MANAGEMENT
The lack of management experience amongst some of the more senior members is obvious - micro-management and rule enforcement is predominant.
Family values are preached but this is often limited to a select few and it is easy to feel like an outsider.
As a result of the above, nepotism is clear. Sometimes those who rise up deserve these new senior roles, but otherwise it feels very preferential. This often leads to entitlement.
"Flexible working" isn't really flexible if they force people to come in a certain amount of time per month.
There is a significant focus on investment and growing the business further, but initial focus really needs fixing all the problems within the business itself. You can't grow a tainted seed...
TEAM CULTURE
Many valuable team members left throughout my time there and the company did very little to show they were valued, only announcing departures during their last week or only via email, while some were not acknowledged at all. How is this a "family"?
Competitiveness between teams - everyone wants to succeed but sometimes this comes out in the wrong ways. Rather than working together, people are going head-to-head all the time.
Employees thriving on "who is busier" - why is this even a competition?
Employees who were good at their role would get away with rude comments, insults, racism, etc., often treating others as if they're unqualified or undeserving. I admire those who excelled but being a bad team player is never ok and management would mostly justify it as "it's just the way they are". There were active cases of harassment and bullying that were kept quiet, with those responsible still at the company.
Shockingly, for a company pushing "family" and "flexibility", there was unfortunately a severe lack of understanding regarding personal lives. Despite constant overworking, employees would have to make up time spent at medical or personal appointments.
BURNOUT
Burnout is a common theme.
Employees who get stressed or anxious are often told to "not get emotional at work".
Sometimes it feels like family values are pushed as a method to overwork the team or get more out of them. They seem aware of this overworking but their only attempt to fix it is by partnering with the CEO's friend's mental health company with which we sometimes did talks with that often led to more distress. Unsurprisingly, we also did marketing at a reduced rate for them.
(LACK OF) BENEFITS
There are essentially no benefits. Pay is relatively low considering the location, bonuses are 3 figures, if at all.
Development opportunities are slim with no real structure for progression. Those who got ahead seemed to do it by being rude and by undermining colleagues.
REVIEWS
It feels like there are actually many dishonest reviews on Glassdoors - when they notice they have received another negative review, they get current employees to post as an attempt to counteract. I wish they would take the time to acknowledge reviews instead. This is replicated in the office as well in terms of company politics, focus is on who said or did what rather than actual cultural development.
