Pros
There is a genuine desire to be the best place to work. In the almost 5 years that I have been here they have re-vamped the licensure support to be the most robust of any of our competitors, including reimbursement for your first failed test to show the importance of licensure and attempt to reduce the fear of failure. They launched the NEXT Council 3 years ago, of which I am a member of the second generation, the first under the firm’s new leadership. The many changes that have been proposed from the NEXT Council have been met with optimism and encouragement. The last few months have seen a flourish of comments on the intranet regarding diversity issues in the industry and firm, and the comments have received feedback directly from leadership with steps on how we are attempting to address the concerns, rather than shutting down the open forum. These are just a few examples of the openness of firm leadership to other voices and ideas. And great ideas can come from people at any employment level.
Within the DC office everyone is a mentor and there is a casual and almost familial feel. There are no private offices and firm and office leadership are accessible. The younger staff drive the monthly staff meetings, social and community engagements. The office leadership is encouraging of the younger staff and pushes them to lead and do more. If you come now during the holidays, you can share a meal with us at the family table in front of the “fireplace.”
Cons
It seems most change is slow. CannonDesign is an aircraft carrier and there is a long chain of command to turn the ship.
