A couple departments are run with nepotism, and there seems to be a communication disconnect between departments as well. Despite being told we were all on the same team with the same goal (to help customers), the overall structure of the company suffered as each team was 'pitted' against each other. Promotions were given based on who you know / are related to, not your merit/experience or even work ethic. Sure, some of the management does try to further you as an employee, but it's hard not to see that management in certain places are related and/or close friends. Even if you're the best worker and a really good fit for a promotion in your department, don't expect a raise/promotion within your first 5+ years because there seems to have been an idea that you have to "be there a long time to be considered for the role". Even if they have to fill the position ASAP, they will promote someone will time over knowledge/experience nearly every time. Sales runs the entire company as they make the money and all others are seen as a detriment despite cleaning the work up to get funded. The sales team has a high turnover as they do have a heavy load to work with, but the missing/incorrect pieces are frequently picked up/cleaned up by later stage departments. A recent merger threw a wrench in the works, which paired with a downward trend in the industry, led to mass layoffs across the company. I cannot blame the company if the potential for the company to fail was on the line, however you cannot just say 'our future is fine and we're doing better than the average', but then lay off most of your workers. Until the market is better and the federal reserve decreases the rates, don't expect a career at this company. Even if the economy recovers, you may end up being a bandaid to a deep cut. With that being said, growth is stifled and hard to come by without the correct manager leading you; you will probably even face difficulty being led by one of those correct managers.
