I joined the company expecting/hoping for an exciting, progressive and forward-thinking company focused on technology and innovation. Unfortunately this is not reality.
Although Applied Intelligence is seen as the growth (and most exciting) area of BAE, in many respects it is stuck in the dark ages, particularly the International Services and Solutions business. There are far too many people who have been at the company for 10, 20, 30 years and think they know how a world-leading company should be run. They don't have experience of other companies who do thing well so they use control and power trips to assert their authority over even the most petty things. Leadership at all levels is woeful and many people don't even know who their line manager is!
It's a very toxic culture - focused on projects and delivery, not on quality or people. Feedback is rarely (if ever) given, instead there's a blame culture and finger pointing if people don't like something. Where are the adult conversations? They just don't happen. People, even at a senior level, are afraid to challenge leaders in any way and just let them behave however they like.
Many senior leaders at Applied Intelligence are where they are simply because of their tenure in the company or by default. The company seriously needs to invest in some decent leaders. They are a few decades behind where they should be.
