Local leadership presents a massive and growing problem. There is a culture of self-centeredness with no thought for how decisions will impact larger teams and individuals. When concerns were brought forward about business strategy, team culture, and overall health of the office, not only did they fall on deaf ears, but leadership became defensive and punitive toward those bringing forward those concerns. At times, I saw no morals or care from leadership for the wellbeing of the people working here. There was a grossly misogynistic presentation about women needing to lower their voice to be seen as more professional - and this was delivered by one of the most senior leaders here. HR's attempts to gaslight and silence anyone that expressed concerns of favoritism or discontent were clear reinforcement that there were no resources for the employees to utilize. There is no clear path for growth in this office - either professionally or personally. The business strategies have been proven unsuccessful year over year, but leadership is doubling down on them instead of adapting. This is leaving younger designers without the opportunity to grow professionally or touch work that will move their careers forward. In addition, there is absolutely no desire to grow or promote team members. I saw people who were staples of their independent studios go years with no professional development or promotion - and it led them to leave. Currently, there is a mass-exodus of young professionals from this office. They see that there is no support or care for them and they are looking elsewhere. I want to stress that this is solely as it relates to the Chicago office, and I cannot speak to other locations. For a company that prides itself on being "better together", this office clearly doesn't care about keeping people together.
