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High turnover, a stagnating firm close to hitting an iceberg

Software Engineer
Former Employee
Worked at Citadel for 2 years
July 23, 2019
Chicago, Illinois
2.0
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDoesn't Approve of CEO
Pros

Great benefits and competitive pay. Smaller teams allow individuals to shine. A lot of smart people to learn from, if you can ever get the chance.

Cons

Very cut-throat and poor culture that makes it a very poor place to work. The firm doesn't seem to be heading in the right direction whatsoever and fails to read the atmosphere of the office. Lack of planning leads to constant context switching. Everything is ambiguous and secretive, and what comes next is never certain. Constant turnover is a massive problem, leading to a massive amount of issues in terms of project management. There is lots of technical debt that will not be addressed, even when the debt threatens the success of the company. Top management is quite disconnected from the workforce and, from what I have seen, do not know how to run a modern technology team. The office is full of unhappy faces. Citadel has a lot of talent but doesn't know what to do with it. It uses a waterfall approach to technology.

Advice to Management

Reexamine the approach you are taking in terms of technology, leadership, and best practices.

The best leaders recognize when they are failing their employees and leading the company on the wrong path.

Actually focus on the technical issues at hand, because they will bite you in the future.

Look to change the culture at Citadel. In its present form, do not expect top talent to come work for you; the culture will turn them away fast.

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