Terrible CEO who uses and manipulates staff to constantly get her way. She picks and chooses who is “valuable” and latches on to them by luring them in (often inviting them to places, treats them to nice expensive stuff, lands them speaking opportunity engagements at music conferences, promotes them, etc) literally buying her way to gain people’s trust. Once they are no longer useful, she spits them out. You’ll have to play her game in order to be liked, it is extremely toxic and unprofessional. The entire staff knows how she works, those who have succeeded at the company have all figured her out, they are too playing the game. It was exhausting to see this unfold during my time there.
Since the CEO has already carefully picked her favorites; promotions and opportunities are already premeditated and are NOT based on merit. That said, your hard work will never be acknowledged nor compensated fairly if she did not perceive you as valuable from day one.
Since Directors, Managers, and Leadership roles were handpicked by the CEO, entire teams are led by individuals who might not be suitable for the job, most have little to no management/leadership skills. Again, these positions are not based on merit, so the bar is super low. As a result, you have people in power completely lying their entire way, this occurs within internal, client and prospective meetings.
The company also has a diversity and equity problem, (big surprise, the majority of the CEO’s favorites all embody white corporate). As previously mentioned by another reviewer, employees of color are funneled through low paying jobs and limited opportunities.
The diversity initiatives mentioned in the company’s website/BuiltInLA were created and brought forth by the company’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee. The committee was initially welcomed but once leadership was held accountable for their lack of equitable promotional practices, they quickly turned their backs on most of the previously agreed company DEI pledges. When this was addressed vocally by one of the committee members, leadership re-acted by firing them (retaliation). This placed a huge burden on all of the committee members and its allies, the group very quickly resolved (some left on their own while 2 were fired).
If you continuously bring up inequities, or vocalize manager’s wrongdoings you get labeled as toxic. Instead of fixing the company problems head-on, leadership finds it easier to either fire you or create professional hurdles for you to not succeed.
Stem ought to change their company goals to accurate represent who they truly are. The company is NOT internally transparent (shady hiring, promotions, pay increases, professional opportunities practices), the company DOES NOT move as a team (only those deemed valuable get to enjoy the professional upward mobility).
Do not work here, take your talents elsewhere.
