What happens when a company touting their “people first” ethos sells out to private equity? The slow death of what made Carnegie a great place to work. In the past I was happy to recommend open positions to my network as Carnegie felt like a rare gem in the agency landscape, but today I would not share an open role with anyone. The openings are there because talented people are fleeing the high-stress/low stability work environment or are dismissed from the company with little compassion or explanation. One day they’re a green bubble on slack, and the next they’re like a ghost who you’re not allowed to ask about.
Every day a new team member departure is announced and that, coupled with steadily dropping morale in the last ~10 months from constant restructures and lack of basic human empathy, leads to a workplace where cheer feels forced. Company “events” feel like mandatory places where you need to show how much you love it here even if the reality of your day is far from the “people first” workplace they talk about. Even if you are insulated in a smaller team or with good direct managers, the constant restructures and firings lead to a lot of stress and feeling like the company is spinning its wheels. It’s demoralizing point blank.
As other reviews have alluded to, it feels like the same 10 people constantly get promoted to new roles while others are passed over. As Carnegie acquires new companies it also frequently fires their leadership after a few months once they wring out any industry good will or novel approaches - taking what they’ve built over years and discarding them like used batteries who have been sucked dry.
The writing is on the wall that Carnegie cares more for its profits and benefiting the private equity firm than taking care of its employees. A place that once felt like a breath of fresh air now has the corporate stink.
