The middle management layer is where things fall apart. The promotion and performance review process is fundamentally broken, you will spend significant time writing lengthy reports every six months, receive above-expectation ratings, deliver strong results, and still not get promoted. Promotions are not driven by merit or performance; they are driven by personal relationships and internal politics. I witnessed decisions where clearly less qualified individuals were favoured over better performers for reasons that had nothing to do with their work.
What makes this worse is the explicit attitude of some managers that above-expectation performance and consistently working late across multiple projects is simply the baseline, something that is expected of you as standard, and that entitles you to neither additional compensation nor career progression. Going beyond what is asked of you is treated as the norm, not as something that should be recognised or rewarded in any way.
Role boundaries are also routinely ignored. It is common to be asked to take on tasks and responsibilities that fall well outside your job description, often covering gaps that should be filled by other functions or roles entirely. This is presented as flexibility or teamwork, but in reality it means your actual role is diluted, your time is stretched further, and none of the extra effort is factored into your compensation or career progression.
Workload expectations are completely unsustainable. The amount of work you are expected to carry simultaneously is excessive, and when concerns are raised there is no meaningful response or support from management. Over time, the pressure accumulated to the point where it began seriously affecting my health and wellbeing, something I had never experienced in previous roles. This is not a place where you can expect management to notice or care until it is too late.
Compensation has consistently moved in the wrong direction over the years. Benefits that existed when I joined were gradually cut. In at least one year, no salary increase was given at all and when increases did come, they were insulting relative to the workload and the results delivered, nowhere near enough to keep pace with the cost of living, let alone reflect genuine contribution. All of this while the company continued to grow and attract significant investment.
The management structure is also becoming increasingly layered, making even legitimate requests for recognition or career progression more opaque and politically dependent.
On a human level, the culture can feel cold and transactional. When colleagues leave, do not expect any acknowledgment or gesture of appreciation, team events and social moments are not extended to those who have resigned, even during their notice period. You are effectively invisible the moment you hand in your notice.
There is also a notable arrogance in parts of the management culture. Some managers feel entitled to pass judgment on the career choices of departing employees, including dismissing the companies they are joining, without knowing anything about them. This kind of condescending attitude toward people who have simply decided to move on says a great deal about the respect, or lack thereof, that employees are shown.
It is telling that promotions and salary increases that were repeatedly described as impossible or unavailable seemed to materialise quickly whenever it was convenient for the company, not for the employee. The system works on the company's timeline, not yours.
