Innovation- Mars Petcare does not put the effort and time into novel products like it used to. The company is more focused at beating competitors at their own game and chasing after them, than it is creating and nurturing its own unique features that distinguish their brands from the competition.
Hiring- When I started, it was grueling and calculated. They picked the best of the best, and turnover was nil. The intelligence and energy were phenomenal in the company. It's seems that lawyers and HR have run rampant with some brand of fear-mongering, so now the selection process is overly-scripted and pat. It does not get a sense of whether the person and the company are a good fit culturally and ideologically. Hiring managers are very constrained in what they can ask and have candidates demonstrate in interviews.
Red tape and decisiveness: Everyone has to be involved in everyone else's business and with everyone wanting to put in their two cents, no one is able to make a decision. In fact, quite often people are afraid to make decisions. Rather than moving forward and getting things done, often topics are tabled for another meeting...rinse and repeat.
