Not What It Claims to Be—Avoid at All Costs - Anonymous employee Geonetric Employee Review

This place used to be amazing and was everything it promoted itself to be: forward-thinking, innovative, transparent, fun, inspiring, open to new ideas, etc. But that was under the founder and former CEO. This company has taken a serious downturn since the new CEO took over. Leadership still claims to be everything the company is known for in the area, but in reality, it's nothing like that anymore. Further, the company keeps putting more and more policies and layers in place that further distance itself from the culture and quality that it used have. I could write volumes on the negatives about this place, but for brevity’s sake, I’ll just put some highlights: • Lack of focus on quality and an increased focus on just getting things out the door • Reluctance to accept new ideas that challenge the status quo even though they encourage employees to share innovative ideas that shake things up • Terrible leadership that doesn’t understand how to run a digital agency • Preference for employees who just do what they’re told without questioning anything over employees who voice their opinions and try to make a difference • Little money and focus on employee professional development • Promises of perks to keep employees motivated short-term that never materialize when it comes time to deliver on them • Toxic work environment that puts more employees in tears than I’ve ever seen anywhere else I’ve worked • Pervasive gaslighting of employees to keep them from speaking up or bringing up questionable practices and business policies • High employee turnover rate, with many current employees also looking to go elsewhere • Highly toxic and manipulative leadership at the team, executive, and HR levels (which means it’s pretty hard to go to someone about any problems) • Nonexistent work-life balance for many employees • Low salary for the amount of work asked of you and the “other duties as assigned”-type responsibilities you’re given And I could go on. I understand that some of the above things are true of many companies. However, the issue here is that Geonetric claims that its differentiator is that the company isn’t like that and stands apart from traditional management and corporate culture issues. It’s a definite bait-and-switch for employees, who come in expecting a freedom-centered workplace and, instead, get anything but. And since the worst manipulation and gaslighting occurs within the HR, executive, and team leadership, you’re putting a target on your back if you try to speak up about anything. When I started at the company years ago, I was so excited. The former CEO was inspiring and made you want to come in everyday and put your best ideas and efforts forward. Unfortunately, this just isn’t that place anymore. Save yourself the heartbreak and emotional turmoil and look elsewhere for employment.