Working at Toysmith was a downright toxic experience. I received next to no support from management, dealt with a rude/abrasive manager that seemed more interested in scolding me than providing direction, and an HR department that could not have cared any less about making a new hire feel welcome.
Things started OK, but soured very quickly. The first red flag was the complete lack of any kind of training plan. The expectation was that I asked for everything I needed instead of giving me comprehensive training and acknowledging that I was brand-new to the company and role. The harsh criticism from my manager started soon after. I would do plenty of things correctly and not hear a word but then I wouldn’t have perfect recall of a single sales order and somehow that was worthy of derision. While I did make errors, it has to be noted that nothing was outside of standard “getting up to speed” mistakes that are part and parcel of the new job learning experience. Despite having just started, I received an avalanche of negative reinforcement that crushed my excitement and enthusiasm for my new position.
With less than 2 months on the job I was put on an action plan, which completely blew me away. Most companies have more realistic expectations for your performance/output after literally just getting started, but I guess the company that sells fart slime has standards I could never hope to meet. I would ask for feedback on how I could improve, but I didn’t really receive anything other than vague demands to “be more proactive” and “own my role,” on top of my manager growing hostile that I’d ask for feedback at all. My manager told me that 60 days was the amount of time it was expected that I’d know my role forwards and backwards, which is so wildly out of touch with reality that it’s laughable. Setting aside the fact that's not even remotely feasible in most jobs, I didn't even get the 60 days. This was after I was told that my role was “too big” for me, which is not how a supportive manager behaves. Actual training is the solution, not a completely new employee having to be in charge of their entire learning plan. Even when I asked questions it was met with irritation and incredulity that I’d need help at all. The atmosphere overall was negative and tense. You would assume HR would be concerned and try to assist a new hire in getting acclimated, but nothing could be further from the truth.
HR was dismissive, with zero credence being given to my complaints and concerns. After I went to HR, I was told that my concerns were invalid and I’m only getting treated this way because I really am that bad in my role (after maybe 30-ish days on the job). In a follow up conversation I was told, by HR, that there was "no hope" from them or my manager that I would ever improve, which is so unprofessional and mean-spirited that I still have trouble believing it happened. HR immediately sided with management and left me completely alone. No effort was made to understand how I felt about the situation or any validity given to my issues. HR is fully on the side of management and no one else.
I could go into more, like how poorly I was treated after a medical emergency or HR's over-reliance on a personality test called the "Culture Index" which is just astrology for HR, but I have to stop somewhere.
