Leadership at the pod lead level and above has become disconnected and uninterested in addressing recurring problems. Employees are treated as disposable, burnout and turnover are accepted outcomes if it means cutting roles to improve margins on accounts already weighed down by horrible contract fees. We’ve strayed far from the days when we invested in interns and junior team members, giving them the growth and hands-on experience that created stronger pipelines and smoother transitions. Now, when someone leaves, responsibilities are dumped on the existing team, or the role is shifted to MX where retention appears even worse.