Google is still great just with the normal frustrations you'd expect for a large company
Pros
When compared to most companies, Google still delivers on the hype. The benefits (food, 401K, parties, etc) are still outstanding even as the try to cut costs. The culture is still entrepreneurial with a lot of change and innovation being driven from the bottom-up and raised to management at the national level. The brand is unparalleled in the advertising, online media and technology fields and is a brand that opens doors in almost all industries. Although Google is certainly experiencing growing pains as it transitions to a large company and tries to branch out from AdWords, it still earns its reputation as a great place to work.
Cons
Google is a large company that desperately wants to behave as a small company. Although trying to preserve many of the values that made the company great to begin with is admirable, it is also a source of headaches. The flipside of change being driven from the bottom-up is that it often seems like the strategic direction of product launches / expansions are a little half baked. The entrepreneurial culture of being quick to respond also results in a lot of chaos. Playing the politics game is also becoming an issue for promotions since there are only so many slots in a flatter organization. This will become increasingly true as the company's growth slows and less opportunities open up from expansion.
