Over my two years at WorkForce Software, what started as a positive, collaborative environment unfortunately deteriorated. During that time, my content team experienced significant turnover, over 100 percent. This turnover was largely due to the challenging management practices in place. Upper management frequently moved the goal posts, making it difficult to see a clear path to promotion or pay raises, despite increasing workloads and accumulating successes.
The CMO's management style favored loyalty above all else, retaining staff who acted as "yes men," even when this approach negatively impacted the broader team. One notable example was a VP who experienced nearly 100 percent turnover on her team over two years. Despite multiple team members citing the same frustrations about this VP, the CMO chose to keep her on staff. This preference for loyalty over effective management created an environment where constructive feedback was stifled, and genuine concerns about career growth were often dismissed.
This was a common experience among my coworkers. In one month, three members of our nine-person team resigned, citing similar frustrations with career development opportunities. It was disheartening to feel that career growth was often stifled by management.
One particularly discouraging moment for me was being advised to be "less confident" during a one-on-one with my VP. As a woman receiving such feedback from another woman, it was especially disappointing. The VP seemed to resent or fear young people who were motivated and career-oriented. She fumbled many opportunities to retain highly talented and hardworking individuals on her team in favor of preserving her own ego. This not only hindered the personal growth of many promising employees but also contributed to the overall decline of what was once a thriving and collaborative workplace.
The VP created a dynamic with her team that felt more like a principal and student relationship than that of a manager and employee. Her interpretation of events was the only perspective that mattered, making it nearly impossible to defend oneself. If you advocated for yourself, you were often labeled as greedy, ungrateful, or jealous of others who had received opportunities. This toxic environment stifled initiative and demoralized many talented individuals on the team.
Overall, the proof is in the turnover rate!
