Progression is political. Your career growth heavily depends on how well your manager “packages” you to leadership, not your actual performance. People with mediocre output get fast-tracked simply because they’re visible or favored. Meanwhile, strong performers can stagnate for years if they’re not in the inner circle. I got promoted when I made it clear I was about to leave.
Outdated marketing mindset. Agile marketing doesn’t exist here. You need multiple rounds of approvals and feedback is excruciatingly slow. New ideas are discouraged unless they come from the “right” people. In fact, people get celebrated for doing tired, basic campaigns just because of who’s backing them.
Constant restructuring. Teams are reshuffled every year, often putting the wrong people in high-level roles because of internal politics. It's frustrating to see unqualified people promoted to decision-making positions.
Lack of support from global. ANZ is not a priority market, so even though you’re expected to rely on global assets or approvals, you get deprioritized constantly.
There’s little psychological safety. Some managers micromanage, undermine, or simply don’t support their teams — and there’s no real accountability. Feedback loops are broken, and HR tends to look away.
Horrible offboarding experience. After years of service, I expected a respectful transition — instead, I was met with passive-aggressive behavior from leadership, exclusion from final meetings, and a general lack of basic decency. The moment you signal you’re leaving, you're treated like a threat or liability. It confirmed every toxic instinct I suspected about how people are really valued here.