I joined Capital One with high hopes, excited to be part of a company that seemed committed to changing banking for good. I started in the Commercial Bank Risk team under a stellar manager who genuinely cared about our development and well-being. However, everything changed when a new senior director came in from another division and turned our team upside down.
This new leader created unnecessary work, focusing more on appearances than actual productivity. She was excellent at presenting herself as composed and coordinated, but it quickly became clear that much of it was just for show. Tasks felt like busywork, with her taking credit for the heavy lifting done by the team. Even seasoned senior managers, who had been with the bank for years, couldn’t understand why she kept adding more tasks that didn’t add value.
When we raised concerns about capacity and workload, her response was dismissive and troubling: “The expectations are high. If something happens to you, this organization will be fine. We’re not performing surgery, and I’m not asking you to work yourself to death, but the expectations are high.” This attitude created a toxic work environment where team members began leaving one by one. My first manager, who had been a strong leader, worked himself to the point of declining health and eventually resigned. Another senior director, who had worked countless hours to keep his department afloat, chose to take a severance package and retire rather than continue under her leadership.
Throughout all of this, upper management showed a shocking lack of acknowledgment regarding the toll this was taking on the team. It felt like all the positive feedback and niceties meant nothing when calibration time rolled around. If you weren’t on the director’s good side, every little thing—like taking PTO or asking too many questions—would be used against you in evaluations.
In the end, my experience at Capital One taught me that working for a company with genuinely good values and management practices is far more valuable than being with one that has big shiny buildings but lacks strong leadership. Despite its outward reputation, the reality within this team was deeply disappointing, and I hope future changes will improve the environment for those who remain.
