Deep cultural and ethical problems at the leadership level
Pros
The fact that I had a short time there was a pro
Cons
I joined OfficeUntitled in a marketing role and was laid off after a very short time. I was pretty new to my career and excited to learn, but it became clear almost immediately that something was very wrong with the culture. The way leadership talks about women is shocking. I was in meetings where women were described as ungrateful and criticized for speaking up, with comments about how women “used to be” and how they didn’t complain before. This kind of language was said openly and casually, like it was normal. I was also in meetings where former female employees were named and talked about in extremely negative and aggressive ways. They were blamed, mocked, and described as the problem. This happened more than once and was almost always directed at women. It was uncomfortable and honestly scary as a new employee to hear people being talked about like that. There also seems to be a pattern of protecting men. I became aware of past situations involving inappropriate behavior and harassment that were handled quietly or brushed aside. It did not feel like people were held accountable equally, especially if they were senior or male. Professional boundaries were not great either. Partners openly talked about personal behavior and things that felt inappropriate for a workplace, which made the environment uncomfortable and hard to take seriously. At one point, one partner had to forcibly take an extended leave because he was gloating about inappropriate partying behavior during a work meeting. It’s all pretty shocking. From a marketing perspective, I saw behavior that didn’t feel ethical. Employees’ work was taken and used in company marketing and portfolio materials without credit. In some cases, it felt like leadership was passing off employee work as their own to make the firm look more experienced than it really was. This happened more than once and was entirely planned, not accidental. Lying also seemed normalized. Things leadership said internally often did not match reality, especially around marketing, experience, and the firm’s history. Since leaving, I’ve noticed that many people who were there longer and seemed very loyal have also left. That feels very telling. Seeing similar Glassdoor reviews now has been validating. While I was there, I was constantly made to feel like I was misunderstanding things or overreacting. Looking back, that gaslighting was part of the culture. Getting laid off was upsetting, but I am relieved I didn’t stay longer.