Toxic Workplace Culture and Not Inclusive - Senior Communications Specialist RTI International Employee Review

1.0
Oct 31, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

WFH, the wider impact of the organization research for communities.

Cons

The project team I worked on was completely dysfunctional. In 2 years with the team there were 8 staff changes for a team of 7. The current managers talk about DEI and belonging but play favorites and contribute to misrepresenting the staff members they don't like in ways the emulate high school cliques. I heard countless staff with disabilities referred to as the r-slur, saw LGBTQIA+ staff silenced and fired and yet no communication was given. Huge leadership changes from the VP level to managers was a constant. Backpedaling and uncertainity in the work and needs. Lack of workplace integrity promising folks full time roles, while not giving them benefits and PTO to only dismiss them later.

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5.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

RTI has a good mission

Cons

Adaptation to sudden federal funding loss.

3.0
Jun 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Remote work and reasonable working hours

Cons

If you're a PhD who enjoys research and hopes to use empirical research skills at a research institute, you'll likely be disappointed as I was. Projects in my business unit were largely implementation projects that required very little creativity or data analysis. I was told by my manager that empirical-research projects are harder to come by and when those opportunities do arise, everyone wants them. Even then, project directors are very unwilling (in my experience) to let you branch out to other projects. Using any overhead time to work on your own research is also discouraged, so I ended up working on manuscripts in my personal time. And there's no funding to attend conferences either. On top of all of this, constant layoffs create an aura of uncertainty and the feeling that you're lucky to even be there even when compensation for similar roles in private sector is far better.

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