Pros
Talented and collaborative co-workers who make the day-to-day work enjoyable. Hybrid schedule provides flexibility and some work-life balance. Leadership shows ambition and willingness to try new initiatives and programs. Town halls with the CEO provide transparency and the opportunity to ask questions directly.
Cons
Morale is declining rapidly, driven by leadership instability and lack of support. Managers are stepping down at an alarming rate, and many employees are avoiding leadership roles altogether. The company frequently rolls out multiple initiatives without clear direction, adequate resources, or realistic expectations. Regional teams are especially impacted, expected to absorb this work without sufficient support, which leads to burnout. There are not enough underwriting or operational roles within the regions to sustain these initiatives. Operational infrastructure is a major gap. Many regions lack dedicated support functions such as marketing, events, product, HR, IT, and design teams - forcing employees to take on significant responsibilities outside their roles without additional compensation or recognition. Career advancement opportunities in these spaces are limited, and high performers are often left in stagnant, thankless roles. Rather than developing talent, employees are often assigned expanded responsibilities beyond a sustainable capacity. Overall career development is lacking. Top performers frequently leave for higher-paying opportunities elsewhere with less stress. Processes are inefficient, and talent is often constrained by nonfunctional systems. HR is a consistent pain point. Confidentiality is a concern, support is limited, and there is a disconnect in understanding employee roles. HR often functions as a pass-through for leadership rather than a true advocate, with little innovation or modern approaches to employee development and retention. Work-life balance is poor across the organization. Expectations—especially in underwriting—are unrealistic and exhausting. Flexibility is often denied, even for reasonable schedule adjustments, despite messaging promoting a flexible culture. Upper leadership does not appear to understand the realities of working parents or the demands employees face on a daily basis with territory sizes. Processes and communication are inefficient. Vendor and contract approvals can take months, IT issues persist, and priorities frequently shift without clear communication. Goals are often unattainable, and corporate initiatives frequently overwhelm teams without proper alignment or follow-through. Many leaders feel they are simply “checking a box” for upper leadership, and frustrations are openly discussed among teams. Managers are paralyzed once in their position and have no desire to develop themselves, creating barriers for those who do - We’re losing young talent because of it. Policies are applied inconsistently. The emphasis on badge swipes and in-office tracking feels out of touch, particularly when field roles are not held to the same standards and performance or travel is ignored. While there is a sense of job security, it is overshadowed by poor communication, lack of direction, weak infrastructure, siloed leadership, a costly new corporate office location, and increasing frustration across teams.
