Some very hard working coworkers, management is clueless and lost, executive team even more so.
Pros
ITW has a tremendous amount of resources backing it. Great benefits, decent pay. Raises NEVER occur. "Cost of living increases" are what they consider raises and THOSE are rare. This company has the potential to be the industry leader, but upper management doesn't know how to get the job done. There are some really great product development opportunities, but history does not bode well for these. Ground level individuals seem to really care. From software development teams, customer service reps, sales reps, etc these people really care. They work hard and WANT to do a good job. They have passion. Anonymity might be one benefit. If you keep your head down & keep quiet, no one will notice you. You might even get promoted! In a weird way, George Costanza would do well. Several managers have emulated him, and done very well, though (much like George) no one can understand why.
Cons
Too many Chefs, not enough cooks. From middle management to executive level, most decision makers are out of touch and clueless about this industry. They have tons of books smarts, their credentials may look good on paper, but NO understanding of the people who make up this industry. Management makes knee-jerk decisions, not well thought out, then pursue those decisions for half of the project. Then the newest executive on the block changes the direction 180 degrees. No follow through. Upper executives seem to only be concerned about achieving their contractual obligations, then "retire" or "pursue personal endeavours", which just means they left because they had enough. Then they fade away, many being paid a "consultant fee" for several years. The corporate structure is only concerned about profit share. You can expect to work far too many hours, sacrifice personal time, have your supervisor impose on your family time with this company, for little or no financial or personal reward.
