Mission-Driven on Paper, Not in Practice for Employees
Pros
- The residents were genuinely the best part of the role. - A unique group of older adults with interesting life stories and backgrounds. - Daily interactions with residents were meaningful, engaging, and often fun.
Cons
- Compensation was low relative to workload and expectations. - Despite being a nonprofit, there was a significant pay disparity: executive and senior leadership compensation appeared disproportionately high while frontline staff were underpaid. - Favoritism was highly visible and directly impacted opportunities, support, and advancement. - Career growth was very limited unless you were viewed as a “favorite,” at which point roles or pathways were sometimes created. - Lack of transparency around promotions, compensation, and organizational decision-making. - Limited employee advocacy or support from HR and leadership when concerns were raised. - Several leaders lacked relevant background or experience for the roles they were managing. - Workplace culture included frequent gossip, which undermined trust and professionalism. - Performance feedback and expectations were inconsistently applied.