I worked at Zoom for about 3 years, until I was let go for no good reason. I saw the culture deteriorating from good to worse to worst. My experience in IT, which they later changed to DTO, was nothing short of disastrous. The heads of departments in that org, one head particularly, created a completely toxic, demoralizing environment where fear, humiliation, and threats were the norm. Instead of motivating employees to succeed, the head of the group made it his mission to publicly humiliate and belittle anyone who made a mistake or didn’t meet his unrealistic expectations.
It was common to be publicly criticized — often in a demeaning, humiliating way. Constructive feedback was nonexistent; all you received was a constant barrage of negative comments, making it feel like you were walking on eggshells every day. The heads seemed to take pleasure in putting people down, creating an atmosphere where employees were constantly worried about being fired at any moment. The threat of termination was used as a tool for control, rather than fostering a culture of growth, collaboration, or improvement.
In addition to this toxic behavior, there was an undeniable pattern of favoritism. The department heads brought in several people from their previous jobs, in US and at their offshore centers and have been shipping operations overseas in record numbers—and made it clear that these individuals were above reproach. Those of us who didn’t work with them before were routinely marginalized and excluded from important conversations, while their old colleagues received all the accolades, promotions, and bonuses.
It was beyond frustrating to see people advance purely because of their previous relationships with the leadership, regardless of their actual performance. It felt as though they were building their own private network of "yes people" who were protected from any accountability or scrutiny. Meanwhile, employees who actually wanted to work hard, contribute, and grow were left in the dust, constantly fighting an uphill battle with no support.
Ultimately, I was let go, but the overall culture had already made the job unbearable long before that. The constant stress, fear, and low morale created an environment that was damaging not only to individual employees’ mental health and productivity but also to the long-term success of the department and the company as a whole.
If you value respect, personal growth, and a healthy work environment, I strongly recommend avoiding the IT or DTO department at all costs. The leadership there is seriously misaligned with the company’s values, and the culture they’ve fostered is toxic and destructive.
