High-pressure culture that leads to burnout quickly - University Development Counselor Grand Canyon University Employee Review

The role is extremely high-pressure and heavily driven by recurring monthly targets. Over time, the constant cycle of meeting the same goal month after month felt exhausting and unsustainable. This pace can lead to burnout quickly, especially for high performers who consistently try to hit aggressive goals. The stress affected my health and home life — there were periods where I struggled to sleep, and it put real strain on my family. Expectations often felt high without always accounting for the current environment or the realities of the workload. There were also situations where workplace concerns did not feel adequately addressed, which made it hard to feel supported. In my experience, when inappropriate behavior came up, it didn’t feel like management handled it in a way that protected employees or rebuilt trust. Leadership frequently emphasized “ownership” and framed the work like you’re running your own business, but in practice it included mandatory work sessions and a level of structure and expectation that didn’t match that message. At one point, leadership communicated a “100% paycheck = 100% expectations” mindset, which felt dismissive, especially because many people were already working very hard. Overall, the culture felt heavily focused on results and metrics, with less emphasis on sustainability, retention, and employee well-being. Finally, the way my separation was handled left a lasting negative impression. While my direct manager seemed sympathetic, the tone from senior leadership and HR came across (to me) as dismissive and rushed — as if the priority was ending the conversation quickly and getting to the next appointment rather than handling the moment with basic care and professionalism.