Pros
In general, at first glimpse at least, culture of excellence as an expectation. Easy to get noticed if you're of their preferred personality type (completely alpha type, but young, young, young enough to have no frame of reference for comparison). It wasn't hard to get promoted after a year of hard work. They do a good job of making you feel like you matter.
Cons
Lots of unnecessary layers of management that spend a bulk of their time making sure the illusion of the need for their job is protected; instead of developing skilled people and enhancing processes or performance that add real value to the organization. Reports and meetings and meetings and reports, and reports about meetings and meetings about reports; and a meeting about the reports and the data they contained about the best structure and mood of meetings to present the findings of a specific report. Seriously?!?!?! When things are good, life is brilliant. I genuinely mean that. I worked for my branch for years before I ever had a negative experience. But, man, when challenges come, the facade crumbles and the ugly surfaces. You'll get sacrificed without a second thought given. The more loyal the employee seems, the more likely to be martyred for management's sake. There is a clear expectation that your success at EI be the unquestioned top priority in your life. After all, they let you have a picture of your kids at your desk; what else do you really need? You can spend time with them when they're older and you have climbed that ranks.
