Sold as a game-changer but held down by all the same old issues
Pros
On the community side: - employees have access to workspaces around the world - lots of great people within the company and its spaces - exposure to hundreds of member companies brings connections and networking - job demands can be frustrating but not inherently difficult.
Cons
- On the job training/experience is way overblown. You will work 3x as hard to walk away with skills such as sales or operations as you would anywhere else because resources to truly excel at these things don't exist here. - Old guard is complacent or unqualified in positions they were handed for being early to the company. Deeply ingrained 'fake it till you make it' mentality from regional directors some of whom have little or no prior work experience. *Personal anecdote*: When I was negotiating a promotion that I was more than ready for multiple openings were available. I declined one offer because the needs at that specific location were not aligned at all with the growth I was seeking. Among other unprofessional responses I received, I was told by the internal recruiter to reconsider and that I "should be grateful to be getting a promotion at all". - Entry/mid-level employees have wildly different experiences. Some are stunted from day 1 in terms of growth. Others are mysteriously advanced quickly by their managers who are either friends or of the same age/similar levels of experience. - The middle managers who do try to live by the "people first" rule can only prioritize their teams thru extra efforts beyond the work day and often at a personal expense of some type and will usually burn out quickly. - Corporate policies can change on a whim as upper management learns how to run a business for the first time (pre-2020). - Incentives, directives, and company goals change so fast that innovation, ideas, and hard work go to waste because the whole strategy has been scrapped by the time your ready to present and a new issue is being focused on. - Company leadership at EVERY level is reactive and not pro-active. This means tons of time and resources wasted. Some public initiatives such as sustainability are not thought out or have little priority internally and are left to be the passion projects of a few determined but exhausted individuals. - In NYC there is an obvious lack of diversity (and overall in C-level) which the BOD has been called out for with underwhelming response. - Working in Community is an intimate hospitality/customer service role. When issues arrive in the workplace (i.e. elevator down or a leaking pipe) you may become a punching bag for customers who you will also then continue to see every day in the space. If intense levels of human interaction are not for you then avoid this position.
