Feeling Stuck in a Startup: Should I Stay or Start Job Hunting? Seeking Your Advice

Hi,

I joined a startup company 3 months ago, thinking I would learn a lot from it. However, I have started feeling uneasy about the business plans of the management. I received feedback from sources indicating that my CEO was not competent in previous companies where he worked.

Over the past 3 months, I have observed that my CEO made incorrect decisions, leading to a delay in business procurement for almost 1.5 months. Just recently, 15 days ago, we recruited a Business Development Manager (BDM).

The CEO, a senior with 25 years of experience in the industry, is a nice guy but overly sensitive by nature in handling all issues. Despite his seniority and amiable nature, I believe he lacks business acumen and leadership qualities, becoming very tense quickly.

A colleague close to the CEO mentioned that the CEO perceives me as very assertive and aggressive by nature, and lacking proactiveness, although he has not directly communicated this to me. I have tried to adapt my approach to be more aligned with the working environment, but my CEO remains dissatisfied. This situation has created a lot of discomfort for both of us.

Feeling demoralized, I am contemplating looking for another job. Please advise me :( Should I continue for another 6 to 12 months in this company?

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions, guidance, or advice in this regard.

Regards,

Anu

Dear Anu

You are still raw in your career. It is pre mature on your part to comment and come to an opinion on a 25 yrs experienced guy who is heading a company. Some decisions may go wrong especially in the initial (Project) stage of building a new organization. That doesn't mean that the CEO is lacking certain skills. Some unpleasant decisions towards you or towards your colleagues with whom you have rapport might provoked you to come to an opinion like this.

At least you came to know about CEO's comments on your behavior and performance. Please take it in a positive way and try to reach to his expectations.

Not only you Anuradha, most of the beginner's feel uneasy and uncomfortness during their first few months. They feel they are ignored and some times land into insecure feeling, indulge in grapewine, mudslinging and also procrastinate things and land into problems.

I suggest you to not to get demoralized at this moment. All that what you need to do at this moment is to gear up to the expectations of the CEO and and try to overcome your weakness.

Be flexible and I wish you all the best in the same company in the years to come.

regards

P.V.S. RAVINDRA VARMA

Hi Anu,

Am sure you would be now better settled in the job after a great sound advice by Ravindra Verma..he said it very rightly and i totally agree with him on all accounts..however would like to add a few points as well..

I have joined a start up company 3 months ago thinking I would learn a lot from it. But I have started getting very uneasy feeling about the Business Plans of the Mgt. I got a feedback from sources that my CEO was not competent in previous companies he worked for.

Remember from every job including this ones & ones in the future -you would learn something..being in HR you may a very little understanding of Business Plans..so its too early to comment!!..believe me even i felt that way as well..regarding competency of your boss..Ravindra has answered that well..

For last 3 months I could see that my CEO took wrong desicions and the business procurement delay for almost 1.5 months, now last 15 days back we have recruited a BDM...

This is your opportunity to learn from the mistakes..just think as how this could have been avoided or what could have been better decision..

CEO is a senior with 25yrs in Industry. he is nice guy but very sensitive by nature in all issues. So now I feel even though he is senior and nice guy but lack business mind & leadership qualities, gets very tensed very soon.

Let me ask you there are two things you cannot choose..Parents & Boss..so learn to adapt to the style..all bosses have achilless kneel so what you are doing about it? other than criticising about..have you looked as how you can help him out..in genuine manner/way without giving the smack of polishing the apple!!..but in professional approach..

Recently my colleague close to CEO told me that CEO thinks I'm very assertive, aggressive by nature & lack proactiveness, which my CEO has not spoken to me directly about. I have adjusted myself to be compatible with working, but still my CEO is not happy. There is lot of uncomfortable feeling while working from both the side.

Wow..that's some feedback..best would be to have a one to one discussion about his expectations from you..proactiveness is the key word..many of us are not..(am sure even my boss would be agree!! Ha ha ha)..jokes apart..you have to start thinking as how you are making his job as CEO easier...if you have an idea then share the same with CEO as how you can…

I feel very demoralized due to this and feel I should start looking for other job..... Please advice me , should I stay on for another 6 to 1 years in this company ??

Hey this is the best phase of your career!!..make the most of it..

Happy Independence day!!

Cheerio

Rajat

Anuradha,

Is the image your CEO has of you bothering you? If I were you, I would have a one-on-one with him on expectations and request general feedback on the three months of work.

Is the competency and leadership capability of your CEO an issue in continuing? If yes, have you validated those facts that you have. What has the person done wrong in the last 25 years? Why was he hired by your organization despite all the failures in the first place? If you have done that and they are in line with what you said, and you do not see the organization growing under that leadership and you cannot steer a change in any form, probably the best option will be to check for opportunities of interest.

Hi Anu,

I think you've got excellent replies for your post. I would like to add a few more tips for a new employee (fresher).

Patience is key. Understand your company, boss, and other employees well. It may take up to 6 months to get a clear idea of the working ethics of your company, especially if it's your first job. Once you understand your boss's expectations, try to fulfill them. Evaluate yourself in the past three months to assess how much you know about the company. Keep in mind that most startup companies may not give full freedom to a new HR person to implement their ideas. Try making minor changes to existing processes if needed, after consulting with your senior. Always aim to implement things according to the company's guidelines. Once your CEO or boss feels that you are capable of handling tasks, you will gradually gain more freedom to implement your own ideas.

Regards

Hi Rajat,

Thanks a lot for your valuable advice. After Ravindra's advice, I gave it a more holistic thought and do feel this situation would improve. Guess what! I did get an indirect positive feedback from the CEO. He told my colleague that he can see positive improvement as needed in me. 😄 I feel so much better now!

"You there are two things you cannot choose: Parents and Boss. So, learn to adapt to the style." I absolutely agree with you!

Things are looking up for the company too now. So good for all.

But still one problem - my CEO does NOT dress professionally for work. He wears only casual T-shirts EVERY DAY!! That looks so LOUSY.

Once or twice, my colleague gave him a taunt and indirect remark about his dress code, but no use at all.

The problem is that while interviewing candidates for a new company, it gives an unprofessional and bad impression about the company itself. Don't you think? More to it, he keeps munching something so that others in his office and foodies fall all around the table and on his shirt.

So, tell me, how should we tell our CEO to improve upon his dress code?

Regards,

Anu

Hi Rajnish,

Yes, I had validated it with a few of my friends who had worked with him before and another business competitor who is a friend of mine. That was the image he had about me before. However, things have improved now, and the business is also looking up for the company.

"What has the person done wrong in the last 25 years? Why was he hired by your organization despite all the failures in the first place?" The management decided to appoint him as the CEO; he is also one of the company directors. I had no role in his appointment. Please let me know how I can change his "dress code."

Thanks a lot for your advice. :)

Regards,
Anu

Hi Anu,

I am glad that things have improved.

Boss - Dress!!

Oh boy, it's a tough challenge... since he is not a kid that you could rebuke. Please enforce an indirect approach, which is to be very subtle, as the dress code change can only come with his realization.

Hmm... let me give it some thought and shall respond with some ideas. Meanwhile, what I would like you to do is the following:
- His psychological profile
- His strong and weak areas
- His career plan/growth profile
(Please don't post it here!)

Cheerio,
Rajat

Anu,

Dressing/presentation is a personal issue; some people dress formally, some casually. In the US, a T-shirt with business trousers is an accepted form of dressing for offices. In India, some companies accept it, some don't. I understand that we look up to people in positions and have expectations from them regarding how they should conduct themselves, dress, speak, etc. There will be elements in the environment that we may not have control over; that's how it's made up. I think you are looking at him from an "opinionated" lens; too much scrutiny will create "bothers" in your mind, which will impact your productivity.

I suggest you "zoom out" from him. If you hear comments from customers or too many employees, identify a senior person who is friendly with your CEO and who can communicate the feedback in an informal manner, which will bring about the desired change. Remember, this is a sensitive area and needs subtle handling.

Hi Rajnish,

Yes, my colleague is also my boss's pal. He did tell my boss about his dress code, especially during conducting senior position interviews. Anyway, I agree it is a "sensitive area and needs subtle handling" and also feel that he should be able to sense it himself, which may take its own time.

Thanks again for your advice :)

Regards,
Anu

Hi Rajat,

Yes, it is a sensitive matter and must be handled with care. He is a very sensitive person. I will work on the matter you need and get back to you.

Regards,
Anu

Hi Anu,

I second the opinion expressed by Rajnish.

Dress code is a matter of company culture!

The leadership of the company is often responsible for setting up the company culture informally, which over a period of time gets engraved in the culture of the company as well as in hard copy company policy.

Is your CEO the only one having a 'different/casual' dress code?

Do you have a well-defined or even simply defined dress code?

Depending upon your personal relationship with your boss, maybe you can even discuss or find out the CEO's opinion and point of view about the dress code... maybe the CEO indeed is having a casual dress code intentionally so as to cultivate an informal company culture where everyone is comfortable.

The meaning and interpretation and perception have changed over the recent times. A casual dress code need not necessarily indicate unprofessionalism. It is the attitude that actually matters.

Even when your CEO is interviewing for senior roles, the candidates being interviewed will judge your CEO by his attitude, business sense, and the way he conducts the interview. If they are also biased by "dress sense"... well... I guess they should not be a part of leadership!

Hi,

At this point in time, I don't think she is worried about the CEO's capabilities, but rather his competencies. What is bothering her is the fact that the CEO, despite not performing himself, is directing her to change.

Ann: Correct me if I'm wrong.

I see it this way: the CEO has complimented you on being aggressive and competent. What he is asking you to be is PROACTIVE. Now, the stage is set by the CEO (since he is not performing, perhaps he knows that) for you to work in tandem, proactively to resurrect the business or the business plan. Moreover, you are aggressive; channelize that aggressive energy towards being more proactive too. Give him suggestions, work parallelly with the CEO on some HR initiatives.

Rajnish Borah said, "Anuraadhaa, is the image your CEO has of you bothering you? If I were you, I would have a one-on-one with him on expectations and request general feedback on the three months of work. Is the competency and leadership capability of your CEO an issue in continuing? If yes, have you validated those facts that you have. What has the person done wrong in the last 25 years? Why was he hired by your organization despite all the failures in the first place? If you have done that and they are in line with what you said, and you do not see the organization growing under that leadership and you cannot steer a change in any form, probably the best option will be to check for opportunities of interest.

Please let me know if any further assistance is needed.

Hi Shoonya,

"Is your CEO the only one having a 'different/casual' dress code?" - Yes, he is the only one. Everybody else wears professional attire.

"Do you have a well-defined/or even simply defined dress code?" - Yes, I have the policies and employee handbook ready. The moment I finished it, I showed it to him. However, he said that he would go through it later. I don't think he has looked at it.

Dress Code Policy: Employees should maintain a neat, well-groomed appearance at all times. Employees should avoid extremes in dress.

- Formal Wear: Monday to Thursday
- Informal Wear: Friday

Men are expected to be in formal business attire, e.g., collared shirt, trousers, and leather shoes, as well as smart business casuals. Women are expected to be in Indian or Western formal wear, e.g., sari, salwar kameez, and trousers.

His 'attitude' is okay. I guess we have to slowly and subtly talk to him regarding the dress code.

"I guess they (dress code) should not be a part of leadership!" - I have a different opinion about this; I think it makes a lot of difference if the person we look up to as a leader is not dressed appropriately.

Leadership is a mix of many things, and dress code is one of them, albeit a minor percentage of it.

Thanks for the advice.

Regards,

Anu

Hmm ...
Well, in that case, people around your CEO (for example, your boss) will have to be vocal about the fact and informally let him know about the long-term company culture-related damage he (CEO) might cause by not being synchronized with the company policy. He may have a great vision, but it needs to be in sync with the company vision! I guess your boss will have to play an instrumental role in the change you wish to see in your CEO! All the best!

Hi Ranjan,

"What is bothering her is the fact that the CEO (despite not performing himself) is directing her to change. Ann: Correct me if I'm wrong - Yeah, you are right! "Give him suggestions, work parallelly with the CEO... Some HR initiatives for the CEO" - Yes, I have started with it. It's working well now. Thanks a lot, Ranjan.

Regards,
Anu

Dear Anu :roll:

Sub: Return on the Time Spent by Myself :D , Rajat Joshi :) , Rajanish Borah :D , Atom Leaf :) , ShoOOonya :wink: , Ranjan :D - Reg

How are you. Hope by this time you have completed your probation with that start up company and settled in the job.

We appreciate if you could respond (since you have completed one year of service) to the following statements you made at the early days of your career:

1.) I have started getting very uneasy feeling about the Business Plans of the Management

2.) My CEO is not competent in the previous companies he worked for.

3.) I could see that my CEO took wrong decisions and the business procurement delay for almost 1.5 months.

4.) He is senior and nice guy but lack business mind and leadership qualities, gets very tensed very soon.

5.) CEO thinks I'm very assertive, aggressive by nature and lack proactive ness, which my CEO has not spoken to me directly about. I have adjusted myself to be compatible with working, but still my CEO is not happy. There is lot of uncomfortable feeling while working from both the side.

6.) I feel very demoralized due to this. Should I stay on for 6 month to one years in the company

and

What were your learnings in the past one year (learning from Mistakes) (learning by observing) (learning by doing) etc.,

Awaiting your response

Regards

P.V.S. RAVINDRA VARMA :lol:

Hi Anu Jee,

I think we are all really waiting for your reply regarding what you have learned from your company, what improvements you have brought in, and how you managed all of this on your own when it was your first job.

Thanks to Ravindra Varma, Nimmagadda, and Rajat Joshi for restarting the chain so that we all can get feedback from you. Please reply to the emails. I hope you are still with the same company and still doing well.

Take care,
Preeti

Hi Anu,

Till now, I have never seen this discussion. Today, I read the complete history of the discussion. It was really good. One thing I want to share at this point is that I am also facing the same problem with my CEO. The discussion and the suggestions from Mr. Rajat, Mr. Ravindra, Mr. Rajnish, etc., made me think about self-retrospection.

I have been working in the HR field for the last 17 months. Recently, my boss changed, and the new boss is really giving me a hard time regarding many issues. My boss says, "I appreciate you for doing great work regarding employee well-being. But, in this process, you are crossing the company policy," and he keeps pointing it out.

The discussion really helped me think about making slight adjustments in my working style and attitude so that my boss can understand me better.

Any more suggestions regarding my case are welcome. I am also looking forward to a reply from all of you a year later.

Waiting 😉

Hi Anu,

I am Moushmi, recently joined this remarkable group. After perusing your case history, I had only one thought - that you must open up with your CEO. The way Mr. Ravindra has comprehended it to you and all is wonderful and perfect. We don't know what challenges and troubles you might have faced later, but whatever you have done to cope up with that situation, please let us know without reluctance. At the time of your sorrow, these group members have given you their best support, so as a mark of respect, I think you should feel responsible to write to them.

They are our seniors, and believe me, whatever you convey to us will be handled with full maturity. There might arise some views and opinions, but newcomers like me will benefit a lot. After all, we learn from each other's experiences, and experience is the best teacher.

Please do write.

Regards,
Moushmi

Hi All,

I have read all your comments and feedback. I have a very similar issue. Let me give you a brief about my profile first.

I have an overall experience of about 6.5 years, from designing to BPO operations management to Recruiting Manager in an IT firm now.

I have been working with this current software company for about 2 months now. It's a software company owned by a person from the US who is also the CEO. He has made his brother the other CEO and his dad is the chairman.

I was hired here as a recruitment and training assistant manager. When I started, what came as a shock to me was that these people don't hire Muslims. I first found it strange when one of my recruiters told me about it, and hence I went and spoke to the chairman (both CEOs are in the US). The chairman told me that because Muslims eat non-veg a lot, he does not permit anyone eating non-veg on the office premises, another shock. Then I slowly realized about these small things which were very disturbing.

Now, I have worked as an Assistant Manager for a BPO handling recruitment and training for over 2 years, and I left that job and joined this one to get into mainstream HR. Now I don't think I will continue working here for long.

The advice that I am looking for from senior HR people is what career path should I be looking into now. If I go for an interview and tell them that these are the reasons why I want to leave my job in 2 months, they will give me negative points for saying ill about my current employer. If I lie, I still don't have too much experience in HR and would not get a good job. If I want to go back to operations, there will again be a big question mark on why I moved into HR for 2 months.

Any suggestions/comments will be highly appreciated.

Regards,

Sameer

Hi Anuradha,

"I have joined a startup company 3 months ago thinking I would learn a lot from it. But I have started getting a very uneasy feeling about the business plans of the management. I got feedback from sources that my CEO was not competent in previous companies he worked for.

I have gone through the same phase you are going through 7 years back. But later on, I realized that 3 months is too early to develop an opinion.

For the last 3 months, I could see that my CEO made wrong decisions and the business procurement was delayed for almost 1.5 months. Now, just 15 days back, we have recruited a BDM...

If this guy has 25 years of experience in the industry, there may be a lot of potential in him.

Recently, my colleague close to the CEO told me that the CEO thinks I'm very assertive, aggressive by nature, and lack proactiveness, which my CEO has not spoken to me directly about. I have adjusted myself to be compatible with working, but still, my CEO is not happy. There is a lot of uncomfortable feeling while working from both sides.

It is always advisable to have one-on-one communication with your CEO. Do not go by what your colleagues say; apply your judgment, and even if you may go wrong, that will be a learning experience for you.

Always work with a positive attitude; the uncomfortable feeling you are getting may be due to the blocks created by your colleagues for the CEO.

Keep doing the good work, and if you perform well, no one will raise a finger against you for sure.

Cheers,

Archna"