fairness and equality.
 * -Free access to educational resources. They encourage us to constantly learn and grow and adapt to changes in a positive light. Some of these resources count as continued education (yes, for credit! Very cool!).
 * -Last but definitely not least, they are one of the few places that I’ve worked at the strongly encourage and provide a healthy work/life balance. I’ve always heard them say that your family and health come first and they absolutely mean it. They even had a “health and wellness” challenge month to help promote healthy lifestyles and choices... oh! and free massages! That has been one of my favorites so far. The company events are a blast and a great way to get to know my team and hangout. It truly feels like a family here and I strongly believe it is a company with a big, successful future ahead.

Cons


 * As I’ve mentioned, I’ve seen this place grow and improve so much in only a year and I’ve seen that decisions are made to ensure sustainability. As with any startup and growing company, things like company structure and organization can take a while to nail down and get organized. However, they hopped on it QUICK. I’ve experienced things like mine and others’ roles and proper procedures being clearly communicated/established and an increase and improvement of benefits and work perks within such a quick time frame for a startup (Think about it... In about 1 year, they’ve gone from about 10 employees to almost 40!!... and they’ve done it sustainably...That’s crazy rare!!). I honestly don’t have any serious cons. Hi5 has always been quick to improve upon itself and benefit its employees. They actively seek out positive change. Change can be uncomfortable for most people, but it’s vital to success and they embrace it in a positive light!

Advice to Management


 * "Keep goin’! I’m thankful to be a part of this family!"

Review 3- "Great People with Great Talent Wasted on Poor Management"- June 4, 2018 (2 Stars)
Former Employee - Creative Director

"Doesn't Recommend", "Negative Outlook", "I worked at Hi5 Studios full-time (Less than a year)"

Pros


 * Playful atmosphere
 * Full Kitchen
 * Outings / events
 * Collaborative culture
 * Fantastic co-workers

Company parties are fun and frequent with well intended team building.

Anybody can submit to the creative process.

Cons


 * Lack of effective communication
 * Constantly shifting goals
 * Sacrificing quality for quantity
 * My-way-or-the-highway mentality
 * Long hours for low pay

On three separate occasions, employees were fired or quit and never replaced. Instead, all their job responsibilities were given to others already working at capacity with no offer of increased compensation.

When fired I was told the two bonuses I was awaiting payment for (for tasks I had already completed) were no longer being given to me. When asked why the COO replied, "Because we don't have to." The only reason I didn't already have them was due to a late payment by the client.

In my opinion, CEO got bored running his company and is effectively trying to get hands-off as quickly as possible; sacrificing the time for good attentive work for more, more, more.

Advice to Management


 * "Passion shouldn't be used as an excuse to push people beyond their means. A sincere effort of focus from the top would strengthen employee loyalty. Finish building your business before going off to write books."


 * 1) May 1, 2018

Review #4- "Good People, But Disorganized & Duplicitous Makes for a Bad Work Environment"- May 1, 2018 (2 stars)
Former Employee - Producer in Valencia, CA

"Doesn't Recommend", "Negative Outlook", "I worked at Hi5 Studios full-time (Less than a year)"

Pros


 * Good People
 * Fun Environment
 * Lot's of office parties and things.

Cons


 * Pay isn't commensurate with Market Values
 * Benefits are terrible
 * Micromanage every employee
 * Firing people left & right for the smallest things
 * They claim to give out bonuses, but I've only seen 1 tiny little bonus even though I was led to believe they were a monthly thing.

I don't expect this company to be here in another year.

Advice to Management

You're playing games with peoples lives. Stop trying to "have fun" at work and just get work done. You need people with ACTUAL work experience, not just people with an ability to act like a child on camera.