Consider yourself warned… There are two Peapod Digital Labs. There’s the organization and the inner circle. The inner circle runs the organization and its interwoven throughout Ahold Delhaize companies. The inner circle personally grooms who they want to succeed. They usher and promote them regularly, most associates will see it, no one will say anything. Its not based on skillset nor work experience. I personally know of a few people who were literally ‘gifted’ their positions… with little to no interviewing for managerial roles. Here’s what you need to know before accepting a position at PDL. • Don’t believe what you see on LinkedIn and question what you see on GlassDoor. It’s all smoking mirrors. In March Peapod Digital Labs laid off over 80 associates. It was kept quiet and off social media. • There is NO confidentiality and NO real open-door policies. If there is a concern and you voice it, that will put a target on your back. Although they will deny deny deny this, HR is very aware of many of this inner circle’s unethical practices. • Prepare to hear, “We’re building the plane as we fly it.” HUGE RED FLAG. “We ask that you show him (or her) grace.” BIGGER RED FLAG “We’re preparing for a Lift and Shift” This could mean a number of things and none of it is going to be good. • Management will show fake support, cry and hug you virtually as they stab you in the back and expect praise and appreciation if they pull the dagger out of your back half way then hand you a band-aid. • The freedom that some associates have vs other associates at PDL is not a ‘misunderstanding.’ • If you feel like something is wrong or something is happening behind the scene.. trust that and adjust yourself accordingly (something is ALWAYS happening behind the scenes but no one knows anything, managers will act just as surprised as you. • You will be gaslighted. Prepare for that. If you part ways with PDL it may take some time to recover because you wont want to believe that you went along with the practices of this organization. • You will have weekly company standups. They will tell you how well the company is doing as a whole. If the company was doing so well there wouldn’t have been so many 2023 non-performance based layoffs. Don’t believe it, log on and watch the show for entertainment purposes only. Remember there are two PDLs. This is your warning. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and walks like a duck be careful… it could be a snake. This is PDL.