Toxic Environment, Burnout Will Come Fast - Systems Engineer Network Doctor Employee Review

Nice people. Plenty of out of work activities. Everyone willing to help.

Too much junk food in kitchen. I put on weight ;)

Most colleagues on the direct team were collaborative, supportive, and genuinely friendly. From the start, it felt like a cohesive team environment where employees were willing to assist with more complex issues and took the time to explain processes clearly. The documentation was well organized, making it easier for new hires to find information and get caught up to speed. Additionally, the hybrid work schedule was a positive aspect of the role. Working here also felt like a crash course into IT, which I see as a positive. You are exposed to multiple environments with different systems and setups and learn quite a bit about how everything works. The team I had the pleasure of working with is the reason the rating is as high as it is.

Unfortunately, there are several significant challenges associated with working here. Management often appears disconnected from the needs and concerns of the helpdesk team. Promises are frequently made but not fulfilled, and other departments seem to receive more support and attention, leaving the helpdesk to operate with limited guidance. Account managers are often not well aligned with the responsibilities of their role. For example, some expressed reluctance to communicate directly with clients about contract information, instead pushing that responsibility onto helpdesk staff. Many account managers also lack technical background, leading to unrealistic commitments being made to clients, obligations that ultimately fall on the helpdesk to address. Obtaining necessary information from them can be difficult, and they may be unresponsive or provide minimal assistance when issues arise. The Projects team also presents challenges, as partially onboarded clients are handed off to the helpdesk without sufficient documentation or follow through. When critical information is missing or environmental issues occur, the Projects team is often unwilling to re-engage, creating additional strain and inefficiency. There also appears to be notable favoritism within the organization. Some technicians consistently carry full workloads, while others appear to complete only a few hours of work per day without accountability. In some cases, employees block off an entire day for “training” or “reviews,” yet remain at their desks watching videos or listening to music. The on-call team routinely escalates after hours tickets to helpdesk staff with minimal troubleshooting, providing either no notes or enough fluff to make it look like the proper troubleshooting steps were taken. Time off policies are inconsistently applied as well. Certain employees are permitted to take more than their allotted PTO without issue, while others face intense scrutiny even during emergencies. Compensation and career progression were also areas of concern. Raises tended to be minimal, even for employees who consistently put in significant effort and demonstrated strong performance. Opportunities for advancement were limited, and moving into higher roles was uncommon, regardless of tenure or contributions. This created a sense that growth within the company was difficult to achieve. Overall, these issues contribute to a disorganized and inefficient environment, with the majority of operational burden ultimately falling on the helpdesk team.