Fallen from grace? More like plunged! - Anonymous employee RedBalloon Employee Review

Times have changed. Sometimes change is good, in this case change is bad. Very bad. The business is ran by bullies who use intimidation to get what they want, treat employees appallingly & in some cases have indirectly forced people to resign so they don't have to pay redundancy. If they feel that you are not fully "on the bus" you life will be hell. If you havnt been there since the beginning of time Naomi doesn't know your name, nor care to get to know it, or you or what you even do for her business, yet publicly talks about investing in your people, the importance of relationships etc & also ironic given she owns an employee recognition business. The hierarchy is obscene and has caused a visible divide: A board, C suite, leaders, business leaders, senior managers & managers all for an office of 80+ people. The other half of the employees, the ones that break their necks for the business every day, are treated like second class citizens & their voices/ideas are not heard. Long gone are the days leaders & managers mingle and interact with the rest of the business at events or Friday drinks. Below market standard salaries for those who aren't deemed a business leader. Many take pay cuts to work at RedBalloon with the illusion of it offering so much more in terms of perks and culture as that's the dream they sell. Those days are gone, It's not the wonderland of yesteryear. It's a cold corporate. Step up and pay up if you expect talent to stick around and stay motivated. Despite what they claim they do NOT care about the growth and development of all it's employees and it's time they stop the charade!! The HR girl even says there's no room for growth or further learning and advises people to leave. There is a budget for training/courses for everyone in the business but about 1% of employees are lucky to get it approved. It is extremely rare. I have paid for my own courses in the past and still had to do it in my own time. A small portion of people have got very lucky with promotions but this is also extremely rare and usually as a result of sucking up or others quitting (which happens a lot) and they need someone to pick up the slack quickly! There is little room to move in RedBalloon so unfortunately hard work, dedication and loyalty does not pay off for most here. The company is too small and you are boxed in. The business has been lucky to attract many many skilled, intelligent and hard working individuals but creativity and drive is immediately squashed. People lose the motivation to go above and beyond when they are treated like interns, micromanaged, skills aren't utilised or they're given zero growth opportunities. If you aren't in a leadership role expect to be talked down to with a 'be seen (working your backside off) and not heard' mentality. The performance review system is also massively flawed - you are encouraged to highlight your flaws and weaknesses and play down your wins & achievements. Even if you smash your targets they find a way to cut your bonus. (Which is minimal anyway) They have long stopped the manager performance feedback questionnaire too. I wonder why.