Pros
I was hired as a senior manager for this firm when they were doing a great deal of recruiting on LinkedIn. I was a former CFO, and the flexible nature of the position seemed like the perfect fit for my schedule. All during the interview process, they kept emphasizing how busy it was, they were turning work away, and planned to grow into a Top-10 national firm because they were so busy. They even told me a couple of clients that I might be working on, which sounded interesting and was a great fit with my background and expertise. There might also be a little bit of travel getting to know a new client, as well. It all sounded great. Unfortunately, the background check and orientation process took a significant amount of time. Much longer than I could have ever anticipated - nearly two months, if memory serves. By the time the background check was finished and I completed orientation, it had been nearly three months after accepting a verbal offer - and by this time, business conditions had clearly deteriorated. It was absolute crickets. When I'd ask my mentor if there was anything I could be doing, I was told that the "work was coming" and that I was doing a great job, and I just needed to be patient, and keep working on training to stay busy. Another time, they suggested I go hand out my business card at a professional association luncheon, because they were looking to expand their footprint into a new industry (even though I didn't have any experience in this new industry). It was starting to get old, and so I started looking for new opportunities. After almost eight months of this cycle, I received a meeting invite from the practice lead and someone in HR. I knew it was over, and the long-promised work would not be coming. They explained that they had over-hired over the last year, that there were lots of folks on the bench, and no way to keep them all engaged. Having seen the writing on the wall, I was already in the process of interviewing for other part-time/flex roles. Fortunately, I didn't have a lot of downtime after being let go by Eide Bailly. This sounds like a bummer, but there were some nice touches along the way. They sent me a Lowes gift card for my birthday, and gave me a severance when they laid me off (which, as a part-timer, I was definitely not expecting). I don't have anything bad to say, except I wish they hadn't over-hired. It was stressful worrying about having nothing to do most days.
Cons
Overall, the experience was okay, but a few things worth mentioning: 1.) The background check took a really long time. Almost two months, if memory serves. Couple this with the orientation which is only offered once a month, it was about three months from the time I accepted a verbal offer until I started working. That is forever when you are looking for a new position. 2.) The pay schedule is a little weird. Your pay is in arrears for ten days instead of seven. For example, you work M-F for two weeks and instead of being paid the following Friday (seven days in arrears, like most places), you are paid the following Monday (ten days in arrears). You get used to it, but if you haven't been paid in a while, plan accordingly. 3. They have a computer purchase program where you can buy decommissioned firm laptops for something like $100 or $150 every few months. I participated in both sales and each time, received duds and they wouldn't do anything to make it right. "Sorry, as-is, no refunds" was a pretty crummy response when the machines I received were clearly defective. This program should be scrapped if it's actually just a "trash sale". It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. 4. While I was ultimately reimbursed for the cost to send back my IT equipment after being let go, I had to come up with the initial cost out of pocket. As a part-time employee, it was a significant upfront burden. Surely a label could have been provided.
