Pros
I’m mid-career and have been at Dimensional for 3+ years. Compared to other firms, the people at Dimensional are great. They are smart, hard-working, nice people. There are few bad eggs. Generally I find people to be humble. Compensation isn’t bad. Not top tier, but definitely not bottom either. As a graduate (either undergrad or MBA), comp is on the lower end, so negotiate. Benefits package is okay. Onsite health clinic is a nice perk. Work life balance is great. Get your work done-type attitude. Food cafe was nice when we were at the office.
Cons
No structure for mid or end of year reviews. Despite being promoted, there is no logic to promotions. There is no start of year objective setting. General lack of caring about your career/career path and skill development. Completely manager dependent and I have had both types. Senior management play favorites. Some people are “in” the club and some aren't. Nepotism is also present, either in the form of UChicago/Booth, or family/friends giving people a leg up 401(k) match is below average at just 4%, especially when Vanguard, American Funds, TRowe are offering 3x as much. Our long-term incentive program is not good now. A few years ago it was better. Middle management is poor. They/We aren’t trained on how to manage properly and most of us have no experience at an outside firm. Generally middle management is only concerned about their own careers, not about the teams that they manage CEO’s have missed the boat on many things, but the consistent party line from senior management is that we are “being thoughtful”. Firm is experiencing growing pains despite being 40 years old. Firm/management is resistant to change.