Pros
Holiday entitlement
Many colleagues at team level are genuinely kind, talented, and care about doing the right thing
The organisation has a mission that *sounds* meaningful
Looks good on paper
Cons
The role lacked clarity from the outset, with vague responsibilities and constantly shifting expectations
Success felt subjective and based on perception rather than clear, measurable performance
Favouritism in some employees
A strong culture of “performing” for senior leadership — lots of polish, presentations, and internal optics, with questionable real-world impact
Significant time and money spent internally, while frontline support for residents felt secondary
Employees are expected to deliver complex work with limited guidance, support, or clear priorities
Quiet or introverted staff appear to be penalised, even when their work output is strong
Feedback was inconsistent and poorly documented, yet used to justify sudden decisions
Employment decisions can be made abruptly, with little notice, limited HR involvement, and no meaningful opportunity to respond or improve
HR policies are not consistently applied in practice
Gave me imposter syndrome and feelings of not being good enough