This is a long list…
Lack of respect from the top down - managers are rude and abusive to their subordinates as well as to people who don't even report to them. Because others see that this behaviour is tolerated, they too show no respect to colleagues. There are no consequences for this behaviour.
No sense of team at all - people will throw you under the bus in an instant to save their own skins. There is constantly a blame game.
There are many people who don't care about doing their jobs, let alone doing their jobs well, and there are no consequences for these people. If you bring it to their attention that they're doing something incorrectly, they just ignore you and the same mistakes happen over and over again. Eventually, if you want something done properly, you end up having to do it yourself (so you're essentially doing their job too for the same pay while they get paid to do nothing all day).
General lack of communication - team members who are working together frequently leave you out of the loop (but later expect you to know what's happening). There is also a tendency by some to go over your head and try to get your superiors/colleagues involved in tasks that you are working on. When requesting updates or information that you need to do your job, you are just ignored (this extends to senior management ignoring you too).
Slackers are given preferential treatment while good employees were let go in the reorganization (this was the reorganization in September 2015 where 85 people were let go). E.g. Employee A is always "sick" and never at his/her desk when actually at work. Employee A also can't be bothered to do his/her job properly but gets promoted while Employee B, who is good at what he/she does but has previously complained about the toxic environment at First Capital and has also complained about how Employee A’s misconduct is ignored, gets fired during the reorg.
Almost every perk that employees had prior to the reorganization has been taken away and silly policies have been put into effect – like a dress code (while the head office is in Liberty Village – not exactly Bay Street).
There is more of a focus on getting things done quickly than doing the job properly (but if there are mistakes because you're forced to rush and can't investigate everything properly, it's still your fault). This is because everything is always left to the last minute (poor planning and calendar management) and then things become urgent.
There have been employees who have joined First Capital and left of their own accord within a few months of joining because they are not willing to put up with what goes on at First Capital. Also, A LOT of good people have left since the reorganization.
There have been a lot of hires because of existing relationships (family and friends) which makes you question whether these people have the requisite education and experience required for the job.
If you raise any of these concerns with your superiors they are brushed aside and you are basically told that this is just how it is at First Capital, that they themselves experience the same behaviour, and that you can either stay and put up with it or leave. You’re totally disposable – even if you’re constantly told what an amazing job you’re doing, the company doesn’t actually want to do anything to improve the situation that exists there.
I was underpaid but I know of others at the company who are extremely overpaid (industry-based and based on their inability to do the job properly). The benefits you receive are the same as you'd get at any other company that provides benefits (but RRSP is actually worse because the company matches BUT only pays out their match around March the following year – so if you leave before then, you lose out on the entire company match portion). There is an employee share plan where you can buy company shares (and the company matches your contributions) but there is a vesting period so you lose out if you leave.
Not a lot of room for advancement. Company seems to hire externally rather than promoting from within.
