Pros
I spent years in the corporate world, and this is the kind of workplace that I wanted, but didn't think was possible to find. Most companies are pretty stagnant places - they do things the way they do them, and you're essentially playing Candyland: show up, roll the dice, proceed forward slowly, with occasional backtracking. Nothing unique happens. No one steps out of line. Getting anything done is a chore.
It's completely the opposite at Evolve. From the minute I walked in the door I've been asking questions and proposing ideas, and it feels very much like a conversation you're having with the leadership team and the various stakeholders: everyone wants to get more done, everyone wants to grow and expand, and everyone is very willing to not only hear ideas but to foster and encourage them. Not every idea is a good one, but even the ideas I've had shot down are met with encouragement and a full explanation of why the idea won't fit with the bigger picture, which makes it much easier to come back with a more complete idea next time.
I cannot say enough good things about my boss, either. He's the mentor I always wanted. I get praise for the things I do well and encouragement to learn more in the areas where I need help. He's championed my ideas to the leadership team and given me all the credit for the things I've accomplished. I hear the same from other departments: the managers care very much about their teams and want to see them do well, and they spend extra time and energy talking about personal development and career growth.
I want to say one thing about the pay scale: I started here at a lower salary than I wanted, but the trade-off was made very clear to me up front. It's a start-up, it's growing, and that means you might get lower pay, but you will get all these perks you don't find in a typical corporate environment. I've never had any reason to regret the choice I made. Being able to wake up every day happy to go to work is priceless - and frankly, even the lower salary was completely workable. It's lower, it's not rock-bottom.
Same goes for opportunities for advancement. I don't think there's a single person at this company who hasn't gotten at least one promotion in their first year, and many have gotten two. If you come wanting to help build something, your efforts are noticed and rewarded with both promotion and pay increases.
I'd also note that many start-ups burn out early because the leadership team is so focused on making a "fun" place to work that they forget to run the actual business. I don't feel that way about our leadership team. They've been through a few start-ups and made their mistakes already, and I feel very safe trusting them to keep us growing steadily without over-extending. It doesn't feel like Silicon Valley start-ups, where everyone's popping champagne all the time and living the high life before the inevitable crash. This feels steady, secure. I can imagine working here for the next 10 years, and that's half because it's a great place to work and half because I think it'll be one of the start-ups that achieves its ultimate goal to be a large, stable, well-respected company.
Finally, I love the people here. It's the first company I've worked for where my default assumption when meeting a new colleague is that I'm going to like them. We hire smart, interesting, good people, and it shows in the number of friendships people strike up within their first few weeks. I spend time with many of my colleagues outside of work because I genuinely like them, and collaborating with people you like is so much better and more fun and more productive.
All in all, I've never been happier in my work. I can't say enough good things about being here.
Cons
I'd love a matching 401(k) program!
