Minerva Project Reviews

Staff and faculty are being worked into the ground. There is no work life balance. Discussions/working groups centered around improving this have been had, but little has changed. (I'm still hopeful it will.) We are very much a start-up in terms of drama, broken processes and long hours, but without the perks. There is no recognition or 'kind words' for those who go above and beyond - in fact the CEO doesn't approve of recognition. Staff are not happy and leave because they are forced out or burned out - rarely for another opportunity. If they do leave, staff and managers speak negatively about them. Performance reviews are hard to get and there is a hard rule that staff are not able to negotiate for a pay raise, even after years of exceptional service and hard work, if their title has not changed. If things aren't going well, managers are quick to blame individuals, not broken processes. There is an unlimited vacation policy, but with little staff cross-training, it's almost impossible for many to take a break.

I often say Minerva is an organization that is no longer a startup, operating like a startup. There no processes, which often leads to cart before horse situations. Those on the ground have very little power to take action, since middle management tends to operate in fear. This too often leads to them micromanaging their direct reports which ultimately leads to a toxic and high-stress work environment. There is also no support when transitioning from one position to the next, unless you’re fortunate enough to be well liked by your direct manager. Promotions are few and far between and, as I believe someone else mentioned, there is no clear track toward receiving one.