Working at Rosetta Stone — Reviews by Employees

Just wanted to chime in with my own experience. Amazingly enough, it's quite eerie how accurate all of the reviews I've read on here for Rosettastone are. That should tell you something. This isn't just something that happens at a random kiosk, or area. This is a company-wide inability to run Rosettastone. I still actually work at the kiosk, but I have found a much better job, and will most likely be putting in my two weeks once I am on the schedule. But what has went on in the 1.5 years I have worked for this company is simply beyond belief for a company that constantly compares itself to the big boys. For example, since I have started, I have had four district managers, all of which came in and changed everything. I have had to relearn my entire job no less than four times in a little over a year. That is ridiculous, and reeks of incompetence.

The biggest problem though, is job security. It is a huge issue with this company. If you're just starting to work for Rosettastone, or have an interview planned, be sure to ask how well your location does in terms of sales. If it hasn't been making its goals for a while, then I would seriously consider not taking the job. Rosettastone will close locations at the drop of a hat. I have seen three locations closed since I began working. One of which was a kiosk that had been profitable for years, but missed its Holiday 09 numbers (In a bad economy, no less), and it was shut down a month later with no second chance. The poor employees that worked there were then forced to relocate across town to stores that already had way too many employees, or quit.

Even if you find a good store, be aware that you can still be fired at the drop of a hat. After Project Liftoff started, there is a zero tolerance policy for even looking like you are on the Internet. They are so trigger-happy about this that I have seen people come within a hair of losing their job because a secret shopper said they were on the Internet, when actually they were just on the Rosettastone blog. This person had also worked for the company for three years, and had made them countless dollars. Absolutely ridiculous.

Also be aware that you will be working in a kiosk environment, where many days you will see less than a few people depending on location. Rosettastone will give you no lunch or breaks, so you will be spending your entire shift at the kiosk. If you are caught taking a longer than usual bathroom break, you will either be written up, or let go.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that job security is simply non-existent. I have been a rather good employee (one of the top salespeople in my area as well), and yet there is not a day I go in that I can really count on having a job, or enough hours to live off of the next week for some random reason.

Other notes:

- You can certainly move up from your position. Sometimes dangerously fast depending on how bad they need a hole filled. Just know you will only be making a couple extra dollars an hour, with triple the work. The only good thing is the guaranteed 40 hours a week you would get.

- The management and how you were trained to do your job can change at the drop of a hat. Also, do not expect fair employee reviews. I recently had mine done by an ex-district manager that had never worked a day with me. I was given an average score for attendance when I have been early every day I worked there, never missed a day, and regularly worked for everyone that wanted off. It also just so happened that my score added up to the number where I was forced to take more training classes on my own free time.

- Commission is OK. You can actually make a good chunk of money if you are in a good location. If not, then expect to only see a few commissions per check. Again, be sure to check your location before you jump in. Ask to look at the readily available sales performance document on every store's laptop. You are only protecting yourself by doing so.

Okay, enough ranting. I managed to stick with it until Rosettastone made it impossible to continue. I don't regret my time spent with the company. But just know that this place is far from working for a larger retail store. Also be aware that the kiosks will most likely dwindle down to only a few of the highest grossing locations within the next few years, as the company is slowly shifting focus to having their product sold in big box stores only. It is obvious that Rosettastone cannot continue to operate at these losses, so be wary of jumping head-first into things.

I started working for Rosetta Stone when it was a lot smaller. The culture then was great. Everyone acted as one big, happy family that had everyone else's back. As time progressed, and the company exploded in growth, the culture exploded right with it. Raises were frozen. Poor economy is cited, yet the company had done extremely well. But we aren't allowed to share in the profits?? What gives? Then bonuses that we had previously been given were yanked. I walked out of there one year making a few grand less than I had the year before, even though that particular year, I had been given a raise. "You should be glad we still have a job," we were told. Really? This is the way to appreciate your employees? The Harrisonburg office is told that we need to cut expenses, so cut costs in any way. This included a lot of meals that departments used to buy, especially when there was a meeting that went across the lunch hour. However, the company newsletter comes out, telling about a dinner cruise that several members of the corporate Rosslyn team were on, complete with pictures. Oh, then there's the Circle of Excellence. Only sales members are eligible to earn the trip, but it's all-expenses-paid to some exotic location for a week. Did I forget to tell you that they pay for a guest, too?? As my five-year tenure progressed, it became extremely evident that I would never be appreciated for the intelligence I offered. I was an hourly employee, and gave up multiple weekends and evenings to be in the office, doing my job so the company, as a whole, would not suffer. Yes, I was paid the OT and was never asked to work off the clock, but the time did come, though, that we were told, "No more OT." Yet we were expected to complete the same workload. My manager went to HR, had me written up over complete exaggerations, and even though I proved they were exaggerations, it still was logged in my file as a formal write-up. The sad part is that my manager had never even had a conversation with me before then that there were even any (perceived) issues with my performance. Employees with a company phone are expected to be accessible 24/7. You're expected to eat, sleep, breathe Rosetta Stone. Your ideas are meaningless and everything is about beaurecratic red tape to get anything done. No appreciation is given for anything, including your tenure. I knew I was under stress working there, but I didn't realize to what level until my two young children said to me one day, "I'm glad you don't work at RS anymore, Mommy." When I asked why they had said that, my answer was, "Because you're happy when you come home from work now." Work/Life Balance? It doesn't exist at Rosetta Stone. The turnover rate is astronomical. If you want a career, look elsewhere.... I have been gone for almost a year now, and even though I took a pay cut to leave, I would never, ever consider going back.

A simply awful place to work...any passion and enthusiasm you bring in the door for their mission and wonderful product (It truely is wonderful) will be crushed inside of 6 months. DC/VA is too good of a job market to waste your time with a company that under appreciates its employees.

Agree with many of the posts here on Jobvent. In full disclosure I will give both the pluses and minuses. First, I’ll note that I worked in the Corporate HQ in Rosslyn and was a senior contributor, not a Manager.

The company has a culture of being underpaid and overworked. The notion that anyone should accept less in salary and benefits because of some glorious mission sniffs of corporate arrogance. The CEO while quite competent and engaging is out of touch with what motivates his organization to achieve the excellence he demands. They have a revolving door with very high turnover. Employee satisfaction is outrageously low. Management is overall excessively arrogant and pushy; lacking any sort of sincere care or interest in their employees. Ironically enough, the CEO desires for Rosetta Stone to be an 'employer of choice' but lacks any understanding of what it takes to get there. In short, he is delusional to believe Rosetta Stone can ever be an employer of choice with its current leadership and corporate culture. They compare themselves to Microsoft and Google, both employers of choice in there respective markets, but management refuses to acknowledge and address the various problems that stifle the culture.

On the plus side: It is an entrepreneurial culture. If you believe in an idea and have a vision to improve something you can make it a reality and enjoy the professional success of implementing that vision. Very challenging environment with some very passionate people; and for the right person this will provide good career growth opportunities.

Do not expect to be paid what you are worth or to be recognized for your achievements. Overall, though it looks good on a resume because of there brand recognition this is not a very ‘healthy’ place to work.

Where to start....This company sucks at EVERY level! They have no respect for their employees, especially those working in retail. It had become apparently clear to me that very few of the management staff have ever worked in retail or, at the least, sat their butt at a kiosk for a shift to see what really happens on a daily/weekly basis. For those that have, they have forgotten the reality of this type of business.

Many have become used to working with their hands tied behind their back with a lack of sales tools. What sales professional wants to have to call his supervisor for approval to offer a discount to make sale. Makes the sales pro look like a fool.

Apparently, they are ready to roll out some new products this summer with a higher price point. What makes them think that this will be successful when they can't sell the products they currently have at a LOWER price point. Boggles one's mind.

This company needs an "organizational enema" starting at the top and working it's way through the entire company.

The Rosetta Stone software is a well orchestrated jam. They have an aggressive marketing claiming that they can teach languages to the world, but all they teach is a simplified and often wrong vocabulary of a few hundred words. If you add this to the high price of the product and an amateurish management well it's a clear recipe for disaster - don't understand how people can buy shares of their company.
In all my life I have never seen such an amount of incompetent and ignorant people pretending to teach anybody what they surely don't know. Work environment is horrible because they have to protect this well orchestrated jam at any cost. If you are thinking to work for such a company, think twice.

I am speechless about how awful my work experience had been there. I am so happy to be out of there.

I worked for Rosetta Stone for over a year and here are the core conculsions.

1) The product is amazing and has a huge place in the lives of people to help them learn and engage with another langauge

2) The CEO is in over his head and time for him to move on. His MBA was good for some clean up and tuning exercises and now they need a REAL leader - I dont remember ANYONE who would take a bullet for the CEO there was virtually no loyalty to him and of course he had virtually no loyalty to the people (funny how that works)

3) The executive team is well overpaid for the space and have overinflated views of their self worth

4) The CEO and key eteam members have neiter a clue or any passion about the language learning and elearning space - time for change.

5) The CEO and eTeam froze salaries and lowered commission plans to protect their fat cat lifestyles and keep their HUGE (over the top) salaries

Would be a good time to have real management with real passion for the launguage learning and learning space running this company - or perhaps a sale of the company to Berlitz or SkillSoft?

Over all a great stock to own and terrible company to work for at the present time with present CEO.

I worked for this company in a management position in the field. It was the worst experience I have had in my 40 years of working. My manager was a lush and a skirt chaser, but he knew how to play the game and was able to brown nose with his bosses to keep his job. They treat all the people like dogs and usually they expect that you work 24 hours a day. Never not have your blackberry. As far as pay, well that is a joke, they pay a low base and expect you to make it in commissions and then they change the plan in the middle of the year and increase more expenses to your plan so that you cannot make a decent living for the position you hold. Of course when they hire you it is a whole different story. The only people that are getting rich in this company is the Executive team. They should be ashamed of what they do to people and moral.

The person posting a glowing review of this nightmare of a company is either a shameless corporate plant - knowing how RS spies on its employees due to "Project Liftoff" ( known among employees by another, less flattering name) this would be completely plausible; OR an office employee who has not had to answer bathroom questions for 8 hours straight while making no sales.

Hey, useless corporate suit!!! That picnic you enjoyed was paid for because people's salaries were frozen, and raises already promised were denied! Guess who paid for it!!!

After our Regional Manager ( who was a great guy) retired they did not promote anyone from within; they hired an absolutely clueless " spread positivity at any cost " guy from Fedex. He drove out a number of great employees - and then quit himself 6 months in the position. Positivity indeed. LOL His Linked-In and Facebook pages still show him working for RS. I have heard he tried to steal product from a kiosk in California. Great interviewing skills, Rosetta Stone!

This is the most unethical, clueless, and may I also say straightforwardly cruel company I have ever seen. It was not like that at all back when I started.

Note to corporate hacks: when you write a fake review, try to not sound like a YTD management report. I have seen enough of those to figure out you have been tasked with writing a positive review. No wonder all other reviews are massively negative - because they are written by real people.