Pros
You meet some great people, who have some pretty amazing stories. The stipends are nice, you just can’t live near any of the offices if you want them, now. Full insurance, but you still end up paying a ton out of pocket. They give you “equity” in the company. They use fun names in place basic job titles.
Cons
Out of touch executive leadership. Most meetings, both company-wide and team-specific are a waste of time and could usually just be an email. However, things that SHOULD be discussed in meetings (lay-offs, pto/policy changes) are quietly delivered via email, mid-day. They even played “Build Me Up Buttercup” at the last team-building meeting. Clarity and transparency is a thing of the past here. Upper management does not take feedback from middle-management and lower level employees, nor do they give ample information or time to process these changes to middle-management beforehand. When you do have questions, you’re just ignored or given the run-around, at all levels. When I first started, trying to get answers or help on basic questions/process was like pulling teeth. I’m always more confused than I was before I asked the question. You’ll get, at least, three separate people ask you about a trivial mistake you made, and had since been taken care of. Of course, this is also after being given inadequate training. Little, to no, meaningful growth opportunities. Yes, they will gladly give/ask you to do more work, but they won’t pay you more. The structure of the company makes the PE’s and Captains (your direct managers) effectively useless. The culture has become toxic and people are just unhappy in general. I love the people I work with, but I can FEEL the weight everyone is carrying. Unless you are salaried, you only get 30 minute breaks and VERY limited PTO. Then upper and middle management cannot possibly fathom why people have issues with the work/life balance. So many more tools being introduced to track your time and productivity, down to the second. Constant team announcements/updates, across MULTIPLE team channels. Endless confusing spreadsheets and disorganized support documents. There’s almost a commitment to abandon projects mid-way through, because they were put in place without any forethought.