toxic environment and management - Staff Software Engineer Broadcom Employee Review

Working at this group has been the worst experience I've ever had. I was on the verge of mental illness . Key positions within the team were all held by the manager's confidants, who received additional bonuses at year-end. As an outsider, finding a foothold in existing projects was challenging due to the lack of meaningful tasks. Everyone seemed to be in competition with one another, scrambling for work, which starkly contrasted with the collaborative environment of previous reputable companies. What I've learned is to never vocalize my ideas; instead, I should act on them immediately to avoid having them stolen by others. The manager's cronies, all managers themselves, even had the audacity to tell me that my work should be at a higher level than it was. Peers at the same level would assign me tasks with tight deadlines, and the manager would demand completion by the next day. Despite their attempts to undermine me, I would often find myself excluded from project demonstrations, with excuses made for my absence. It was evident that they only valued their own contributions. To further exacerbate matters, the manager appointed a micromanager who made every effort to thwart any improvements I attempted to implement. Even during mid-year reviews, constructive criticism was overshadowed by exaggerated negativity, with threats of a similarly negative year-end review looming despite there being six months left in the year. Upon completion of tasks, they would dismiss my work as simplistic and beneath my supposed level. At year-end evaluations, a laundry list of areas for improvement was presented, many of which even the high-ranked member of the team didn't understand. They claimed I had a year to improve, yet pressured me to resign within three months, warning of dire consequences if I resisted. Signing documents was met with visible relief on my manager's face, as if a burden had been lifted. They consistently shifted blame onto the company rather than taking responsibility themselves, directing me to HR or their own manager. Their deceitful behavior was nauseating, as was the toxic dynamic among colleagues. One individual incessantly complained, and whenever I collaborated with other senior on a project, the manager would inevitably find fault with excuse that senior should not work together, unable to comprehend the significance of our work. There are ones whom he trust and always update him the status of the team. Usually, immediately next day, you will know if the manager will be angry or not. Upon my forced departure, one individual feigned tears (It was him to complain me every day), further highlighting the theatrical nature of their manipulations. They needlessly complicated tasks, making onboarding for new members an arduous process. Everyday, I was surrounded with this kind of low-level performance.