For years this was genuinely a wonderful place to work but in the past year there have been many C-Suite level changes leading to a shift in how the company operates. No longer a people focused company, it is now 100% growth focused, and employees are suffering for it. There is nothing wrong with being growth focused, but Cotopaxi doesn't have the infrastructure or the leadership to support it. There is absolutely no structure to any work process, everyone is doing the work of three people, and pleas for help or improvements such as updated software, tools, or necessary staffing go ignored due to "lack of budget". Because of this, talented staff placed in crucial roles have left in high numbers in recent months. Open positions are slow to be back-filled, and often aren't filled at all, leaving other team members to pick up the slack without being compensated for the additional work. Every day feels manic, every ask is urgent, and nothing ever feels like is has been planned properly. There is a severe breakdown in communication between senior leaders and teams. Direct interaction is rare, and when it does occur it is always in a rushed meeting where they dance around all the important questions and never give a clear answer on anything. Middle management is constantly having to chase down execs for info that should be common knowledge but often come up empty handed, leaving teams guessing on what they actually need to do. We are often told not to bring up pain points to execs because they "have enough on their plate", so even bringing a problem to attention is difficult. I have witnessed some truly astounding wastes of time, resources, and money in the recent months, but I don't even know who to hold accountable because everyone I mention it to just passes the buck higher up the chain. Updates on hires, goals, budgets, and other critical info change on a daily basis so it's impossible to discern if what is being told to you is actually going to happen or is just being said to appease you. Needless to say, this creates a pretty terrible work environment, there is no focused goal, just a group of defeated workers trying their best to keep their heads above water. I've been doing what I do for 15 years, I think I'm pretty good at it, but it's impossible to feel like you're doing a good job here, because even if you're giving it you're all it's just barely enough to get by. Burnout is rampant, but taking personal time feels like an inconvenience. If a key person is out of the office, an entire operation could fall apart. The whole company is a house of cards, balancing on outdated processes and a skeleton crew of over stressed staff. It's not a recipe for anyone to do their best work. Compensation wise, Cotopaxi is very low, even for the outdoor industry. Most of my department is earning around 30% under market under market value for each of their roles, the 401k match is very low, yearly merit raises are pitiful, and annual bonuses are iffy on if they'll actually pay out or not. Meanwhile, the company continues to make record profits. Career growth is questionable given the company's aversion to keeping departments properly staffed, and there is definitely some favoritism shown on who is getting the budget to hire. This leads teams to feel as if they are competing against each other for basic staffing needs and budget requests. I would say a lot of us took these jobs initially because we believed in the company and were, at the time, doing rewarding work. With those days gone and seemingly never coming back, it's no surprise that folks are leaving to take jobs that pay a normal wage without all the unnecessary stress. I don't enjoy writing this, there was a time that I truly loved what I was doing here, and I do hope that upper management has what it takes to turn this place around. As of now I wouldn't recommend working here to anyone. The hip people-first "culture" is a sham, and the gear discount isn't worth your sanity. You will be appreciated more and have a better chance at succeeding almost anywhere else.
