Pros
The employees under senior management are some of the loveliest and most creative people you could hope to work with. You’ll make lifelong friends here, which is a huge positive. Pay is also generally fair. Unfortunately, the positives end there.
Cons
Be aware that this company operates on a micromanaging, overbearing, and authoritarian model. This starts with the MDs and senior managers and inevitably trickles down to executives. At times, it feels like being back at school, where you risk “getting in trouble” for very minor issues. This stems from an egotistical leadership style that is both draining and unsustainable. As someone with ideas and experience, I found this management style very difficult to work under. Systems aren’t updated if “that’s how it’s always been done,” or without a clear reason to change. When I voiced concerns about this early in my employment, I was told bluntly that “it’s not likely to change.” From there, my time at the company — and my so-called “performance” — only deteriorated. Depending on your working style, this may or may not be a deal-breaker, but for me, it was red flag no. 1. Red flag no. 2: The company is either unwilling or uninterested in accommodating different working styles and needs — most notably neurodivergence. Flexibility in working hours, arrangements, or communication style is almost non-existent, and this issue strongly connects back to red flag no. 1. I personally witnessed people being “managed out” because they didn’t fit neatly into the company’s rigid methods. This usually took the form of being “asked to leave” with the promise of a good reference. In reality, this is a form of unlawful termination — something they seem well aware of, as many of these conversations were deliberately kept “off the record.” These exits are framed as generous offers made in the employee’s best interest. Spoiler alert: they’re not. I witnessed this on multiple occasions, and it’s clear the company leverages the naivety and good nature of its junior staff (see my only real “pro”) to make them believe the problem lies with them. Second spoiler alert: it doesn’t. Red flag no. 3: Stress and frustration are common among executives, and I saw more than a few tears shed during my year there. In every case, this stemmed from poor management at senior levels. To make matters worse, those very managers were rewarded with multiple promotions, which only reinforced the idea among junior staff that they were the problem, or that they weren’t good enough. Whether management is unaware of this or simply chooses to ignore it, the outcome is damaging all the same. There were other issues during my time at the company, but the above should paint a clear enough picture.