TL;DR version - EDS CDO and other Sr Leaders are toxic and destroyed a wonderful culture in an astonishingly short time. Don't work here. 0 Stars, Would not recommend. Wish i could get the last 2 years of my life back!
I have read all the reviews about EDS (even the ones they took down despite saying they don’t remove posts), and they are all true. What was once a wonderful place to work with a great culture has become a toxic cesspool. The top leaders of EDS, from the CDO to others who have come from other institutions or outside EDS have completely ruined this department with their controlling, micro-managing, fear-based leadership style.
What can you expect if you join EDS? No matter what team you join, you cannot escape the reign of terror. Intimidation and threats are used to ‘motivate’ people. Northwell’s values are now entirely absent from the EDS department. Truly Compassionate? Not anymore. Truly Inclusive? Not even close. Truly Innovative? Truly Ambitious? Truly Together? Gone. Done. Over. No longer are your contributions and opinions valued, no longer do you have any autonomy or independence, and no longer do you feel included, trusted, or an important part of the department.
The EPMO, aka Extreme Policing and Micromanagement Office, ultimately controls *everything*. What should be a department that provides a service to the rest of EDS actually functions as a dictatorship and is the “Thought Police” for all of EDS. No actual project management support is provided or given to the teams that desperately need it. The EPMO functions solely as the authoritarian right hand to the CDO, and does not collaborate or welcome ideas and input. Anyone who has a different opinion or suggestion is dismissed at best, or gets eviscerated for disagreeing or not falling in line. There is no empowerment. No encouragement. No support. There is one single ruling person from the EPMO effectively running the entire EDS department, having neutered all other leaders, and who passes judgment and rulings on any and every decision, from what we do, how we do it, when we do it, and even down to who is allowed to be in a meeting, sit in a room, or speak. It’s an oppressive, demoralizing, and dehumanizing environment. George Orwell could have been inspired by us.
The Applications Org is a complete mess right now. Legacy teams are waiting for their jobs to expire after their applications are sunset. There’s no future for them and they are just waiting to be cast aside. The Epic team is no better. You will work harder than you ever have in your life, get no respect and continually be told you are doing a terrible job, and made to feel disposable. “We’ll just get consultants to replace you” is the mantra (btw, consultants are treated no better!) The narcissistic leader over the team creates chaos, wants power but takes no accountability, has done nothing but create silos between teams, and is killing the proverbial golden goose.
Other EDS top leaders appear to be incompetent and over their heads, ruthless, and do not care about anyone. They all decided to "fix" what was not broken, and dismantled every good process and SOP we had in place. Everything now is overengineered, siloed, half-baked, and confusing. We run around like keystone cops and look like bumbling idiots. Compared to how we worked before, which was pretty darn good, it’s an embarrassment.
There is zero genuine gratitude or appreciation for the staff. Sure, you will get some cookies and a generic mass “thank you” email, but it’s a disingenuous and hollow message. These efforts just check a box for them to pretend they show appreciation, while they continue to abuse and torment the teams. Let’s be real….it’s like kicking your puppy all day long, then only offering a treat or pat on the head when you know someone else is around to witness it. Your puppy doesn't care about the treat - he wants you to stop abusing him!
Unfortunately the bad behavior of the EDS Senior Leaders is the new norm and what is rewarded. It’s disgusting – they have no integrity and no humanity. They may manage up well, but they lead down poorly. They brazenly lie with no shame. They retaliate if you dare speak up. They jump to conclusions and presume guilt without getting facts. They play favorites and apply standards and policies inconsistently, with clear patterns of differential treatment. They don’t support, coach, or truly lead. But most disturbing of all, they sabotage THEIR OWN staff from being successful and they actively work to make it as hard as possible for us to do what we do well. Why is anyone’s guess – we suspect it’s to create as hostile and unpleasant an environment as possible and push more of the loyal, long-time Northwell staff to leave so that they can bring in their cronies. Or make us look bad to justify RIF’s and terminations.
If you decide to join EDS, welcome to the worst club you never wanted to join. We hope you fare better than the rest of us and can weather this storm!
