Pros
Lots of smart, nice people driven by a once hopeful mission.
Cons
Culture and executive leadership went downhill fast early 2023. After rolling out some major initiatives and funding, I believed the frantic feeling of the culture would improve, but it only sloped further once RTO was announced. As morale declined among individual contributors, HR and senior leadership seemed to feel it was an “us against them” situation, with underdeveloped and overworked middle managers squeezed in between so tightly they’ve mostly cracked. Many great team members have left, most who remain are actively looking to leave as soon as possible. Promotions and raises are based on good behavior opposed to good performance with people who raise concerns being pushed out quickly. The CEO continues to stray further from reality as he spends the majority of his time working on side projects but employees are actively discouraged from having their own side projects. The offices do not have the capacity to hold all of our employees therefore we are unable to collaborate with other teams in accordance with the initial reasoning for RTO. The Los Angeles office is loud with minimal private spaces making the working arrangements difficult for those of us who have frequent meetings both internally/cross-departmental or externally. In office perks we were told of when RTO was first announced went to the wayside by the time we were in office such as free lunches, a valet, etc. Everyone seems extremely unhappy but unable to discuss it without risking a target on their back.