Pros
-The people & culture here are awesome. Its great to work in an environment where you genuinely like the people you work with. Everyone is extremely hardworking and always willing to lend a helping hand. The supervisors are very focused on job growth and getting you where you need to be to move up in your position. -There are lots of opportunities to try new things and explore different facets of the company which always keeps things interesting. -There is a lot of promoting from within which is encouraging to see. -My supervisors aren't super strict when it comes to an exact time to be in every day as long as I'm getting my work done and not missing meetings. Our office is pretty relaxed but still gets things done. Everyone is very flexible with taking time off, taking off for a bit during the day for personal reasons, etc. -I always look forward to coming to work. My job here challenges me and is always making me push forward which I find very valuable. -The vacation time policy is pretty good. 2 weeks starting out and then after 4 years it goes to 3 weeks and then there are more days as your tenure increases from there. -The corporate offices have all been pretty dated and they have recently been moving and upgrading all of the offices. It may not seem like much - but its nice to come in to a shiny new office instead of one stuck in the 90s. -The rent discount is pretty good (20% off market) if you want to live at a community. And most of our community are pretty awesome (new or recently renovated) so that is a huge bonus.
Cons
-Technology - people still use Lotus Notes? But after a week you are used to it. They have released new tools like Chatter (almost like a Twitter just for the company) which is new and exciting and our virtual magazine is cool. -Avalon doesn't pay super well - and its something they don't seem afraid to tell people. When you have your review and they tell you they don't give raises (base raise) based on the cost of living and if you live at a community they are most likely raising your rent more than you are getting in a raise - something doesn't add up there...Its really about finding the right balance between enjoying where you work, having a flexible schedule and opportunity for growth. Another company may pay more, but you may not find the same culture there that you have here. Hourly corporate associates are pretty much the only people in the company that aren't eligible for bonuses which is frustrating for many people. However, the fact that they tend to promote from within and really value their associates offsets some of these frustrations and makes you work harder towards getting to that next level. -The maternity leave policy isn't awesome - 6 weeks and they force you to use all of your vacation days...but if you can afford to take more time off, it seems they are very open to that and will work with you.
