Viridien reviews about "colleague"

Sometimes deadline pressure, you must be efficient

Is and will remain an oil & gas company with some toxic senior managers.

There is a huge amount to learn which can be a little overwhelming to start with. Also this is not a job if you want to be comfortable! Although innovation is incentivised, project deadlines and the day to day means it can be difficult to find the time to be a bit creative if its not directly impacted on your project. The work is mainly oil and gas although the company is trying to diversify.

I regretted my decision to join soon after starting. Immediate colleagues helpful and pleasant but toxicity from managers and leadership was rife. Even reps from HR are rude and unpleasant. I studied hard for my degree and wish I had taken one of the other opportunities on the table. I see little opportunity for progression here and skills learned here are only useful here.

Career progression could be much clearer and more structured. Promotion paths, development plans, and expectations for advancement are not always easy to understand, which creates uncertainty for employees who want to grow within the company. Salaries are also slightly below market average in some areas, and compensation should remain competitive to retain strong talent. Like many global technical companies, priorities can also shift quickly, so clearer communication and consistency would help.

DEI is surface-level at best – The company talks the talk, but in practice, inclusion feels selective. It's a great place… if you're a white man or woman. Racism still exists in subtle — and sometimes not-so-subtle — ways, with little accountability. Toxic internal politics – Advancement often depends more on who you know than what you contribute. Work-life balance is poor – Long hours are quietly expected, and boundaries aren’t respected. Lack of team spirit – Collaboration feels forced, and genuine support between colleagues is rare. Sketchy layoff practices – Transparency is low, and decisions around terminations often feel arbitrary or pre-decided. Leadership hypocrisy – Values preached at the top aren't practiced day-to-day. Disappointing for a company with a female CEO – You’d expect better leadership on equity, but the reality doesn’t match the image.

toxic management Over time, working hours are not paid Promotions are biased no benefits,

Lack of role models ....They talk a lot about diversity and inclusion, bring in guest speakers, run workshops… and then the senior leaders behave in ways that completely contradict all of it. At times it even crosses into openly discriminatory behaviour. If you raise concerns, you’ll likely face group pressure or be pushed out. The culture just isn’t mature... harassment is brushed off or quietly tolerated at the top. Work–life balance is basically non-existent. Long hours are simply how things are done and nobody in leadership seems interested in changing it, even though it’s clearly taking a toll on people’s mental health across multiple teams. Everyone sees it, no one addresses it. Leadership is toxic. Many managers have no real management skills, yet they’re protected because the place runs on politics and connections rather than merit. Cronyism everywhere. Politics over competence, every time.

No real internal mobility. Highly political culture. Fear-led management rather than clear leadership. Very little accountability at senior level. Immature communication style. Indirect and often manipulative behaviour. Guilt-tripping and passive aggression. Vague criticism instead of honest feedback. Different message in private and in public. Information withheld as a power tool. Credit taken upwards, blame pushed downwards. Unprofessional and often childish environment. Too much workplace drama. Can feel more like a playground than a serious business. Low compensation.