The CEO is too hands-on. This seems like a plus when you are being hired, but his management style is to govern by fear. He brags about making employees cry and talks behind their backs when he is dissatisfied. He does not communicate expectations and is also easily intimidated by smart people. For this reason, the company can never improve upon mistakes because, unless he can pass it off as his own idea, he does not take their advice.
This creates stressful situations where employees are on edge at all times. They either have to emulate his attitude by acting the same way or fighting about the most minuscule things, but more often than not, they end up quitting. In a few months at the company, I saw many people quit and witnessed several managers get berated, belittled in public, and screamed at for not meeting expectations that the CEO did not communicate in the first place. This resulted in a company culture of yes men. I also saw many employees think it was okay to talk behind partners' backs while on the phone with them - I think a direct result of seeing how the CEO talks about clients and employees behind their backs.
Employees' time is also not respected. I saw several IT workers told to work 12 hour days for a month at a separate office. The workers didn't complain because most are in the country on work visas. They were not compensated with extra pay, even for extra commute time or even fed meals. Other employees are also expected to stay late without being asked and without any incentive or expectation of time off at a later date.
