Start with the mice running through the building on an almost daily basis, add a lack of training materials, co-workers existing in a world of rewards to the best back-stabber, a manager who loudly discusses which employees need to be fired on phone calls with other managers 5 feet away from you, and an environment of inter-departmental non-cooperation as the rule, price breaks to area politicos, and what's not to love and embrace about this well-oiled machine of a branch office? One of my co-workers was told not to even consider a promotional opportunity even though this person was more than qualified - not even an interview or a review of skill set. They just did not want to bother with the possibility of having to fill the open position, and it is fun for middle management to squash the hopes and dreams of those who report to them. A driver who is extremely ambitious, and always volunteers for travel assignments, overtime, pretty much anything the company asks from him has been trying to earn a promotion for years and has been getting stonewalled. This man is eminently talented and qualified and shows great leadership, and his management just brushes his requests away. The human resources person has no answers to questions, refers you back to your manager instead of checking with her department. My "orientation" on my first day consisted of her handing me a large stack of papers and telling me to read them. That's it. Oh, wait, she asked me for help with a spreadsheet.
