Pros
I worked for POLARIS Laboratories for over two years and was sad to leave. The culture and flexibility are unmatched. The "work hard, play hard" cliche really applies here. It is a casual atmosphere and jeans are acceptable. The company has numerous events for their employees year round including holiday parties, game lunches, cookouts, pancake breakfasts, cooking competitions, and more. My experience at POLARIS has been very pleasant. I like both the work and the people I work with. Since I arrived I have been given opportunities for training and advancement. I felt like I was believed in and well respected. I find that management is easy to get along with and wants what is best for the organization. I think that it is easy to succeed at this organization if you are a hard worker and get along well with others. One thing I genuinely appreciate about the organization is their constant drive to improve. They knew that they weren't the highest paying and since I arrived they have drastically improved pay rates. They heard from employees that they wanted changes made to benefits, so they created an employee group to help make decisions on benefit plans moving forward. Those are just a few of the examples. The organization is genuinely concerned with the thoughts and opinions of it's workforce.
Cons
It is a smaller organization so while there are many chances to advance in the organization at headquarters if you are willing to move, there is only so much upward movement available at the remote locations. The company has, however, relocated many employees from the remote locations to headquarters for advancement opportunities.