Pros
I loved my colleagues. I still do. For the first part of my tenure, CoBank was a wonderful place that allowed me to level up in my career and I am grateful for that. Great benefits. They backed up employee appreciation/recognition with cash rewards.
Cons
Starting in late 2023, with a new executive hire, things became toxic quite quickly. They implemented scaled agile with no lead up and basically ripped teams up and patched them back together so that you were working with strangers and contractors. Then, when that got to be too expensive, they announced a “reduction in force” and let ~50 people go and gave a bunch of others the option to take a forced demotion or leave (without severance). According to people who are still there, the new CoBank is sloppy, hasty, unmethodical, and cutthroat. People do not feel safe expressing their opinions. It will take me a long time to get over the way they let people go - some were on FMLA, some were out of the country, some got their access revoked mid-call with HR, and some were escorted out of the building like they were criminals. These were all extremely knowledgeable and talented employees who had been rated “Valued Performer” or above the previous month and were doing their best to work well and be happy in the new framework. I would think twice about working at CoBank until there are massive changes in personnel at the top levels.
