Good Company, Growing, but Sometimes Slow to Adapt to Change
Pros
The people in charge are good people - if you get to know them. They're not intimidating, they're very friendly, funny, smart, and will take the time to tell you about why they are making decisions for the company. The CEO will talk to you about the company's sales figures, and how the company is meeting goals (or not). I think that is very unique, since often sales are a highly guarded secret. The company offers training beyond just what you need to do your job. You have opportunities to learn about the industry if you want, and you can easily learn about what others encounter in their jobs. Transferring departments is almost always an option - many people have done it. If you want to learn about other departments and eventually make a switch they are very open to it. You can also switch to being a consultant, if you want more freedom. Many employees have transitioned from being full employees to being independent consultants, and continue to do well. The PTO is very generous - on par with a software company. 23 PTO days per year, and that is to cover both sick and personal time. Employee turn-over is pretty low, and promotions (with raises) are merit-based, and no nepotism exists (nobody plays favorites). If you have special skills - like you speak another language - you can do very well. Even if you don't have a special skill, but you work hard at mastering (and exceeding) your job, and take on new responsibilities, your efforts will be recognized. I have never seen any gender bias, nor do I know of men getting paid more, etc. It seems a very equitable and fair place to work. Women are promoted just as often as men, and their opinions are valued the same.
Cons
Some departments are more insular than others, which can be off-putting (but others do a very good job at mixing). Executive teams are trying to make sure information moves across departmental lines in an efficient way, but there is a long way to go. This makes some projects drag longer than they should... mostly because the information is so specialized, and the people who _know) the information want to help, but are super busy and have no time to help. This means there is a great deal of reminding/follow-up that needs to be done, to get answers from those key people. More staff - and trained staff - will go a long way with that. Also, investing in making the information available on the intranet, and not locked away in someone's email folders. Some people may have trouble advancing in their careers, because some "tracks" have already had their positions filled, and because there is low turn-over they can't advance. Health insurance benefits are not great, and have no signs of changing. But vision and dental are included at low or no cost, so that helps. 401(k) program is average - they are different int hat they will contribute 3% to your plan even if you don't contribute at all, so that is nice. Regarding pay - I'm not entry level anymore and it is fine. Not gangbusters, and probably a little low for what skills I have, but only by a couple thousand dollars, so not terrible. I have taken advantage of some other perks like paid training a couple of times, and that helps make up the difference. However, I'm surprised by what some people are saying about the pay. In starting positions it is low, but not super low. I think it reflects the fact that it is entry level, and the job candidates are coming in to the position with no experience. They forget that many of the entry-level positions at Emergo are filled by people right out of college, and the new employees have little or no experience in an office, and certainly none in our industry (since there are no competitors around). So people who seem indignant about the pay are probably those who have shown no aptitude, nor ability to improve, nor willingness to take on new responsibilities. They may also not understand that you need to show your employers that you can handle the job before you get paid more.
