Pros
Great people to work with (in IT). Direct manager was great. Nice work-life balance, included working from home when needed. Most of the folks outside of IT were friendly and easy to get along with. A lot of challenging work when I started and it was very rewarding. Lots of independence and excellent learning opportunities.
Cons
Mid-level and senior management did not communicate ANYTHING about the direction of IT, or the company. Serious problems communicating departmental strategy or company strategy. It seems as though HJ rested on it's laurels in a captive market; however during the economic downturn and a change in customer wants/needs/desires, the company did not move fast enough to develop product lines, and now it seems too late to turn it around. The new CEO (Varsity CEO) has segmented each line of business seemingly to prepare to sell off parts of the business. Before I left 1/4 of IT had been let go, and during my time a yearbook production plant closed. Seems like there was a significant amount of nepotism, and a "good 'ol boy club" atmosphere. Since the company was too slow to adapt to market changes, I think it may be the end of a 90+ year old company.
