Pluspunten
They are one of the best run businesses I have ever heard of. They know their target market, what they need to do to get business. and for the most part they have really do try to take care of their employees as a group. They are an ESOP, and induct everybody into that shortly after their first year of working. They have great benefits, a 401K match ($ for $ up to 4% of your income). Medical, Dental, Vision. I believe it started on the first day of employment, but it might have been at 30 days. The culture is one where, for the most part, they will try to develop you into something more. If you can justify a training they will try to get it to you. There aren't many walls between departments, and there is little "us vs them" going on between groups that work together. There is a very active and concerned quality control department - they will take the time to develop your skills of perception so that superior quality product comes out. Further there are mature systems in place to prevent large problems from developing. There is a well developed bonus program that affects everybody. At the time I left they had an effective 9 hour day M-Th, with every other Friday alternating 8 hours on and the other on call. It was very nice.
Minpunten
Most every con comes back to being very very tight about money. As a result of being so concerned about their business there is a tendency to micro manage. Every trip must be approved by at least 2 levels of management, unless reason can be given it must be the lowest cost fare. There is no per-diem to travelers, at the time I was there they were expected to spend $35 or less on food per day of travel, and you would be questioned if you went over. Raises are at best 2% per year. After receiving my Professional engineering liscence (which they were very supportive of me getting), the only raise I got was because I was promoted from a Project manager II to a III. They are notorious for not paying as much as could be had elsewhere for similar experience. As an engineer out of School I received 44K starting which was ok. They are good for starting people. as time progressed however I could not achieve more. at one point a newer employee with a lifetime of experience was made a leader of a group to which I was going. He approached me and said he had no idea how much I earned, but felt I was a great dilgent worker and that, though he didn't know how much I was paid, he felt I worked enough to earn at least 40K a year. At the time I was making 60K. I should have realized that once he knew how much I actually earned suddenly I wouldn't be as good of a worker. And that's exactly what happened. I finally left for a 20% raise at a different company. Due to the other Friday being "On call" many managers don't take them. This leads to a culture from the management that looks down on people who actually do take those Friday's on call actually on call instead of being at the office.