Pros
Exposure to how processes, governance, and decision-making are structured in a large, complex organisation. For junior employees, there are opportunities to build foundational domain knowledge and understand how large-scale teams and functions operate.
Cons
Leadership in parts of the organisation is weak, defensive, and driven by control rather than outcomes. Open communication is discouraged, feedback is one-way, and performance management feels subjective and inconsistent. Asking questions or raising concerns is often treated as a problem instead of a contribution. Project management capability is particularly poor. Instead of investing in a proper project management tool or building internal discipline, the department burns large amounts of budget on external consultants to produce excessive PowerPoint decks that add little value. Expensive contractors with minimal domain knowledge are used to “maintain governance,” when the right tools and basic competence would remove the need for them entirely. The result is wasted money, heavy bureaucracy, low morale, and delivery that looks good on slides but struggles in reality. Experience here varies massively by manager — choose your team very carefully.