Pros
- One of the higher hourly rates offered by agencies staffing contractors at MIT Lincoln Laboratory - but not the highest. Definitely talk to their #1 competitor first. (Hint: the name also begins with a D.) - They generally stay out of your life/business. But this also includes the fact that they HAVE NO INTEREST in your life or business and a) offer NO HEALTH BENEFITS or matching whatsoever and only minimal PTO, b) will not help you find employment at the Lab should you find yourself in need of a new home at the Lab, and c) due to the loss of their blanket contract with the Lab and status as a "prime vendor", they NO LONGER receive all the open jobs reqs - so even if they were inclined to help you, they no longer can. Definitely talk to their #1 competitor first. They know how to treat their employees: they offer better rates and salaries, benefits, vacation time, matching 401K, several employee luncheons throughout the year, birthday and Christmas gifts, and will actually work to find you employment should you find yourself needing a new home. And they're still a primary vendor at the Lab. And if at any time you are not happy with them, they will gladly sign the release letter that MIT forces all agencies to require their consultants to sign.
Cons
MIT Lincoln Laboratory requires all its contracting agencies to have their consultants sign a non-compete. This is to discourage agencies from "stealing" contractors from other agencies, and thus potentially disrupting their work at the Lab. This is an annoyance (signing a non-compete), esp. if you've signed on with one of the agencies that offer really bad rates. For many contractors, who spend many years or decades on a single project or in a single group, and who are generally happy with their situation/agency, it may never even become a factor. However, if you are very unhappy, some agencies (these would be agencies that DON'T SUCK) will sign a release letter, freeing you up to be happy and do as you please. DAG, however, believes that they own you for up to a full year after you've left the Lab, even when it's due to reasons beyond your control (like a group having to cut staff). Even though DAG may have expended no time or effort or money to recruit you, if you were naive enough to sign their non-compete - which DAG does not fully describe to you - they believe they own your butt for one year when you're out of the Lab. And now, DAG is no longer a "player" at the Lab. They are not a prime vendor. They are second tier. They do not receive the open job reqs in a timely way, or at all (they may receive some open reqs, eventually). So even if the owner could be bothered to help you, they really can't. *** So what this means is: If you are out of the Lab, and would like to get back into the Lab, you are left completely on your own to do so. And should you get back in, DAG thinks that - even though they DID NOTHING TO HELP YOU - they have the right to exert the non-compete and start sucking off of you again. They do not care if you are desperately looking for employment and that there might be some opportunities at the Lab - opportunities which they can not see or help you with, but which other agencies could help you with. They are all too happy to have you NOT be at the Lab, instead of being, I don't know, a decent human being and signing the release letter so that you could work with another agency to find employment. The owner is also very cheap and, well, lies about things like resume referral bonuses. (If you get someone hired, you will not see her paltry $500. If you get 12 people hired, you still will not see a dime.) While other agencies do all sorts of nice things for their people (benefits and luncheons and gifts, etc), DAG shamelessly sends you a paper popup calendar globe every December. I honestly believe the owner believes she is being generous or something. *** To current DAG contractors: DAG is no longer a player. Should you find yourself between contracts, challenge her non-compete. DAG is already causing trouble with the Lab. (They lost their blanket contract!) If enough consultants raise the same stink, her hand can be forced. Or the Lab will eventually stop sitting on their hands and get involved.