Pros
Baird is company that has a lot of corporate perks for its employees. The company will spend to celebrate with its employees. The annual Christmas party, the after party of the annual meeting, Baird goes to the zoo are examples of events where employees feel they are valued. Baird also has a good bonus program every year where management makes sure that each associate receives his/her due bonus. Although most base salaries are low especially for younger associates as the company thinks that the bonus program should make up the difference. The managers are good in that they are not imposing superiors but rather have the approach of a "fellow associate with more years with the company" who are willing to be mentors to the younger associates. Other benefits are also good in that health insurance premiums are cheap and the company has a good profit sharing plan that includes almost all associates.
Cons
Working for Baird as a young associate who is looking to launch his/her career may not be ideal. There are limited opportunities to grow within the company as moving from one department to another is almost impossible. Each department has its own requirements in terms of work experience and an associate's experience in one department does not necessarily mean it can be seen as an advantage to transfer to another department for a career change. Baird would rather hire an external applicant than value its internal associates. Senior management is also disconnected from the vast majority of its associates, especially the younger generation. Also a lot of unnecessary attention is put on trivial matters like ranking on the Fortune 100 list instead of focusing on issues that directly affect the business and the associates such as meeting revenue goals. Having voluntary lay offs in exchange for a severance package is not what a Fortune 100 company would do.