Great people and opportunities, challenging work - Director Catalysis (UK) Employee Review

You will quickly develop a disciplined work ethic and a highly efficient email communication style under the constant pressure and scrutiny of management.

Reflecting on my experience, I regret having been subjected to certain workplace behaviours and practices that, at the time, I was led to believe were standard or acceptable within a professional environment. The company takes advantage of recent graduates eager to prove themselves, normalising high-pressure and inappropriate behaviours early in their careers. I experienced unsolicited comments from management regarding my appearance, clothing, and hair. In one instance, I was questioned by the CEO about my personal political views (why I wouldn’t vote for the Tories and insisting to me that there is no racism in the UK) – an exchange that was deeply uncomfortable in a professional setting. The culture normalised excessive working hours and a general “panic first” attitude, despite the nature of our B2B marketing work not warranting such intensity. My mental health declined significantly during my time here, and when I finally opened up to a colleague I thought a friend, my concerns were disclosed to management in an unprofessional context (drunk in a pub). Managers were often promoted without leadership training, leading to a cycle of unsupportive and apathetic treatment towards junior staff. Less than a year into the role, I was told by my manager to stop asking questions and leave him alone (we were “monkeys” on his back).

- When joining, management place a lot of emphasis on personality types and where you might be best placed to provide value for the team. Unfortunately, they don't follow this through and instead put you on projects at random - When the pandemic is over you will get some great travel experiences - There are some brilliant people here - Catalysis host brainstorms which could be a great opportunity to be creative. Unfortunately these are mandatory, so even if you have an extremely tight deadline (usually the case) you will have to come along and hear people suggest QR codes for the umpteenth time. Also, you rarely get the relevant background needed to suggest anything that might actually be usable, so these are pretty much pointless

- Insane working hours and workload (if you leave before 6 you will be judged). Expect to take calls at 10pm when they need you to - No HR - if you have an issue there is nowhere to go. Management are all friends so if you have a valid issue with someone, there is little chance you'll want to pursue it - Once placed on a project, you won't be able to change - Managers talk a lot about mental health, but the real factors causing the issues are ignored (eg stress due to workload) - Making redundancies due to work not being available, then hiring for those same positions