Toxic work culture (burnout culture): employees were expected to begin and end work outside of conventional working hours, were commended for doing so, and were neglected if they were unable or unwilling. Despite the sensitive nature of the work, management ignored efforts from human resources to offer mental health interventions. Given that the project operated according to regulated peer-to-peer feedback and scoring systems, the culture revolved around constant criticism among fellow team members.
Exclusive and cliquey team management: the original team members are now senior management, and they are gatekeepers of responsibility and respect on the team. Their "inner circle" is exclusive and it has caused many employees to feel ignored and outcast, with their own learning, development, and progression curbed as a result. The senior management is receptive to feedback, but if not agreed with, the feedback will not be incorporated into team changes. There were issues with a lack of respect and empathy on the team, causing team members to feel degraded and excluded. The team has lost many members since the project's founding, many of whom have left after being there for under a year.
Resistant to organisational and cultural change: there were recurrent issues with the structure of the project, resulting from its nascence. However, suggestions to adapt the project and the team organisation were not taken seriously when emerging from lower and middle management. The scoring system was by far the most toxic addition to the team's management culture, encouraging an ethos of competition and exclusion.
Talented, smart, and highly qualified individuals on the team, but management and organisation of the project does not incorporate their value. Many team members are unhappy but feel they will be rewarded for their toil. Many have found this not to be the case unless they were able to work themselves sick or gain the social approval of upper management.
Limited learning and personal initiative: the work is interesting, but could be done by someone with very few qualifications. Does not require the amount of previous experience and skill that is asked in the job posting. Efforts to engage more with the organisation and management of the project were prevented by upper management. After being on the team for over a year, I did not find that I left the job with a proportionate amount of new knowledge.
Underpay: I believe the employees on this team were underpaid for this work, despite the high profitability of the project itself.
