Culture Misalignment: Johnsonville often hides behind its culture, using it to justify poor business decisions. Mistakes by management are labeled as “learning,” whereas employee mistakes are scrutinized.
Weak Leadership: There is a lack of strong management at the Director/Sr. Director levels. The company operates on tenure rather than merit.
Outdated Performance Management: There is no modern performance management process. Goals are not clearly set at the beginning of the year, and KPIs are not well-aligned by leaders.
Inconsistent Cultural Practice: Despite emphasizing coaching and feedback, the company paused its employee engagement survey when results were unfavorable, highlighting a gap between talking about culture and living it.
Lack of Incentives: The profit-sharing bonus is based on total company performance, not individual contributions, leading to a lack of motivation for personal excellence.
Talent Retention Issues: There’s a worrying trend of young talent leaving due to lack of innovation and growth opportunities, while long-tenured employees focus on retirement rather than business growth.