* Mid-level managers and above are not technical professionals, so they cannot provide guidance or mentorship.
* Growth opportunities: The company does not perform periodic performance reviews, and feedback is not generally provided. Employee contributions are neither acknowledged nor rewarded.
Raises are rare, as there is no yearly review; salaries remain fixed for years. Stock options have no monetary value.
* Retention: Management considers employees to be disposable and interchangeable; thus, the turnover rate is high by design, especially among the IC staff - with the exception of a small group holding sinecures. Promotion within management is determined by loyalty rather than merit.
* Company prospects: Despite many years in business, the company has yet to produce a product or generate any return on investment. Priorities are always shifting to the next "current thing", with grandiose promises that aren't fulfilled.
The focus is on short-term demos and maintaining appearances in a scheme to encourage new investments and justify previous ones, a sort of pyramid.