Don't go in blind - APS has big perks but bigger problems - Anonymous employee American Physical Society Employee Review

Leaders reward tenure instead of skill - Leaders spend a lot of time in staff meetings praising staff who have reached long tenure milestones (15-20+ years at APS), but rarely lift up the accomplishments of newer staff. Also, people with PhDs are put into roles that require skills they lack, or people are promoted because they've been here long enough. This has led to unskilled managers like mine (I effectively work in a vacuum - no support) Old boys' club vibes - It's been so hard here because of this. I've experienced and heard of episodes of profound condescension - not just coming from staff, but from long time managers. APS is hierarchical and old school, like the bad parts of academia Slow, indecisive leadership - This is constant, but an example: leadership spent months not admitting publicly that a big missile report had errors (and then finally said something after the NY Times published a story about it). It comes from indecisiveness and deference to hierarchy - decisions, even small ones, need sign-off from everyone and their mother Overwork for some - APS employs many staff whose skills have rusted, or who have pursued priorities that aren't useful for APS or that APS has no business doing. A few staff work long hours to fill the gaps I hope I’ll feel differently soon. For now, I'm disappointed, and starting work each day is so hard. I wish I had known, before I started, what I know now.