Poor leadership and outdated practices
Pros
Great colleagues — The team was the only redeeming part of the job. They were supportive, hardworking, and often the reason things didn’t completely fall apart.
Cons
Institutional inertia — The company is stuck in “we’ve always done it this way” mode. Any attempt to improve or modernise processes is met with resistance or dismissed outright and the word "legacy" is brought up a lot. Misleading workload — The job was far more admin-heavy than advertised. Very little room for meaningful, strategic, or developmental work. Outdated culture — The working style feels stuck a decade behind modern standards. Slow processes, unnecessary bureaucracy, and zero interest in improving efficiency. Demotivating leadership — Feedback is delivered in a way that drains morale rather than builds capability. Criticism is the default communication style. If you speak up, you're told "you know where the door is". No progression — Career development is a buzzword, not a reality. You can perform exceptionally well and still be treated exactly the same. Poor support during high-pressure periods — Stress is treated as part of the job rather than something leadership should help manage. Incompetent long‑tenured managers — Some managers are in their positions purely because they’ve been around forever, not because they’re capable. This contributes directly to the outdated mindset and poor decision-making. Attendance over performance — Leadership cares more about whether you’ve met your three‑day minimum in the office than whether you’re actually performing well. Showing up matters more than delivering results. High turnover — People leave constantly, and leadership doesn’t care. Instead of fixing the root issues, they just replace staff and repeat the cycle. Below-market pay — Compensation is significantly under market standard for the workload and expectations. The pay simply doesn’t match the level of responsibility or stress.