Darden reviews

You will go nowhere if you do not make the list or are unwilling to "kiss the ring". It is really the cornerstone of promotional strategy. If you are willing to make the folks in power feel important, you will do well. Refuse, and you will go nowhere.

Massive changes including the red Lobster spin off, multiple rounds of layoffs and team downsizing / restructurings. The climate is highly political and not many really know where the company is heading. People are running around stabbing each other in the back, stealing ideas, selling them to senior leaders as their own. Information harboring is occurring at all levels. Uncertainty is bringing out the worst in people, as we all fight to show our worth. Wages are stagnant, even for top performers - the blanket response is "business is bad", although you will witness mind blowing promotions even as people are continued to be laid-off and departments downsized. Certain departments are heavily staffed in non-essential areas, and other areas are starved for resources. No room for growth; within my group we haven't hired a FTE in over a year. Career trajectory and stability seem to be top of mind for many both within and outside of my department. The company’s reliance on offshore labor causes competing voices between Darden employees and out-sourced teams working on projects. Darden needs to re-evaluate their talent acquisition plan, and evaluate how they compensate existing qualified employees. Many are growing frustrated with senseless promotions in departments that continue to be downsized, it appears senior leadership is struggling to identify groups within the company that are critical to the new Darden and the talent associated with driving change. 401k plan is one of the worst 401k plans of the fortune 500 companies. Healthcare costs are very expensive and the benefits are not as strong as other companies of similar size Company perks such as tuition reimbursement is very low. Vacation time offered is standard