Constant structural flux and non-stop changes in the organization's focus leave employees in a perpetual state of trying to figure out exactly what their own jobs entail.
Adjustments implemented by leadership usually seem reasonable on the surface. However, staff frequently perceive these decisions as rushed and ill-considered, since staff are not always sufficiently consulted ahead of time and are often left confused or scrambling as a result of the latest organizational changes. It is common for employees to change supervisors multiple times, even over the course of their first several months working of working at IHS.
There are also constant meetings. Virtually all employees (mid-level mangers in particular) have the majority of their calendar filled with internal meetings of questionable value. This makes it hard to get any real work done and leaves many employees feeling stretched thin and stressed.
The structure of the organization is also inordinately complex. Fragmentary/niche departments and complicated chains of command can make it daunting to find your place at IHS.
Not only is it hard to learn who does what, but seemingly everyone is a "stakeholder" in every decision and they can become territorial, making it onerous to decide on almost everything. Plus, there is often a lack of goodwill and trust between departments, resulting in gossip and backstabbing behind the scenes. (Note that within departments cohesion is generally better and even between departments many folks come across as friendly.)
Attrition is comparatively high, even by Washington D.C. standards. The strongest talent, especially at the entry level through middle management, tends either to get frustrated or receive a substantially better offer from elsewhere, so they decide to leave before long. (Of course, there are exceptions; some excellent folks manage to stick it out.)
In other cases, talented staff are shown the door because changes in structure render them redundant or irrelevant. This results in concern about job security, causing even the strongest employees to watch for the writing on the wall.
