- No ability to work from home and no laptop. All work is conducted in the office or via iPhone if you travel.
- Fear-based Culture: All PD employees fear the wrath of one individual and it’s evidenced daily. The office is covered in eggshells and every single day felt like one could get fired at any moment (which I’m convinced is by design).
- Zero Accountability: Mistakes are inevitable but management will never have your back. When things go wrong that bus comes around, you’ll likely be thrown under (especially if you’re low-ranking); fingers pointing in every direction.
- Absence of Positive Feedback: “If you’re looking for a pat on the back, you’ve come to the wrong place” – unnamed executive (to me). It was later explained that management doesn’t believe in positive feedback because they fear people will slack off upon receipt. My experience was that your best barometer for success is silence and being left alone. However, when negative feedback is given, it’s usually mean-spirited and feels intended to chip away at your dignity.
- Human Resources: PD seems to operate independently from the entire organization and has its own HR system. If employees have issues, they are discouraged from approaching actual HR and chastised for doing so. No one seems to know who the actual HRBP is.
- Existence of Silos: PD is heavily silo’d and departments are often pitted against one other. Subsequently, collaboration between PD departments is difficult and often contentious.
- Centralization: All decisions, no matter how innocuous, funnel up to one individual. Promotions seem to be based on the subjective opinion of said individual and contingent solely upon time in position; rather than productivity or work quality.
- Zero Autonomy: Things are done the Ross way which is fueled by a high level of bureaucracy and redundant processes. Save your energy coming up with ideas for process improvement – it’s a futile, fruitless effort.
