USAA s Disregard for Members Concerns Is a Mark of Failed Leadership | RealClearDefense
Two current USAA employees, who wish to remain anonymous, stated that morale within the company is at an all-time low, the company’s reputation is plummeting, and customer service is lagging. Much of this is due to the current CEO’s leadership style. In the view of many employees, Mr. Peacock fails to inspire or cast a compelling vision. He is aloof, protected, and insulated from the employees by a close knit network of handpicked enablers. Until two years ago the USAA Board attended all CEO-employee meetings, but this tradition has lapsed. Controversial changes in budgeting and organizational structure are defended as a transition to the industry standard, which provokes consternation and frustration within the employee ranks, who note that USAA once set the industry standards in all metrics.
Mr. Peacock, the first non-veteran to lead USAA, took charge of the company in 2020. Since then, all of the executive council have been replaced by workers primarily drawn from the public sector. The military connection continues to wane, as the company pivots to priorities more in concert with the public banking community and progressive ideologies more in harmony with a possible expansion of the USAA consumer base outside the greater military community. This is perhaps one of the reasons USAA labels DEI as a strategic imperative and managers are obliged to establish these parameters within employee performance goals.
USAA maintains an aspirational goals program that is hidden from its employees and USAA members. It establishes hiring practices that are quota based, and according to a confidential source at USAA, the process specifically excludes white men. These practices expose the company to liability under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that specifically prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religions, sex, and national origin.
Later this month USAA hosts the Annual Meeting of Members when the CEO and members of the Board of Directors are reappointed. But this year members of the USAA community have declared opposition to the promulgation of DEI within the company and are withholding support. Incentivized promotions based on DEI indoctrination program attendance have come into question. Concerns abound that studies from Harvard and Tel Aviv Universities of 800 companies over a span of 30 years demonstrated that DEI programs frequently fail to change employees’ attitudes. In fact they often aggravate biases and racial hostility.
Well they certainly stress the military connection in their TV ads, which play frequently during Padres games. This makes me feel so — I don’t know — lied to!