Lean Luxury - Be yourself, as long as you fit the company image
Gut am Arbeitgeber finde ich
There are still individuals within the company who are genuine and offer heartfelt support; neither position, departmental affiliation, nor length of service hinders this.
Schlecht am Arbeitgeber finde ich
A controversial statement by management continues to be discussed across many departments and has raised significant concerns, particularly in the context of the merger with IHG and the dismissal of numerous long-term employees: “Sometimes you just can’t be transparent with your team.”
Verbesserungsvorschläge
Benefits should once again feel like genuine benefits, rather than a bureaucratic process involving endless applications that often end in rejection.
Arbeitsatmosphäre
It is important to note that employees are expected to maintain a consistently positive demeanor in the office. For those in more senior positions, even admitting to not feeling well is almost regarded as a serious transgression. Department heads, however, appear to be exempt from this expectation. At times, they even shout insults across the room. These are not minor expressions of everyday frustration—which, in my view, are perfectly normal—but rather behaviors that, at Ruby, seem to be tolerated despite their inappropriateness.
Image
In the past, people responded with enthusiasm when you mentioned working for Ruby. Today, however, the reaction is often one of disapproval or even embarrassment. Once regarded as a pioneer of lean luxury and innovative self-check-in processes, the company has since rested on its laurels and, in many respects, regressed.
Work-Life-Balance
It is often observed that senior staff spend extensive time in meetings, yet due to the lack of communication, the purpose and outcomes of these meetings remain unclear to others. Although we are operating in the digital age, one might expect that remote work would not pose a major challenge—particularly for a young company like Ruby. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Working-from-home arrangements must be negotiated and approved, and employees are advised not to compare their situation with others, as exceptions appear to be granted inconsistently.
Karriere/Weiterbildung
Training programs at Ruby are often conducted by external trainers, who are excellent and have significantly supported my professional development. Internal departmental training sessions, however, are far less valuable, as they tend to focus primarily on presenting how great and wonderful everything is, rather than delivering practical or meaningful learning.
Gehalt/Benefits
Salaries are no longer competitive for the respective locations, and there never seems to be sufficient budget—despite the merger with IHG, which management claims provides significant contributions and support. Unfortunately, this support does not appear to reach employees at the operational level.
Kollegenzusammenhalt
We support one another wherever possible, as it often feels that only the weakest links in the chain are holding the entire network together. As noted earlier, there is a significant lack of information and communication. When new information does surface, employees are frequently told that it had already been communicated—though in reality, the entire department remains unaware. Internal promotions appear to depend largely on personal relationships with the department head rather than on professional expertise or demonstrated loyalty to the company.
Vorgesetztenverhalten
Refers to the preceding section on work-life balance and communication.
Arbeitsbedingungen
At times, even basic infrastructure such as the internet fails to function properly. Employees are required to use so many different programs that one could hardly count them on both hands, yet the core principle behind many of these systems remains the same: communication. It would be misguided to assume that effective communication cannot be achieved simply because multiple channels and platforms are in use.
Kommunikation
Employees are struggling with inadequate communication between departments and their respective heads. Team members often become aware of important information only by chance, for example through informal conversations in the hallway. Despite this, they are criticized for not correctly implementing details that were never formally shared with the team. This lack of structured communication also leads to situations where department heads themselves take over responsibilities but execute them incorrectly, as no proper coordination with other departments took place.
Interessante Aufgaben
There is a continuous flow of tasks, and employees are often left to figure things out on their own. Unfortunately, many unqualified staff are employed across various locations and departments, and training is frequently nonexistent. New employees are often thrown in at the deep end with little guidance, only to be reprimanded later for lacking critical information. Promised projects rarely materialize and are repeatedly postponed. At times, multiple colleagues end up working on the same project without being aware of each other’s involvement.