IEM reviews

There are a number of strong positive aspects of working here. The people have to be at the top of the list; you work with intelligent, knowledgeable, capable, dedicated people for the most part. You will get to know a number of great people here, learn from them, and respect them. The ones you don't respect tend not to last forever. I don't think there are many jobs where you have quite the same sense of being surrounded by good, talented, and fun people. The company also has some very strong values. Being privately owned by a single person, it's a company with a very specific moral sense--the owner's. Not having stockholders, we can afford to do what's right even if we make less money. And because this business is one woman's personal domain and achievement, it is unlikely to be sold to a huge, faceless corporation any time soon. While the company needs to make money, the focus is definitely on doing an excellent job for the customer in return for that money. Equally satisfying to an employee, the work we do is all about helping to keep people safe. You can feel good about what you're doing in a way that you might not if you were, say, selling useless widgets or marketing junk food. And let's face it--it is very rewarding to know that you are doing top-notch work, not just "good enough." Most employees have a good deal of autonomy in doing their jobs. You get assigned a task, and you get it done. In most areas, there are processes to follow, but you still have a lot of control over how exactly you accomplish your goals in the time available. Micromanagement is limited, though some managers are worse than others. Generally, a talented employee is given largely free rein to excel. If you want to advance into management, you can do it. At present there are not a lot of opportunities for advancement besides the management track, but they're working on that. Even without a formal promotion, excellent workers are quickly noticed and given more and broader responsibilities. I hear stories about other work places, where incompetent people are promoted and shuffled around until they find a niche where they can do relatively little harm. Where shoddy work is the order of the day. Where different parts of the company compete and stab each other in the back, instead of supporting each other. Those things are infrequent aberrations at IEM, not business as usual. Although its offices are often located in fairly conservative places (Louisiana, North Carolina, Utah), the company is receptive to gays and lesbians, and makes room for people of all (or no) religious faiths as long as they don't impose their beliefs on their fellow workers. The benefits seem to be comparable to what other similar companies offer. However, there are a number of additional perks. Flexible hours--really flexible, not the usual "flextime" that means you can choose between working nine to five or eight to four--make it easy to schedule doctor's appointments or suit your work time to the actual work flow. We have casual dress for those who don't work directly with customers--again, not khakis and button-down casual, but shorts, T-shirt, and flip-flops casual if that's how you roll. There is no drug testing unless it is mandated by a customer, since employees are trusted to be professional at work and law-abiding at home unless they prove otherwise. While all positions are salaried positions and therefore have no official overtime, overtime pay (at regular rates) can be approved when necessary. Different managers have different levels of generosity where this is concerned, but it is rarely abused because most people are desperate for more time, not more money. Some people consider it a "con" to have a single owner who is often involved in the day-to-day business operations. Truthfully, sometimes this can have serious drawbacks, when you do not agree with that owner. However, in the end, she is a very savvy businesswoman who built the company from a one-woman show into a 300+ employee enterprise. Those predicting the downfall of IEM will be surprised by its tenacity.

Great working environment and the associates are wonderful.