From one of the best work experiences I have ever had to one of the worst, nearly overnight. I cannot speak on behalf of employees at the Concord office, but as for working at the Atlanta office: watch out. You will be treated second-rate, like a conquered tribe, not a welcomed family. Leadership is ego-driven, with the highest tiers of leadership scrambling for control over trivial minutiae. There is zero trust there, likely because if you are an outsider, you are literally an outsider; much of the Concord office seems to be made up of personal friends and family of leadership.
To make matters worse, the leadership style is poor and inflexible. There is not a growth mindset, but a ‘this-is-who-I-am-and-you-will-deal-with-it’ mindset. A poor man’s ‘boy’s club’ where even if you are somehow hired and of diverse perspectives or identities, you are required to yield to the dominant ‘monoculture’ - or you are bullied or gaslit for going ‘against the grain.’
The combined qualities above lead to a breathtaking lack of empathy and emotional intelligence. This, coupled with the tough task of managing a complicated merger during the current global pandemic shifts the aforementioned behaviors from the realm of lazy incompetence to one of apathetic cruelty.
To be fair, no one expects any leadership to navigate such unprecedented circumstances without bumping into some obstacles along the way - but that is not what is happening here. From layoffs to demotions to general treatment, to leadership’s response to those things: do not expect more than one word, ‘annoyed’ answers or public and petty reprimands in the business’ Slack channel. Leadership is only child’s play when leaders are children playing.