Pros
First - I feel that in comparison to other companies, Blue Shield of CA has the best work life balance. I have a very flexible schedule, the ability to work from home and the ability to travel to other offices as needed. Having a creative position, the company allows me to work when I am at my peak, not the standard 8-5. This is not true for all position, as usual it depends on the manager you have. BSC is working hard towards its goal of health care for all Californians. The company is also involved in many projects that will modernize the way they do business now, including internal tools to aid communications between employees. It’s still very behind the times in some aspects, but the path towards a “cooler” company is very engaging. The company also has very nice offices, with gyms, cafeterias, good security, nice cubicles and landscaping. BSC also promotes community service and social networking. Many of the executives are very involved in the community and are just very good people in general. The company also has a wellness program that will greatly benefit their employees. Finally, the reason myself and many others are there for the long haul is the retirement package. The company offers a generous pension, 401(k) and retiree health benefits.
Cons
In my opinion, the company does not pay as well as the going rate, salaries should be much higher. The review process is a not top notch, and there is no 360 for managers. You have to "walk on water" to get a high mark in certain departments. There are many issues with IT, mainly due to the leader of that function. The groups in our IT departments that are there to help you if you have trouble, or are in charge of our infrastructure (servers, etc) - are in many aspects are very unhelpful, backwards thinking, slow and frankly lazy at times. I think they should be required to take classes on current technology, and then use it.