Business-driven IT environment, as opposed to technology-driven. A company good enough for staying with for max 5 years.
Pros
-Good benefits package -Annual Incentive Plan - performance-based bonuses -Defined Benefit Pension plan PLUS Defined Contribution Pension plan (with RRSP 25-50% match for up to 6% of your before-tax income) -Employees are overall treated with respect and integrity -"Economic moat" - Credit Reporting Agency (TransUnion being the only competitor on Canadian market) -Moderately-sized IT department and company in general. -Salaries above average (due to great profit margins, being an economic "moat").
Cons
-No career path -No opportunity for training and promotions -The officially stated "meritocracy" does not manifest at all -The yearly performance reviews lack objectivity, performance and creativity/innovation are not recognized and awarded -Too hierarchical, lack of cooperation between various IT sub-departments -Business-driven IT environment, as opposed to a technology-driven one. In terms of technical solutions, mediocre approaches are chosen instead of better ones. Fear of adopting other technologies. -Too Mainframe-centric IT environment. The MF guys are considered the "kings" and the rest of the people (Unix and Windows people) count significantly less for the purpose of allocating new projects. -Inept senior management. Too many changes of direction, from year to year. -Recent offshore initiatives are destroying the IT departments. A lot of layoffs and the offshore devel teams (coming through TCS - Tata Consulting Services) are not delivering sub-standard quality. -A "watch your back" work atmosphere, sink or swim -Officialy, it's supposed to tolerate the English and French languages equally, but a bias exists towards French (and the quebeckers tend to form their own "nest" and "circle" and the English spealing peers from the same team feel excluded, marginalized. -A sort of protectionism is manifesting between the various IT OUs - especially between US and Canada. The Canadian teams come up with very good solutions and infrastructure projects, but they are ignored and only US dictates. -Too much interaction and reliance on IBM as technology partner, and not having its own data center -The use of Lotus Notes/Domino infrastructure instead of something more user/Microsoft friendly.