My final year working for FAST was the perfect storm of less-than-good workplace conditions that, as a whole, was not a pattern to my knowledge, so I’ll keep it to three major points overall.
- Boredom:
When working on a production support site, it can be easy to get bored once you’ve acclimated to how the software works. Unless you get assigned special projects or are on an active rollout, the work isn’t very stimulating as an implementation consultant (IC). At least if you move often enough, that change of pace will add a bit of variety and delay the itch for something new.
- Burnout:
There was inadequate training and guidance for new managers. This resulted in new managers struggling to guide their teams in congruence with project goals and deadlines. The continual feeling of not doing enough and not doing it well enough as a new manager lead to burn out. We all wanted to do well, but did not have the resources (staff, training, or support) to do so appropriately. Training would have been better if team managers' previous experience and current project demands were kept in mind. We all needed different guidance and a one-size-fits-all attitude in regards to training and support only hurt our project.
- Harassment:
I had heard rumors of inadequately addressed instances of harassment towards women over the years, which I later found to be true with my own experience. After a colleague sexually assaulted me, the subsequent investigation by HR was impersonal, ineffective, and poorly handled for such a personal matter. I felt like a nuisance, not a human going through trauma. I know HR representatives can do better, and anyone in this circumstance deserves better. I think acknowledging the seriousness of a situation and compassion would go a long way in HR's effectiveness. They did what they were legally required to do, but it felt that legality was their only moral guide and I think it's important for women to know what they're getting into if they're considering a job here.
