The managers’ lack of professionalism makes it fairly easy to muddle through.

The managers at both headquarters and field locations are generally very lacking in professionalism. They usually get promoted because of their long tenure or because the company is so short-staffed that it has to choose the least bad option (@recently appointed retail managers). This company is highly unrecommended for anyone seeking career growth—regardless of the department. I joined with high expectations but ended up nearly becoming part of the collective slacking-off culture. The managers lack strategic thinking, make decisions based on personal preferences, and favor employees who flatter them, making you question whether professionalism is of any use.

The biggest drawback of being a middle manager is being caught in the middle. With a flat organization and managers’ strong personal preferences, you are essentially just a troublesome intermediary for subordinates, and there is limited room to make an impact.

The company’s system is rigid and constantly regressing. It likes to use small rules that cannot keep up with the market to regulate employees, while self-congratulatorily believing that it is doing the right thing.

HR can even come up with the genius idea of having company managers chosen by popular vote.