1. Zero-merit based. Neither honest nor hard work will get you anywhere in this organization. The ways to further your career is to cozy up, both figuratively and literally to 'leadership'. Leadership surrounds themselves with self-serving sycophants who think they know way more than they do.
2. Lack of basic transparency and communication. People are 'managed out' left and right without clear reason and communication, or waived off due to lack of 'culture fit'. Org changes are constant without clear communication why and when. You can walk into a meeting and come out with a new boss but the craziest part is that your new boss didn't know this person was getting promoted until you meeting neither.
3. Dog eat dog culture. Incentive structures don't promote any kind of collaboration. People are constantly undermined by team members, and this type of aggressive behavior combined with loud talking gets you promoted to manager roles. No clear guidelines or expectations of managers; zero accountability nor incentive to actually promote and champion team members. People are also pitted against each other and in constant state of nervousness as leadership strolls around trying to gather gossip and building cases against other people in their org.
4. Low pay, little to no real career trajectory. WeWork relies on its 'brand' to sell the job but is heavily underpaying relative to the market. Unless you are a straight white male with strong personal ties to leadership, forget any normal pace of career growth within this org.
5. Lack of real business strategy and plan. Firedrills constantly with directional changes by 15 minute intervals per whatever 'leadership' decides is now 'top of mind'. And if there is any shred of strategy and an actual plan to execute on it, see point #2 - 99.9% chance you haven't heard about it and will not hear about it. Stop using 'hyper growth' as your excuse. That isn't a strategy...
6. Egos to the moon and back. Self explanatory.
7. Caucasian males are never wrong. Need I say more?
For anyone who is very politically savvy who lacks real ability to execute or general intelligence, this could be a great place for you to kick off your career. For the rest of normal people who wanted to join a company and team that promised 'immediate impact', 'accelerated career growth', 'outsized responsibilities and ownership', look elsewhere but WeWork Enterprise.
It takes a bit to realize that the toxic dump you're in is not a YOU problem but a leadership, management issue. Suggestion: after you come to terms with this, keep calm and carry on.
