Pros
There are some world-class coworkers who are cream of the crop in terms of knowing their work, and the industry.
Cons
Ineffectual, outdated leadership and management skills. Managers tend to throw each other, and just about anyone, under the bus in order to save their own skin. One would think that managers would want their employees to share information, help each other out, and create in a collaborative work environment. Untrue. Not at Westat. Disorganization and chaos rule every aspect of this company. Sometimes this is caused by well-meaning, intelligent, creative employees taking matters into their own hands because they have had it with their bosses’ inability to get anything done, so they go rogue. Oftentimes it is caused by employees who are trying their best, but are working on very little information, because their leaders won’t help them and provide tools. It’s the blind leading the blind. Sadly, this all means that people end up not trusting each other. Nepotism abounds. Many people aren’t qualified for their jobs because they’ve been promoted to their highest level of incompetence, and they started in the 90s and early aughts. Multiple instances of shady business practices perpetrated by senior leaders have been repeatedly reported to the HR team as well as C-suite, but nothing really happens to anyone. All the best people leave—in my short time, I witnessed 6 managers leave in rapid succession over less than a year. This, as well as much of the above, create an environment of distrust, and ultimately, decay.
