Since the new CEO joined, the culture has taken a serious downturn. Leadership style is widely experienced as aggressive, abrasive and at times unprofessional.
Public call outs by CEO and criticism in group forums have become normalised, leaving individuals feeling undermined and in some cases visibly shaken after interactions.
The CEO has a clear my way or no way approach, with little openness to challenge or alternative perspectives. People are not treated as valued contributors, but as expendable resources in pursuit of a short term outcome. It is widely perceived that the primary focus is on positioning the company for sale by private equity, with little regard for the people or long term health of the organisation.
Morale and engagement are at an all time low. There is a noticeable atmosphere of fear, with employees reluctant to speak up due to concern around retaliation or negative consequences. As a result, trust in leadership has significantly eroded.
Attrition risk is high, with many actively looking to leave what is increasingly seen as a toxic environment.
Flexibility has also been rolled back. A previously flexible hybrid model has been replaced with mandated office days on Monday to Wednesday, seemingly driven by the CEO’s personal schedule rather than business need.
Overall, the company feels fundamentally different to what it once was and not in a positive way. Such as shame as was a great place to work.
