Pluspunten
When I tell people I work at Brooks they inevitably respond positively. "What a great company! Must be fun." This is a testament to the stellar brand this leadership team has built and the shiny new LEED headquarters, but unfortunately the image is not entirely warranted. Indeed, there are great teams of folks who really love their work and care about the product and the brand. For those who are serious runners, it's nice to be around others who share your passion and can take off to run the trail between meetings. The building has a great view and the location is great. Discounts and the occasional freebie shoes are a nice perk; who doesn't love a new pair of shoes? Pay and benefits are actually OK if you factor in the work life balance. It really ought to be an outstanding place to work...
Minpunten
...But it's just OK. Meh. I thought it would be a place where I could grow my career but there are few areas where advancement is possible, and little recognition of or interest in using the skills people bring that may be outside the narrow scope of their roles. There are reasons why attrition is so high. - if you're not a serious long distance runner, you won't really fit in here, despite the rhetoric - if you value a diverse workforce you may be disappointed. Whitest place I've worked, and only token women in leadership. - too hierarchical and political for such a small company. You may not be allowed in the room because of your job title even if you are critical to the discussion. - not a very entrepreneurial business. Used to be, but not so much now. - building is nice but the open work space setup is awful, too cramped and impossible to concentrate on your work. Freeze in winter, sweat it out all summer. - high cost of parking when most of the garage sits empty. Management seems puzzled about why they can't attract and retain good people, and it's because they've been there too long. There's no oversight that a "real" board of directors would offer, nor is there even a CFO to provide a balance in decision making. There's a lot of talent but perhaps a need for new blood. With pay levels under market, Brooks tries to offset with better work life balance such as the free gym, so-called "unlimited" vacation, etc. What would really help attract and keep people would be to offer a form of equity or a bonus that actually pays out. Despite having a relatively massive HR org, there seems to be little innovation coming out of there to address employee concerns.