Pros
Most Kestra employees are good people and genuinely pleasant to work with. Day-to-day coworkers are not the problem.
Cons
Toxicity is driven from the top. Leadership prioritizes optics and narrative control over accountability, transparency, and employee well-being. Employees were explicitly pressured to post positive Glassdoor reviews to counteract ongoing negative feedback. Instead of addressing why these reviews exist, leadership focused on trying to bury them. Compensation is not competitive. You must negotiate aggressively at hire because annual raises are minimal to nonexistent. Bonus pools are routinely underfunded (often around half-funded), despite leadership repeatedly emphasizing revenue growth in town halls. The disconnect is glaring. New hires are frequently paid more than existing employees with greater experience. Loyalty is not rewarded, which has fueled attrition. HR is a major contributor to the toxic culture.In 2025, HR had more turnover than any other department. Policies are rolled out without understanding downstream impact, and when problems arise, blame is pushed onto other teams. There is an excessive focus on monitoring employee activity and internal “click” metrics, creating a culture of surveillance rather than support. Employees feel watched, not trusted. Many long-tenured employees resigned in 2025 as the culture continued to deteriorate. Leadership frames this as “growth,” but much of the hiring is simply backfilling roles left by burned-out employees.