Interesting Work, Disappointing Management - Marketing Department Harry N. Abrams Employee Review

- My biggest issue was with the HR department. Having worked at a larger publisher previously, I was used to an HR team that was committed to supporting us, providing resources and assistance. At Abrams, HR does the bare minimum. On a weekly basis, the only communication we would receive from HR was regarding the arrival of a small box of snacks they provided for us....this seemed to be their main function. When I was preparing to leave, I tried for weeks to set up an exit interview and get important information about when my benefits would expire and what I needed to do to wrap up. My constant follow-up was ignored until my last day, and as such I lost out on using up remaining FSA funds, among other things. When it's already hard to compete with larger publishers for talent, you would think this would be one area they would want to invest and provide better support. Additionally, in my last year there, there were many departures in my department to the point that we were extremely short-staffed. Those who remained were picking up tons of extra work, and again there was very little support or transparency from the executive team, let alone raises despite all of the unfilled positions... I also saw amazing colleagues who were extremely good at their jobs, loyal to the company, and provided mentorship to myself and others get passed over for leadership opportunities. Really disheartening. Lastly, there was an very political culture at Abrams that trickled down from the CEO, including protection for employees who were bad actors and making it a difficult work environment for everyone. There was a lot of talk about improving things but not a lot of follow-through.