Pros
The company as a whole has a great culture. They believe in strong communications with their employees, and offer a great benefits package and competitive salary. The company is based out of a wonderful town in Eastern Washington. It may not be for everyone, but the crime rate is practically non-existent, and the sense of community can be felt everywhere. The company is led by a very business smart team. They make their decisions with employees in mind, and I never felt like my position was at risk based on decisions that were being made.
Cons
Unfortunately the Human Resources Department is lacking in leadership. The department works insane hours to ensure that everything is great for new and current employees. However, it seems that all of those efforts are outward focused, and those working in H.R. don't receive the same attention. Overtime was frequent and expected. Sixty hour work weeks were not unusual, nor did they ever seem appreciated. The company is family oriented in a lot of ways, but unfortunately making it home for dinner with the family, attending school concerts, or taking sick days to stay home with kiddos or personal illness always felt like it came with guilt. The management of the department is led by people that started at the company when it was very small. The company grew rapidly, and while they didn't' necessarily have the experience or skillets needed to run the department, they landed there. While this could have been a great display of opportunity for growth of a company, it didn't seem to be. Instead, the power went to their heads. In my time with the company I saw multiple co-workers frustrated to tears at work, whether from an intense pressure of the job, lack of understanding of human needs, or discussing that were extremely demeaning to employees. I would not say that the H.R. management group is one that leads by example. Yes they work insane hours, and have devoted their lives to the company, but they have a genuine lack of human connection. This is sad in a human resources department. I would absolutely recommend the company to engineering friends. But, I would not recommend to anyone looking at a career in H.R. or even some other administrative type roles. The department has had a significant amount of turnover. This is taken into account in other departments, examined, and then H.R. helps them to figure out the reason and make positive changes. In H.R. there are plenty of excuses for the turnover, and it is said that they're "trimming the fat", "losing necessary weight", or "not everyone is cut out for it". There is a much bigger issue.