1. Animals for colleagues - there are no friends here. Everybody is your competitor, at best or your foe, at worst.
Back biting, politicking are a given. You need to have a very thick skin to survive here.
2. Performance appraisals are an annual joke. Even HR knows it.
3. The only thing that motivates people to come to work is the annual rating and bonus.
The adage, "it's all about money, honey" rings true here.
No where else have I come across such a bunch of shamelessly money-minded people.
4. The respect you command stems more from who you report to. The higher in the corporate hirerarchy your boss is, the more you are looked upto with awe.