From Purpose to Pretence - Manager Just Employee Review

Eroding Values: As the company’s ambitions scaled, transparency, honesty, and genuine care for employees significantly diminished. Leadership Double Standards: There is a clear disconnect between the company's stated behaviours and the actions of certain members of the most senior leadership team. While the ‘general population’ is held to these high standards, those leaders are often exempt. Issues are frequently suppressed, and those who speak up are often blamed, resulting in a culture of ‘toxic positivity’ and a lack of psychological safety. Fear of Retaliation: Direct Reports often feel pressured to mirror the poor behaviours of their superiors to be seen as ‘team players’, or indeed to remain ‘safe from scrutiny’, prioritising optics over integrity. Compromised Feedback Loops: Although engagement surveys are marketed as anonymous, negative feedback often leads to questioning, serving as a subtle warning rather than a catalyst for improvement. The solitary goal is for the highest score, rather than a true reflection gained from a genuine desire to better the employee experience. HR Misalignment: In recent years, HR has transitioned toward inflexible and even aggressive tactics. While HR must protect the business, it has lost the necessary balance of fairness and empathy. Grievance/appeal processes lack impartiality, and employees often feel forced to leave quietly rather than face reprisals. Absence of Accountability: By excluding ‘accountability’ from its core behaviours under the assumption that it is ‘a given’, the company has allowed it to gradually disappear. This shift has ultimately failed the many people who helped build the business. Cultural Dishonesty: The core issue is not the pursuit of success, but the discrepancy between the over polished, outward image and the actual reality of the internal culture.