-Low pay relative to responsibilities
-Weak benefits
-Poor leadership culture
-“Family feel” messaging did not align with employee experience
I worked at Associa as an Executive Assistant supporting the CIO. The executive leadership environment was particularly difficult. The CIO’s management style was highly self-focused and lacked empathy or collaborative leadership. Communication often felt one sided, with little appreciation for support staff despite heavy workloads and constant urgency. Expectations were high, but recognition and support were minimal. This created a stressful atmosphere where morale was consistently low.
Compensation and benefits were also disappointing. For the level of responsibility, discretion, and hours required, the pay did not align with market standards. Benefits were underwhelming compared to other companies in the industry, and there was little transparency around advancement or compensation growth.
The company frequently emphasized its “family feel” culture, but in practice, that messaging often felt like a distraction from more tangible concern, particularly compensation and benefits. During my time there, raises were minimal or nonexistent despite increased workloads and rising expectations. At the same time, benefits became less competitive. Instead of addressing these issues transparently, leadership leaned heavily on the idea that we were a “family,” implying loyalty and sacrifice should outweigh fair market pay and strong benefits. A supportive culture is important, but it cannot replace appropriate compensation, meaningful raises, and competitive benefits. Over time, this disconnect made the “family” messaging feel performative rather than genuine.
