Last day

Today is my last day in this Viper's nest and I couldn't be happier. Well, I suppose when I'm officially out the door, THEN I'll be the happiest girl on the planet.
For your reading pleasure, enjoy the text of my exit interview. :
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Name: Coley

Position: Marketing Coordinator Teller # n/a

Supervisor: (fired) N/A

Hire Date: 6/1/06 Termination Date: 10/16/08

What made you decide to leave your current job with COMPANY? (Check all that apply)


What did you like most about your job?

My supervisor.

What did you like least about your job?

The lack of challenge in the work, and the negative tone of the corporate culture.

Do you feel training opportunities were made available to you?

Yes and no. Training was available, and often mandatory, but usually on topics/skills that my position doesn’t utilize. I guess, a lot of what I was trained on didn’t have any impact on my job function.

Do you think your supervisor was fair and reasonable? Why?

Certainly. I was one of the few lucky people at COMPANY whose supervisor went to bat for me and also helped me grow professionally. Criticism was always constructive, never demeaning.

Do you believe you were given access to and realistic consideration for promotional opportunities at COMPANY?

No. There’s not really anywhere for my position to go. And once the Marketing Director left, it was made apparent that I would not be considered for the position.

Do you feel your contributions were appreciated by your supervisor and others?

Supervisor and my direct department: certainly.
Others: not so much. I often felt undervalued, or worse, that others were actually rooting for my failure. I’ve never worked in a position wherein other employees actually delight in others’ mistakes, and that’s a big part of the culture at COMPANY.

Did you have the appropriate equipment and resources necessary to perform your job?

Eventually, yes. Although it was always a struggle and fight to get what I needed. For example, it took over a month to get me the design software required to do my job.
And when more electronic storage space was needed, I had to purchase an external hard drive, since MIS could not, or would not, help. And after I finally took matters into my own hands, there were several weeks worth of grief over the purchase.

Was your salary satisfactory for the job you were performing?
A little low, to be perfectly honest. And there wasn’t a clear way to petition for a raise, since performance reviews were rarely done. A yearly cost of living increase is not sufficient.

Were you satisfied with the employee benefits provided?

The benefits were fine, though I would have liked for the Annuity plan to be offered at the start. I was not aware of that option until many months later.

Was the physical working environment comfortable and conducive to productivity?

Generally fine.

Do you have suggestions for improvement?

Workplace morale is just awful. From my experience, there is no teamwork, only antagonism and negativity. I’m disappointed at the way conflict is handled, especially once a VP is involved. Whoever complains the loudest is appeased, regardless of the situation.
I mentioned above the glee other employees show when they find a mistake someone else has made, and how much that hurts the camaraderie. This is behavior that should be discouraged by management, not condoned and in fact modeled by those in leadership positions.
Supervisors and VPs do not stand up for their own employees, and rather tend to use them as scapegoats when something goes wrong. A good manager is one who encourages excellence in their employees, providing opportunities for growth, while also taking responsibility for their department’s mistakes.
Individual departments are not allowed to self-govern and other employees feel entitled to comment on the goings-on in other departments and individual employees. (Example: My work schedule. Why so many employees felt that my work hours impacted them is beyond me. Also, that no one in management had the good sense to tell them “Mind your business” is just unacceptable.)
The extent to which people here are allowed to exert their own neuroses on others borders on company-sanctioned harassment.

Are there any changes that could have been made to prevent you from leaving?

A higher salary, more creative leeway and a complete change in corporate attitude. Also, some family friendly work policies would have helped (flex time, work from home, etc).

Other comments

COMPANY could be such a wonderful place to work. I’m saddened that no one will make the changes necessary to reduce the negativity. It’s a shame. Instead the most vocal complainers are given free reign, creating a down right hostile work environment for everyone.