Oh where do I start ...
Outdated equipment (10+ years old), falling literally apart critical systems, nearly impossible to maintain and/or upgrade. The equipment is so old that even a reboot can cause troubles.
Want to buy new server? Can't do it unless approved by the Corporate IT, prepared at the headquarters in BC and then shipped all the way to QC. Simple request for new server takes months to go through the whole bureaucratic machine.
Want to upgrade failing office printer or scanner? Same thing but it has to be a specific make because this is the policy. Inferior quality and 25% more expensive than another brand but hey ...
Have any initiative? Forget about it and start pushing papers around.
Looking for career advancement? Yeah, right.
They claim there are three type of training:
1. PD$ to buy books with and read on your own time;
2. flying you to Richmond, BC to meet your peers - these are discussions and meetings but definitely not a training;
3. going to a conference - you have to find one yourself, get approved, pay it yourself well in advance, go there, pay your hotel, then submit all your receipts and wait about a month for reimbursement. One can calculate how much debt an employee accumulates by this and how much the company saves.
Which brings me to the next point - performance reviews and salary increases. One can be promoted, getting different title and more responsibilities but the salary would remain the same. It is visible that people aren't motivated or happy. Low morale all around. There are two types of staff: senior staff (10+ years at the company) and newbies (2-3 years). Not much in between as the average retention is 3 years. High turnaround in various departments - HR, account managers. Overworked IT.
Upper management has chosen to close their eyes for the problems below and look after the bottom line only. The company is highly political being dependent on government contracts but still was able to find way to "expand" to the US market albeit the resistance from the government.
Middle management is incompetent, have no necessary leading or people skills for their respective positions. Can't motivate the team as many of the senior staff members are more educated. Fails to accept advice and always suspicious of one's activity. Playing favorites and unable to create a sense of team.
Corporate IT security policies are frustrating many people who value their liberty. It becomes tedious to perform one's tasks with all these restrictions around. Moreover, the restrictions are not explained properly if at all, leaving people wondering what is wrong this time.
Because of all the above the company is unable to fill many positions. Top-tier talent is hard to come by and the company does not go the extra mile to attract them. Management still lives in the '80s or '90s advertising only on their website (because is free) and believing the company has all the leverage when it comes to hiring top talent. The majority of the senior team members will have really hard time finding another work outside MDA due to being outdated in what they do and surviving only thanks to being around so long.
