As someone who has been with Gainwell Technologies for over a decade—through all its iterations—it’s disheartening to witness what once felt like a family-oriented culture shift into one where people are treated as numbers.
Yes, I understand it’s a business. Budgets, targets, operations—they matter. But at what point do we stop and truly consider the people behind the work? The ones who want to be here. The ones who are trying every day to grow, to lead, to lift others up and create a better environment for their teams.
It’s hard to watch us become what feels like a training ground—or worse, a breeding ground—for toxic leadership. When did that become acceptable?
We pride ourselves on being customer-focused, and we should. But shouldn’t that include our own employees too? Because happy, supported employees don’t just lead to happy customers—they are the best sales pitch we have. They live and breathe the work, and when they believe in what they’re doing, it shows far more than any glossy sales deck ever could.
Instead, many of the employees who know what they’re doing—what little of us remain—are burning out.
And I know some of you will say “That’s corporate life. More is coming.” But I ask: Why?
Why not be the company that bucks the trend? That protects its people and serves its clients with integrity?
No good will come from burned-out, disillusioned employees. And if we can’t see that, then we’ve already lost more than just culture—we’ve lost our compass.