A suspicious, insecure, toxic, fear-based workplace - Anonymous employee UCLA Employee Review

Not much has changed in the two years that the other individual who reviewed UCLA external affairs originally posted their cons about working at UCLA. Suspicion and insecurity rule this department. No one is trusted to do their job--much time is spent waffling to make sure that nothing is done that could endanger the positions of the middle managers. There is a complete lack of knowledge of industry best practices--not that knowing them would mean they would be implemented. The middle managers are only concerned with making sure they look like they are doing a good job managing. There is no leadership or mentorship. When I first started working at UCLA I had to give myself work to do--I was never assigned anything from my manager. I had to request weekly 1-1 meetings so I could tell my manager what I was working on and the status of my projects. I was never given any feedback on my work--my manager would have to speak with his manager first, then he would tell me what I could and could not do. If I took the initiative to start a new project I was discouraged from spending time on it--when the projects were successful there was no reward or acknowledgment. I was not allowed to have meetings with people without my manager present, and if I did I was grilled to inform him what the meeting was about and what was said. My recommendations based on years of private sector experience (for which I was hired) were never acknowledged. I was there to do the job the way my supervisor wanted me to it. There was never any trust--not for me or my colleagues. UCLA is not a place to grow, or to learn. UCLA is not a place to do good work--good work is stifled and discouraged. The middle managers are completely incompetent, and so fearful of their incompetence, that they do everything they can to maintain their positions. They maintain their positions by making sure that those that work below them stay where they are. The people that work at UCLA are capable and smart--but the result of the management environment is complacency. Any motivation in the department is purely fear-based. Morale is sluggish and discouraging. The negativity is so widespread that it seems like an infection. I have never seen or heard more rude and unprofessional communications--via email, in meetings, on the phone--in my entire career. The most important thing to know--is that any time spent at UCLA will set you back professionally for future positions. Because of the innovation-adverse environment, any new industry standards, technological advancements or strategies will pass unnoticed through the department. You will have a lot of catching up to do when you leave.