*These critiques are solely based on my experience with the team I was in.*
Imbalanced workload - My former team drove the majority of the department's revenue, often working overtime on weekdays. It wasn’t uncommon to see colleagues replying to work messages during weekends and off days. Meanwhile, other departments could often be seen playing video games or sports in the common area—during work hours. It’s no wonder our team was always "expanding" yet never fully staffed; people were jumping ship in droves like lemmings. Inadequate training for new joiners—because practically everyone was new—only made matters worse.
Excessive meetings - Meetings in the morning, meetings during lunch time, meetings for a meeting after another meeting, my calendar was so packed that keeping track of my daily BAU tasks became a task in itself. While the weekly fireside chats between HQ employees and the CEO were a nice gesture, having them every single week started to feel a little too warm.
Poor management - My former manager in my business line was promoted out of necessity, thanks to the relentless turnover rate of the team (see first point above). Unfortunately, they often struggled to manage even themselves. I’ve never seen someone so inconsistent with their mood throughout the day. Adding to the chaos, the manager rarely provided clear instructions but still expected immediate actions and results. It didn’t take long to realize that mastering the art of boot-licking was the only way to survive in this business line.
Unhealthy team culture - Some Japanese colleagues had the troubling habit of mocking the appearance of female colleagues behind their backs, creating a disrespectful and toxic atmosphere. On top of this, there was a tendency among some colleagues to unfairly criticize Japanese-speaking foreigners for their language fluency. If language skills were such a sticking point, it begs the question: why recruit foreigners at all? Why not just send more expats from HQ instead?
