I will echo another colleague in that my time at Atria corporate is the biggest mistake I've made in my career. Atria truly brings out the worst in people. If your career goals entail upward movement, financial growth and skills growth – or even more simply, a workplace you can feel good about being a part of each day – Atria will set you back years.
You will hear "Atria is growing" on repeat. That is a blatant lie. The reason they are hiring is because the turnover rate of really good people is absolutely astonishing, especially in marketing.
Why is the turnover rate so high?
1. Leadership positions are staffed with hacks who lack the experience to fulfill their role properly. They pride themselves on people who "get stuff done," which creates a facade of short-term success. And that "success" leaves piles of mentally and emotionally destroyed employees in its wake. I can count on one hand the leaders that are qualified for their position based on their credentials.
2. They retain toxic people, presumably because they can't seem to keep the skilled employees, so they take what they can get. These toxic employees crush morale for their peers around them.
3. They will continually promise you the path to a promotion, salary increase and career growth. I can't remember how many times I've heard the "growth" rhetoric. They will keep the words flowing, but there is no plan; employees and their growth are an afterthought.
4. If you work hard, are a team player and are transparent with your manager about what you need to be successful in your job, then you will be ignored and be put on a path for failure. Atria has lost so many talented people who were vocal about what they needed to be successful, only to be put out to pasture; or forced into positions that no longer highlight their skills in order to frustrate them into quitting.
If you're looking for a place to slack off, punch in and out, and get a steady paycheck, Atria is for you. If you have any self worth or determination to excel in your career, look elsewhere.
Paraphrasing the CEO to a room packed full of employees in my first month on the job: "We are not in the business of taking care of older people, we’re in the business of selling rooms." That moment has stuck with me nearly every day since, and it is the perfect summation of Atria's culture. A giant red flag I should have noticed sooner.
