Avoid at ALL COSTS - Anonymous employee The Howard Group Employee Review

I’m truly sorry that you felt working with us was so negative during the initial 90 day introductory time that you were here. The entire management team strives to create an atmosphere that challenges and empowers everyone at the company to succeed and excel and we are happy that so many employees really love what they do. The 90-day introductory period is meant to help both employees and management determine whether working at The Howard Group is a good fit for everyone. In that period of time we all came to the realization that it would be best for you not to continue. You specifically included me (Ops Director) in your praise of the good people here at The Howard Group. I appreciate that greatly, but I have to say that I completely disagree with your negative characterization of the company and its owner. I have been happy here, as is most of our team, and I do not intend on departing any time soon. We have a number of people that have been with the company for 10 to 20 years and that speaks volumes. We do require that our full-time salaried employees work at least 40 hours per week in the office. I know fulfilling that requirement was a challenge for you and that you were very upset when I told you that working from home just was not an option for us. Clearly, you blame the owner for this decision but as your direct supervisor, that choice was mine based upon the impact to operations while you were not at the office. Again, I am glad that you met great people during your time here. It is especially important as a small company that our team form positive relationships and works well together. Our goal is to find the right fit for everyone. While your experience is your own, I do feel that I should address several points in your review: 1. We work with a variety of clients for many different types of events that can often change up until the last minute. We know that can be stressful for some, and this is not an industry the suits everyone. 2. Companywide meetings are only held once every two weeks and are used as occasions to recognize and applaud exceptional performance and to share and learn about things that did not work as well… embracing the continuous improvement mindset. While sometimes challenging, these gatherings are never meant to be belittling or humiliating in any way. 3. Every employee is provided time to review their employment agreement and ask questions, before signing or agreeing to anything. This agreement clearly lays out the in-office and event season time requirements. 4. The owner has been in this business for many years. His experience and expertise around the events industry in this area is unrivalled. As part of that, in many cases, he has seen what will and will not work and is a great source of guidance. I remember several instances where the owner supported operational, marketing, and branding ideas you presented. I wish you well with your new family and hope only the best for you in the future.