There was a complete lack of managerial direction or meaningful support, compounded by constant strategic changes and reorganisations that made it nearly impossible to maintain focus or deliver effectively. Constructive challenge and critical thinking were not welcomed — in practice, they were actively discouraged.
The fully remote, globally distributed setup created significant barriers. Collaboration across time zones and inconsistent levels of English fluency frequently led to miscommunication and inefficiency. Meetings were poorly run and almost always overran, reflecting a broader lack of organisation.
There is also a deeply entrenched culture among long-tenured employees, particularly within product, that resists change. This is especially striking given that adaptability is positioned as a core company value, yet in reality, new ideas are often shut down.
Within design and research, ways of working are overly rigid and process-heavy. There is an over-reliance on templates and documentation that adds unnecessary friction rather than enabling better outcomes.
From a personal standpoint, this was the most negative professional experience I’ve had in over 15 years working in UX Research. I have never felt so disrespected by design and research management. I was given no meaningful feedback, no clear success metrics, and no structured support to succeed in the role. Commitments from my manager — such as reviewing role competencies — were repeatedly not followed through.
Ultimately, I was pushed out of the role rather than supported in it. The lack of basic management standards and respect made the situation untenable.