Pros
Ascent Healthcare respectED and valuED its employees before the merger with Stryker. Management was always helpful and easy to get a hold of whenever you needed help or advise. Conference calls WERE positive and focusED on relevant product information or tasks. The only positive thing that I can say since the merger is that the business of reprocessing OEM instruments is good for the environment and a great savings initiative for the hospitals.
Cons
Cons are as of the "merger": Management is difficult to get a hold of. They reorganized management structure and hired from outside the company. For my team, they hired some kid manager who didn't have a clue. When speaking to my contacts, this person sounded like a parrot, not really knowing information, rather just repeating. Additionally, this person would answer questions even if false information was given rather than saying he/she didn't know. Ascent no longer values its employees. Ascent has too many managers over a person. Its difficult when you get a task and have 3 people change it 3 different ways. You need to copy everyone and their mother when you send an outgoing message to your customers. Meetings are made to tell you that you (the team) aren't doing your job and there is someone else waiting in line to take your position. Ascent advertises how much a position earns on salary, but when you get promoted, salary doesn't change. You don't get compensated for ALL the work that you have to do. If you have drive time to a customer (be it 5 or 6 hours), you have to do it on your own time. Start driving with enough time to get there by 6:00AM. If you have supplies to buy or papers to print, you have to do it on your own time. If you want to respond to an email to management to correct a misunderstanding (on your own time), you get a response asking you to fix it and not waste your time explaining a misunderstanding. You have to plan vacation days 6 months in advance. Even when you plan vacation days with enough time, if someone can't cover, you can't take the time off; eventhough, they had 6 months notice to find someone to cover. You get a bad attitude from management when you are seriously sick and need to take a day off. This having been 1 sick day in over year. Employees are no longer valued. Did I already mention that?