Leadership lacks both vision and consistency, with strategies that seem to change weekly, often with no adherence to any long-term plan. Management has demonstrated an alarming inability to lead effectively, treating employees as expendable resources in a poorly conceived, chaotic environment. The recent reorganization was especially revealing: they let talented people go without a clear strategy in place, only to then turn to the organization for input on creating a plan. Was there no plan to begin with?
Leadership turnover is equally concerning, with frequent reshuffling into new roles or, worse, an influx of former L'Oréal employees. Despite employee engagement scores that show deep dissatisfaction, leadership appears to ignore these results, driven more by personal agendas and anticipated bonus payouts than by genuine improvement of the workplace.
With rumors of either a sale or IPO, any prospective buyer or Wall Street analyst should take a close look at this operation. What they’ll find is a skeleton crew stretched to its limits, with no cohesive strategy in place. A buyer should prepare for a complete overhaul: leadership, strategy, portfolio diversification, and the company’s operational structure all require serious rethinking. New ownership will also have to contend with major accounts and salon owners who are likely to greet yet another change with a eye rolls.
