Poor, Vindictive, and Toxic Middle Management
Pros
- Covid response and policies were comprehensive
Cons
Over the course of 4 very successful years with a company that I once loved, I grew tired of toxic and undeserving middle management. Thanks to the advice of loved ones, I finally realized I deserved better. Being scolded for not meeting a monthly retention & up-sale metrics or targets when you spent half the month on pre-approved PTO is absolutely ridiculous. Having pre-approved time off means your goals should get adjusted to account for any time that was pre-approved off. So, I'm supposed to match the metrics of people who were actively working for double the amount of time I was? Yeah, no. I think any person with half a brain cell could see how silly that is. Instead I get messages saying that I "still need to put my best foot forward" with highlighted screenshots of the team targets to paint a picture that I wasn't performing when I was. Or other messages artificially creating problems that didn't exist using language like "you have no excuse not to double check your numbers", when I personally helped identify that the system was not logging a solid $1-$2K daily which is a huge deal. I took initiative to ask for a daily report of the numbers that were captured so I could, on my free time, cross reference each call I took and each account I touched daily to catch what the system missed, and that was met by lower management retaliating and sending messages saying that I had no excuse to NOT do this extra thing that I was doing without being asked. It was a clear attempt to try and make me look bad amongst my leadership and peers. Personal and vindictive to the core. And what's worse? Another middle manager, above said lower manager, gets cc'd on these reprimands and says nothing. It was petty and quit frankly unnecessary. I think this is a perfect and precise example of a toxic culture. Unfortunately, only one example of many over the years. Feedback was always "encouraged" but with the high risk of retaliation. A good ol' boys environment. Promotions often came for someone who knew someone through familial ties, or friends while they tell the rest of us that its based on merit or achievements and contributions. The company has initiatives like women's empowerment groups while allowing a culture that a woman can't simply be good at her role. She must also do the workplace gender norm song and dance of smile all day long, and make herself smaller.