Company preaches one thing and does the complete opposite. For years they have been hooking prospective employees with the bogus line that this is a family company that cares about its employees, gives fair compensation, and doles out hefty bonuses. Well yes, it is a family company, if you are somehow related to the CEO or enjoy kissing @!$.....but it hasn't cared about it's employees since the old man relinquished the company to his son. Since then it has been a steady path to stuffing the family pockets while cutting any and all perks to the employee (i.e. cut backs on company activities like the Christmas Party, Fishing Trips, Christmas Trees, Day off for your Birthday, and Cost of Living Increases). Compensation is fair....but remember you are not working a normal 40 hour work week...and the 50 hour minimum they advertise is more like 60+.....just try to show up at 7am and leave at 5:30pm and see how long you last before someone has the talk with you. And as for bonuses....this is just a criminal lie. You'll hear every excuse why you won't get your bonus. Anything from underperforming projects (even if you have nothing to do with those projects), to cash flow issues (shouldn't the senior managers be getting slapped around for not keeping an eye on this and not the employees), to the very creative "we borrowed money from this bonus pool to pay you your last bonus....so no bonus this time." I remember my first three bonuses were <$300 each and then I went a strech of 6 straight bonus periods with $0.....and I was working like a dog....averaging almost 60 hours per week. Some higher ups had the nerve to tell me that I should be happy I was getting anything.....you try logging over 800 hours a year more than a normal 40 hour a week job and get handed a $300 check for your time....and see how happy you are going to be.
As for a work/life balance......forget about it. You are expected to be at work by 6:30am and everyone is still pasted to their computers at 6:00pm.....partly for fear of their spineless boss turning on them because someone saw them leave earlier than everyone else. The majority of the higher ups don't see any issue with this because that is how they have worked at this company for 20 years.....so everyone else should just stop complaining and be happy they have a job.
I agree with one of the previous posts......sign on, work the system, learn as much as you can, and then take that experience to a company that is going to treat you right. Stay no more than 2 or 3 years. And if you have a family.....or a family you love to see....stay away!!!!!
