Finally, a company that truly "gets it"
Pros
After working in too many stereotypical "Office Space" corporate IT shops over the years, it is refreshing to have finally landed at Asynchrony. This is hands down the best company that I've worked for. As others have stated, people here are engaged and passionate about their work. Why do I say that? Well, if you want to work in an agile development environment in St. Louis, this is the place to be. As opposed to the "we do daily stand-ups so we're agile" mentality that you find in many large IT shops, this is real agile. It is pair programming, co-location, constant communication, building trust, giving feedback, continuous improvement, self-organizing teams, etc. I had always heard that self-organizing teams were the most successful and not only can I see it in action now, I can see it working. Feedback is part of the culture here. Instead of waiting a year to get a cookie-cutter performance review from your boss you will get real feedback from your team members on a regular basis. And even better, it's constructive feedback - it's not admonishing someone for a mistake, nor is it everyone patting each other on the back. It's acknowledging that everyone on the team is trying their best, we all make mistakes, and we can always do better. It's feedback that you can take to heart. Use it to improve yourself. Self-improvement is not only encouraged, but supported. I've never had the pleasure of working with so many talented people in one place. Kudos to the recruiting staff for finding the best of the best. Keep it up! I know there are folks who may be wary of pair programming, but I've found it to be quite enjoyable. Pair programming will not only keep you focused and engaged in your work, but you will benefit immensely by learning the various programming styles of different team members as well as sharing knowledge. It will force you to try different approaches to solving problems (which is a good thing). Knowledge silos were always an issue at other places that I've worked. With pair programming the silos go away. Best of all, it has helped me to break out of my comfort zone. You have to be able to do that to grow. If you're passionate about software development, writing quality code, making the users of your software happy (and thus your clients too) and working with talented, friendly people, then this is the place to be. Don't be intimidated by the level of talent here. Imposter syndrome is natural and if you're humble enough to feel that way, you're likely a good fit. Besides all of that, the benefits (health insurance/PTO, etc.) are outstanding. I think Asynchrony is a great fit for WWT and both have a bright future.
Cons
After reading the Pros section you might think I've been drinking the Kool-Aid a bit too much, but it's an honest overview of how I feel about this place. It isn't perfect and there will be some day-to-day BS to deal with, but I gotta say it's sooo much better than dealing with the overbearing policies and procedures and political nonsense you get in the corporate cube farms. And I'll second other reviews that say if pair programming isn't for you, then Asynchrony isn't going to be a good fit. But at least consider it - you may be pleasantly surprised. One final thing - this is really a place where you get back what you put into it. You will be given the tools but it's up to you to use them wisely. You're not going to do well if you're an introverted mushroom and like to code in a dark corner with your headphones on listening to Viking metal all day. You'll be expected to be engaged with your team. You will succeed or fail as a team - not as a lone ranger.
