Minerva Project Reviews

I've taken a while to write this review. When I first started at Minerva, I had noticed that management seemed to lack the experience and skills necessary to lead their teams effectively. Unfortunately, what I thought might improve over time, as team members gained more experience working with one another, actually began to get progressively worse. Teams are stretched and burnout is inevitable. Managers expect their direct reports to work more than what is sustainable, in an attempt to make up for lack of human resources. Roles are not clearly defined, meaning people step on other's toes left and right. And though Minerva is no longer a "start-up", it very much operates as such. But what I'm most disappointed by is the fact that opportunities for career growth are essentially non-existent. Employees are given "opportunities" to lead events or projects, but without the resources needed, it often feels as though we are set up for failure.

Staff and faculty are being worked into the ground. There is no work life balance. Discussions/working groups centered around improving this have been had, but little has changed. (I'm still hopeful it will.) We are very much a start-up in terms of drama, broken processes and long hours, but without the perks. There is no recognition or 'kind words' for those who go above and beyond - in fact the CEO doesn't approve of recognition. Staff are not happy and leave because they are forced out or burned out - rarely for another opportunity. If they do leave, staff and managers speak negatively about them. Performance reviews are hard to get and there is a hard rule that staff are not able to negotiate for a pay raise, even after years of exceptional service and hard work, if their title has not changed. If things aren't going well, managers are quick to blame individuals, not broken processes. There is an unlimited vacation policy, but with little staff cross-training, it's almost impossible for many to take a break.