I will say the former CEO was an amazing human being, you can tell that he really cared and cultivated the company and the "values" they try (tried) to live up to. Unfortunately he retired and that is when this place started going south.
My time here is not a reflection at all of him as a person. You can tell that he really loved and built that company into what it was. Wish him nothing but success and happiness.
When the running joke is, "it's just a bunch of white dudes" as the top people in this company: that's an issue. And it shows.
From being literally segregated from my team and conveniently "forgotten" to be told until a whole week later, then put away in a spot facing a wall while others have windows (seriously who does that?) to just the lack of respect for people of color in the workplace in various departments - it's going downhill and FAST. Some (not all) at the top are more concerned with money that they forget that the employees idk help make that a possibility for them to have their lavish lifestyles, meanwhile the favoritism will show and show HARD.
From being excluded from things to being micro managed it is just insane how this company took a turn for the worst. But don't worry they'll make sure that they squeeze a few pictures with Pics to post online as "diversity inclusion" and immediately go back to disenfranchising the minorities in what equates to when that one person said famously, "shut up and dribble".
Literally was in meetings where I would be treated with silence or like a black sheep (no pun intended) and another peer was welcomed and laughing and giggling and side chats etc. I also started to notice that people wouldn't talk to me one-on-one it was always with someone present. You'd swear I was aggressive or something with that treatment. It was weird, uncalled for and lacked class (a running theme). Got PLENTY of screenshots of it and lots of testimonies as well.
Witnessed an incident where a manager in a different department called another co-worker to ask what the black employee was doing (keeping tabs for no reason vs idk asking them themselves?) , where that person immediately rushed over to tell them that was going on. And there are many other examples of this. Kudos to that person for being an ally in that regards and shame on them for encouraging and facilitating that type of behavior.
Plus the hierarchy makes no sense? Why is someone that is supposed to be a co-worker managing me while the manager wasn't? (one manager seemed so aloof it was like no no no don't touch the stove levels). That created this elitists mentality that further divided the department where the favoritism really showed. AND TRUST. IT.IS.APPARENT. Thinking outside of the box was "encouraged" and then suddenly not because "templates" and a severe lack of understanding of how branding and marketing works it seems. Or money talks creativity walks. You do you I guess.
Listened to how some of the other managers would talk about other employees of color and spoke to several of them and it was all the same, "yeah I get treated like xyz all the time. Its why I'm leaving or actively looking for new job"
Some of my coworkers and peers were amazingly wonderful human beings that were trying to do the best they can with what they have. Some not so much...
They want to claim they are "progressive" but it is more regression than anything. If you're a POC don't worry you've been around the block enough times to know that this ain't it and when to get out before you become the example as to why there aren't more POCs hired. I guess that running joke about it just being a bunch of white dudes holds true.
INSANELY disappointed in them as a company and can see why people are leaving when they do. Cool concept of helping to build schools and such but the behind the scenes of how it is run goes a long way to show that they have now only become about how much money can you make me and why haven't you made me money. I certainly would tell my community not to support them in their regards but likely go with a different company to help.
STAY AWAY (especially if you are a POC) run because they'll literally just tell you what you're doing wrong and then complain that you're doing too much right? Legit feedback that was given.
Even better is that you can really tell the ones that care and the ones that have been consumed by greed or in power struggle to control the company to turn it into a competitor they bash. They're one bad decision influenced by money away from becoming that.
