You have two groups of people in the office section of the building: extremely seasoned employees who are in coasting mode, and young energetic specialists eager to impress and advance. There's very little in between. People use this place as a stair step to other/better career opportunities, so the bottom levels are a revolving door, making this place full of managers who are relatively inexperienced and unable to effectively keep employees motivated. Pay and benefits are mediocre, and with no set vacation policy, some brand new employees have more vacation than those who've been in their position for years. In addition, there is a TON of finger-pointing between departments; nobody wants to take blame if something goes wrong. Not only that, but there are those who kind of push work to further steps in the development/marketing process, so there is a lot of interdepartmental animosity. Literally, there are department directors who openly talk negatively about other departments and/or their leaders. There is very little HR involvement in this company. I never went through any kind of orientation; my new manager gave me a tour of the building and sat me down to my first project. I technically never even met our HR representative for the period I was there (over a year). Finally, I was a salaried employee, yet I was treated like an hourly employee by management. Even though I was staying 30 minutes to an hour late several times a week in order to get my projects done, I would get talked down to by my supervisor if I was 5 minutes late in the morning or getting back from lunch. Speaking of, there are a few coworkers who get incredibly vindictive about someone taking 5 minutes extra on their lunch and will report you immediately. If you're not working on your work at all points throughout the day and somebody notices, you will be reported for slacking on the job. There is a ton of open gossip in the break room, making the room uninhabitable for anybody wanting to get away from the stresses of work. Finally, upper management is stuck in the 1980s with antiquated ideas of how employees should be treated. There are some redeeming events, such as a paid lunch here and there, leaving 15 minutes early once in a blue moon, etc. but for the most part, there's a huge disconnect between employees and upper management. In addition, people are literally brought on staff based on being friends of the family of upper management. Yeah. Like I said. 1980s. So, to wrap up, the disconnect between management and employees and the lack of ability to distinguish hourly/salary policies was my downfall. While I appreciate the opportunities I was given to advance my career and learn an entirely new line of products to market, I definitely don't appreciate how I was treated, and how I felt being immersed in ocean of frustration of others.
