Great People, But the Company Gets in Its Own Way - Benefits Department Employee Barrett Business Services Employee Review

The company lacks consistent structure, accountability, and follow-through. Processes are often created but not respected, which leads to constant rework, confusion, and frustration. Employees are expected to maintain standards that leadership doesn’t consistently uphold, which makes it difficult to do the job effectively. Most employees are extremely competent in their roles. However, teams are often understaffed and stretched thin, with workloads that are difficult to sustain. Because of this, miscommunication and mistakes don’t just happen occasionally — they happen on an almost hourly basis due to the volume of work and lack of adequate support. There is a clear disconnect between leadership decisions and day-to-day operations. Priorities shift, expectations are unclear, and employees are often left to figure things out on their own. Turnover within the department has been extremely high. In a team of roughly 30 people, approximately 23 employees have left — representing over 75% turnover. Within a recent six-month period, about 9 employees exited, or roughly 30% of the team. This level of turnover creates instability, knowledge gaps, and significant strain on remaining staff. BBSI also feels behind the times in how it operates. Many processes and ways of thinking feel outdated, as if the business is still being run like it’s decades behind where the industry is now. There is a strong focus on revenue, but not enough focus on the people who are actually driving that revenue. Employee support, recognition, and overall investment in staff do not match the demands of the role. Total rewards and incentive programs are not competitive, which makes retention difficult. There is a lot of potential here, but the company often gets in its own way.