Limited Growth Potential, Terrible Organizational Culture, Lack of Leadership - Product Development Manager Safari Programs Employee Review

I was at Safari for a few years and started my tenure with the aim of growing my career at a fun and innovative organization. I was excited at the prospect of working in the toy industry and looking forward to joining a thriving and growing company. The new building, company gym, and the promise of events and activities promoting a fun office environment seemed really exciting! My optimism and faith in the company quickly dwindled after experiencing the reality of working at Safari Ltd for little more than 6 months. There is no room for decision making or independent thoughts. There is no room for opinions, suggestions, or feedback for upper management. Politely passing on company events is not an option, even if you are busy during work hours or don’t want to donate your time on the weekends. Negative reinforcement is the norm, and mistakes and missteps are often center-stage around the water cooler. Managers are on auto-pilot and follow orders from the CEO and President, no matter their outcome. When it comes to leadership, integrity, and industry knowledge, neither of the members in the executive team have the experience or patience to develop these traits. They have very broad ambitions but lack the acumen and people skills to rally their company to success. Overall, Safari produces a good product for a fun industry. Unfortunately, it doesn’t foster a satisfying or nurturing work environment for its staff, which is why it also experiences extremely high turnover and low job satisfaction ratings. Employees are offered your average range of benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k), but the company is VERY stingy and strict with time off requests. If you need a short-term employment option (a few months to a year), Safari may be a good option for you. If you’re looking to gain experience or grow your career, I would advise for you to look elsewhere!