- Management hires for 'fit over skill' so employees are often selected based on likability within the team. People who are 'overqualified' have been passed over for someone less experienced but more malleable, personality-wise.
- Similarly, managers are frequently selected based on familiarity within the business, not necessarily their skills in diplomacy and getting the best out of a team. There is a lot of unchecked nepotism, hubris and controlling behaviour amongst managers even to the point of bullying.
- Emphasis is placed on changing people's personalities if they're skilled/hard workers but not quite the right level of introvert/extrovert or other quality deemed necessary to the manager (note, not the business overall).
- There isn't really a HR. It's a 'People Team' that serves the interests of the business and rarely individuals. Anyone who speaks out about perceived ill-treatment or asks for too much (salaries, flexibility) is seen as not acting in the business's best interests and can be systematically 'worked out' of their job. It seems to be a fairly routine and simple process for GW and has happened many times.
- Creativity is encouraged but paradoxically suppressed. I.e. people can be critiqued in performance reviews for limiting their creative contribution but any or all suggestions they do make are frequently passed over for management's own ideas.
- Salaries generally do not match the amount of work expected, especially unpaid work in the form of generating creative ideas outside of work hours.
