What a shame... it used to be goodOES has some great surface-level perks. The Cremorne office is beautiful and in a great spot. There’s good coffee, snacks, weekly drinks, and end-of-year parties that are genuinely fun. Entry level colleagues are generally friendly and supportive, which makes the day-to-day feel a bit lighter. But unfortunately, that’s where the positives end.
The team culture in the Marketing department and Student Operations is toxic, largely driven by poor leadership at the director level and above. Staff are treated like they’re disposable — there's little respect for the time, effort, or value people bring to their roles. There’s no real opportunity for growth or progression. Coordinators are almost never promoted internally, and there’s no focus on learning or development.
Middle management doesn’t have the technical knowledge or leadership skills to drive quality work or support their teams. People are left to stagnate. HR is basically invisible unless they’re stepping in for something formal like an exit interview or warning. There’s no real focus on wellbeing, career support, or listening to staff concerns.
Advice to Management: You need to take a serious look at morale across your departments. People are leaving for a reason — they feel underpaid, overlooked, and completely unsupported. It’s honestly a shame. OES used to be a great place to work, but the culture now feels toxic and political, and people are burning out or being pushed out.